WAR SHEET
WAR SHEET |
I�ve had about enough of the stupid Roger Clemens/Shawn Estes controversy. Apparently, throwing a pitch two feet behind Clemens legs wasn�t good enough for Mets fans. I guess they were supposed to waste a perfectly good starting pitcher (OK, Estes is not a perfectly good starting pitcher) and have him throw at Clemens head until he got ejected, suspended and perhaps injured in an ensuing brawl. In hockey, when one time wants to mix it up with the opposition, they do so with the fourth line �enforcers�, not the first line players. So perhaps instead of ripping him in the media, perhaps Mets manager Bobby Valentine should have signed TV �analyst� Rob Dibble to a one-day contract and send him to the mound to do the dirty work. And don�t wait for Piazza to step in the batters box. When the #8 hitter is up, just make a quarter-turn and brain him in the batters box. THAT WORKED SO WELL FOR THAT COLLEGE PITCHER!!!!! No wait, knowing Dibble he would have missed and hit some eight year old in the stands � scratch that. Or maybe the Mets could hire that ultimate enforcer from the past, Kevin Mitchell. Mitch could take care of that pizza-face Clemens the second he got off the team bus. That is, if he�s not already busy playing Pursues to Medusa on some poor girlfriends cat�
The Luis Castillo streak is now officially interesting, and is doing everything possible, including beating out bunts to keep it alive. Another week or two of this and may make a lot of people playing BEAT THE STREAK very happy. But Luis could use a little advice from Barry Bonds when dealing with the media. WINS AND LOSSES, THAT�S ALL THAT MATTERS, THE STREAK DOESN�T MEAN A THING!!!!!!
Well it appears that some of the stars are back in alignment, with 55 runs scored in Coors Field in two games, now that�s what I like to see. Now for some other developments, good and bad�
Shawn Green � OK, here are the stats, 26 games, 37-95, 35 runs, 18 home runs, 34 RBI. Like to know someone else in the entire history of the game who has ever done better than that in a one month period. And to him bombs in four consecutive AB�s as well as the four home run game during that same period is also unprecedented.
Larry Walker � This the same player with the chronically bad elbow who I wrote off two weeks ago. He has played every game in a six-game homestand going 13-26, with four home runs and 14 RBI in his last seven outings. It will be very scary to see how he abuses Tampa Bay pitching this weekend.
Richie Sexson � ALERT!!! Richie is now hitting .294 for the year, for those of you (including me) who have been calling him a latter-day Dave Kingman. Since May 1, Richie is hitting .331 (56/169). Geoff Jenkins was having a sub-par year before getting hurt this week, so the effect on Sexson should be minimal.
Freddy Garcia � As hot as any pitcher in MLB right now, in either league. Freddie has won six consecutive decisions, with a 1.81 ERA and and a .74 whip, with 43 K�s in 44 2/3 IP�s.
Derek Lowe � Hasn�t gone past seven innings in either of his last five starts, but has only allowed six ER in his last 39 innings, with a .95 ratio during that span, and leads the AL in wins with 11.
Pedro Martinez � 10 K�s, 2 hits and a walk over 6 innings in SD. Sorry I ever doubted you Pete.
Randy Johnson � K�d 11 while allowing only one run over seven innings in beating Baltimore. Unit seems to be back on the beam as well.
Roy Halladay � Toronto workhorse has now logged 107 innings with a 3.11/1.16 � culminated by allowing four hits, two walks, and zero earned runs in a complete game win in LA this week. A definite All-Star selection.
Wade Miller � As Roy Oswalt has faltered, Wade seems to be back from his early season injuries, winning his last three decisions � allowing only 4 ER in 20 innings.
Tyler Houston � Forgive me for putting two Brewers on my hot list. Tyler is on a 17-26 tear in his last seven games, with 2 HR and 7 RBI. Since May 18, he is 37-77 (.481), with five homers, 20 RBI, and a +.800 slugging percentage. He also carries a nice 430 price tag at third base.
A.J. Burnett - 15 consecutive scoreless innings, 3.12 ERA and 1.21 ratio for the season, along with 104 K's in 112 IP. He is on CDM's free agent list for 670 this week, and definitely worth considering.
John Smoltz - Killed some people with some shellings early, but has 23 saves on the year - possibly putting him on pace for 50.
Now for those not doing so well�
Roy Oswalt � Here are Roy�s ERA/Ratio numbers from his last five outings � 4.91/1.36, 3.52/1.30, 6.35/2.29, 5.14/1.14, 7.50/1.67. Not quite what he was early on in the year.
Kerry Wood � ERA has risen from 2.63 to an even 4 in less than a month, and Joe Carter keeps on referring to possible blister problems. Allowed only two hits, but walked six in his last start, and all eight runners ended up scoring.
Kenny Lofton � Thanks to hamstring and shoulder problems, Kenny has seen his average drop from .317 to .273, a 9 for 62 slump.
Shea Hillenbrand � Brian Lawrence owners may disagree, but Shea is 10 for 50 with just four RBI in his last 12 games � with three of those coming at the expense of the game winning dong off Lawrence.
INJURY REPORT
Talk about turning the karma against you!!!!! Someone got on the BBS board moments after Geoff Jenkins injury Monday night stating that this will be good news for Alex Sanchez owners, for now that he�s virtually assured of full-time duty. Sure enough Sanchez joined Jenkins on the shelf two innings with but appeared to be a serious injury of his own. Fortunately, Sanchez is slated to return this weekend. Other members of the walking wounded include Jermaine Dye (hammy), Juan Gonzalez (thumb), Jason Giambi (thumb), and Ryan Klesko (wrist). There are actually some trade rumors going around include Cliff Floyd to the Yankees, Brian Giles possibly to Oakland, and either Tom Gordon or Antonio Alfonseca to the Angels, where neither would figure as closers. The only emerging closer this week is Texas� Francisco Cordova, who saved a couple of games this week after an ineffective Hideki Irabu was removed from that role.
There is also some scuttlebutt going on with the Players Union possibly deciding to hold off on a strike until 2003. I�ll believe that when I see it.
THIS WEEK�S SCHEDULE
Seven game weeks at last!!!!! In fact Texas and Anaheim have an eight game week. Other teams playing seven times include ATL, FL, NYM, PHI, CHC, CIN, COL, LA, SD, SF, CWS, MIN, OAK and SEA. Colorado is on the road all week, Houston will have Arizona at home for three. Interleague play takes a break in the early week games, but closes out during the weekend with �rivalry-games� all taking place in AL parks. Double-duty hurlers include Freddy Garcia, Vincente Padilla, Mark Prior (note: Cubs never skip the fifth starter), Odalis Perez, Mark Buehrle, Tim Hudson, Greg Maddux, Curt Schilling, Matt Morris and Kaz Ishii.
CDM'S free agent list for the week is as follows...
C 9 LIEBERTHAL, MIKE PHI 700000FINAL NOTE
When Cleveland and Florida met this week for the first time since the 1997 World Series, only two players from that Marlins team (Charles Johnson, Luis Castillo) remain. That�s not surprising. What is surprising is that only two Cleveland players (Jim Thome, Omar Vizquel) remain as well. That also means that both teams have had complete pitching staff turnovers in that relatively brief amount of time. Just gives a small idea of the amount of turnover that goes on with the typical MLB team.