{"id":965,"date":"2009-02-08T20:20:03","date_gmt":"2009-02-09T03:20:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2009\/02\/08\/shl-scattered-hits\/"},"modified":"2009-02-08T20:20:39","modified_gmt":"2009-02-09T03:20:39","slug":"shl-scattered-hits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2009\/02\/08\/shl-scattered-hits\/","title":{"rendered":"SHL: Scattered Hits"},"content":{"rendered":"

A near 30-game hitting streak comes to an end, southpaws Plank and Carlton toss one-hitters only a day apart, the Expos try to keep their starters’ arms from falling off, and A-Rod is benched in New York.<\/em><\/p>\n

It’s Like Deja Vu All Over Again<\/strong>: In 1984, my family and I took a trip from Vancouver, Washington to Brookline, Massachusetts on Amtrak (no, I’m not kidding; yes, it was as brutal as it sounds) for my grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary.\u00c2\u00a0 As fate and luck would have it, we ran into some trouble somewhere in the area of Nebraska, which delayed our trip and caused us to arrive in Chicago later than we were supposed to.\u00c2\u00a0 We ended up with a layover that had us in Chicago until late the next day.\u00c2\u00a0 Instead of stressing out about it, my father and I took advantage and went to Wrigley Field to catch the Cubs and Phillies.\u00c2\u00a0 Fate and luck were on our side again when we realized future Hall of Famer Steve Carlton was scheduled to pitch for the Phils.\u00c2\u00a0 He didn’t disappoint either, allowing only two runs on five hits in eight innings.<\/p>\n

What made the game really interesting, however, is that “Lefty” started the game with three hitless innings, which doesn’t sound like a big deal, except that my dad and I had a train to catch and we knew we wouldn’t be able to stay for the entire game.\u00c2\u00a0 The thought of missing a no-hitter began to weigh heavily on our minds and we started to root even harder for the Cubs than we already had been (The Cubs became our favorite NL team when we got cable in 1983).\u00c2\u00a0 Fortunately the long-forgotten Gary Woods singled with two outs in the fourth to break up the no-no, and my father and I were free to leave Wrigley without regret.<\/p>\n

Flash forward to the virtual date of May 10, 2008.\u00c2\u00a0 Steve Carlton<\/a> at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs.\u00c2\u00a0 Three hitless innings to start the game.\u00c2\u00a0 But with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, the not-so-long-forgotten Ernie Banks drove a frozen rope off the right field wall to break up “Lefty’s” no-no<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0 Unlike the June 14, 1984 game<\/a> my father and I partially witnessed, the May 10 game would see no more hits from the Cubs as Carlton retired 16 of the next 18 batters (he walked Sosa and Anson) in the complete-game, 1-hit shutout<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0 With the win, he improved to 6-1 on the year and lowered his ERA to 3.29, and he now owns the top “Game Score<\/a>” with a mark of 91.<\/p>\n

Can’t (Even) Buy Me (Virtual) Love<\/strong>: Alex Rodriguez<\/a> was unceremoniously benched by Yankees GM Matt Dahlgren in favor of Matt’s grandfather Babe Dahlgren<\/a>, who earned rave reviews as a slick-fielding first baseman in his 12-year career, but also backed up Red Rolfe for a spell at third base.\u00c2\u00a0 Now Dahlgren is getting a chance to man the hot corner for one of the greatest clubs ever assembled.\u00c2\u00a0 A-Rod is batting .262 with five homers and 12 RBIs, but his .798 OPS is disappointing and he’s committed six errors at third for a .931 fielding percentage.<\/p>\n

“Perhaps in due time I’ll put A-Rod back in the lineup,” Dahlgren the younger told this writer, “but for now he needs to sit and think about things.\u00c2\u00a0 [Babe] won’t have near the numbers that A-Rod has, but he’ll drive in some runs.\u00c2\u00a0 It’ll be fun to watch.”<\/p>\n

In an ironic twist, both men have been accused of transgressions that stained (or will stain) their respective careers.\u00c2\u00a0 Recent news has A-Rod failing a steroids test in 2003, which, if true, could severely tarnish his legacy.\u00c2\u00a0 Dahlgren was once accused of being a pot smoker, and he ended up being purchased, traded, or released eight times from 1941-1946 by teams who were afraid their reputations would also be tarnished by the allegations.\u00c2\u00a0 I’m rooting for Babe to do well, and if you read Matt’s fantastic book about his grandfather’s life and career, Rumor in Town<\/em><\/a>, I guarantee you’ll be pulling for him too.<\/p>\n

A Call to Arms<\/strong>: Expos GM Jonah Keri<\/a> has been frantically searching for a recipe that will save his starters’ arms over the course of a long season, and it looks like he’s found the solution: a seven-man rotation and a shuttle bus between Montreal and Ottawa.\u00c2\u00a0 Even before Dennis Martinez admitted to being totally exhausted after his last start against the Royals on May 12<\/a>, Keri expressed concern about his starters’ well-being.\u00c2\u00a0 On April 22, he called up Charlie Lea<\/a> from Triple-A, then a week later he purchased the contracts of Jeff Fassero<\/a>, Andy McGaffigan<\/a>, and Carlos Perez<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0 On May 9, he demoted Pedro Martinez <\/a>and promoted Ken Hill<\/a>, then on May 13, he demoted Dennis Martinez<\/a> and re-promoted Pedro.<\/p>\n

The last two moves weren’t made because the Martinez boys (no relation) are doing poorly\u00e2\u20ac\u201dDennis is 4-3 with a 3.34 ERA, and Pedro is 2-2 with a 4.64 ERA and is among the league leaders in strikeouts\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut because the only way to guarantee that their arms won’t fall off is to send them to Ottawa and hide them from the computer AI.\u00c2\u00a0 Pedro is on pace to throw a career-high 256 innings and Dennis is on pace to throw 245 innings, which would rank as the fourth highest.\u00c2\u00a0 Considering Pedro is more fragile than a Faberge egg, shuttling him back and forth between Montreal and Ottawa may not be such a bad idea.<\/p>\n

How Could an Angel Break My Heart?<\/strong>: Boston Globe<\/em> sportswriter and SHL Angels GM Chad Finn recently admitted<\/a> that he’s kicking himself for not inviting his readers to help him build his 40-man roster.\u00c2\u00a0 So instead, with his team off to a 9-22 start, he’s soliciting their help with his lineups and pitching assignments.\u00c2\u00a0 Some have taken the opportunity to bash Finn for his selections and are lamenting his failure to include Garrett Anderson, Chone Figgins, Adam Kennedy and David Eckstein.\u00c2\u00a0 No, really.\u00c2\u00a0 Others have risen to the occasion and have suggested logical moves (make Mark Teixeira<\/a> the full-time starter at first base), while others are really thinking outside the box (put Carew<\/a> at second, move Grich<\/a> to shortstop, and give Fregosi<\/a> some PT in left).<\/p>\n

Finn is still getting a feel for his team and has made some moves of late in an effort to right the Angels’ ship.\u00c2\u00a0 John Lackey<\/a> was demoted to Triple-A Salt Lake<\/a> in mid-April in favor of Jim Abbott<\/a>, but has been given a reprieve and was recalled to the big club on May 9, not so much for what he did with the Bees (he posted a 4.50 ERA in three appearances), but because Frank Tanana<\/a> was Godawful for the Angels (0-5, 6.00 ERA).\u00c2\u00a0 And Frank Robinson<\/a> and Doug DeCinces<\/a> were recently brought up to the Angels after spending the first couple weeks in Salt Lake.<\/p>\n

By Finn’s own admission, “I’m just hoping to get through the season without [Roy] Firestone making me cry.”\u00c2\u00a0 So far, so good, but if his team doesn’t improve soon, Finn may be reduced to a blubbering mass of gelatinous goo by the All-Star break.<\/p>\n

Napoleon Finally Surrenders<\/strong>: Indians second sacker Nap Lajoie <\/a>saw his 29-game hitting streak come to an end against the White Sox on May 12 when he went 0-for-4 against Eddie Cicotte, LaMarr Hoyt, and Gary Peters in Cleveland’s 5-3 victory over the Pale Hose<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0 Lajoie grounded out to short in the first, to third in the third, to the pitcher in the fourth, and again to third in the seventh, but failed to get a fifth crack at the Chicago pitching staff when pinch hitter Al Rosen grounded into an inning-ending double play with Lajoie on deck in the ninth.<\/p>\n

The ohfer marked the first time Lajoie failed to record at least one hit in a game since Opening Day when he went 0-for-3 with a walk against the Tigers, and it was the first time all season that he didn’t reach base at least once.\u00c2\u00a0 He’s hitting .363 on the year.<\/p>\n

Hot\/Cold Hitters<\/strong>: Cleveland’s Joe Sewell<\/a> is 16-for-his-last-28 (.571), raising his average on the year to .412, but he doesn’t yet qualify for the batting title because he platoons with Lou Boudreau<\/a>, who plays against lefties.<\/p>\n

Willie McCovey<\/a> has five homers and 12 RBIs in his last nine games, giving him 10 big flies and 27 ribbies on the year.<\/p>\n

Cards outfielder Jim Edmonds<\/a> boasts a 1.733 OPS over his last five games, in which he’s gone 10-for-20 with a double, four homers, 11 RBIs, and eight runs scored.<\/p>\n

Royals second baseman Frank White<\/a> is 1-for-25 in his last seven games, with a run, an RBI, and eight strikeouts.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s already been a long year for White, who’s projected to finish the season with a .191 average, a .199 OBA, and a Vorp<\/a> of -40.4.<\/p>\n

Reds slugger Ted Kluszewski<\/a> started the season like a man possessed, hitting seven homers in his first eight games, but he has only one long ball since.\u00c2\u00a0 He’s battling a 2-for-27 slump, but he’s still on pace to hit .299 with 40 homers and 119 RBIs, which would closely resemble a typical “Big Klu” season between 1953-1956.<\/p>\n

Dodgers speedster Maury Wills<\/a> may be enduring the oddest slump in the early goings of the SHL\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhe’s hitting only .148 with an OBA of .179 in his last 23 games, yet he’s managed to steal eight bases over that span.\u00c2\u00a0 That’s because he’s relying on his teammates to get on base before he enters the game as a pinch runner.\u00c2\u00a0 The strategy appears to be working\u00e2\u20ac\u201dWills is 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts and has scored four times despite reaching base only six times on his own.\u00c2\u00a0 He’s on pace to steal 40 bags, which would be impressive considering he’s expected to reach base only 30 times this season.<\/p>\n

Hot\/Cold Pitchers<\/strong>: Tom Seaver<\/a> is 4-0 with a 1.74 ERA in his last four starts to raise his record on the season to 5-1 with a 2.71 ERA.\u00c2\u00a0 Interestingly enough, his best performance of the season came against the Padres on May 5<\/a> when he allowed only one run on three hits in eight innings.\u00c2\u00a0 It was the same team against whom Seaver set a record by fanning 10 straight batters in 1970.\u00c2\u00a0 It looks like “Tom Terrific” owns them in virtual reality too.<\/p>\n

No pitcher in the SHL is as hot as Phillies hurler Cole Hamels<\/a>, who sports a microscopic ERA of 0.78 in his last three starts.\u00c2\u00a0 Yet he somehow managed to go 0-1 in those starts and is only 1-2 despite an ERA of 2.94 and 55 strikeouts, the third best total in the league.\u00c2\u00a0 Hamels left two of those starts with leads of 3-1 and 2-0 only to watch Brad Lidge<\/a> do his best Human Torch impression and lose both.\u00c2\u00a0 The third game was just a case of running into Curt Schilling at the wrong time, as the D’Rocks ace tossed a complete game gem <\/a>and beat Hamels 2-1.\u00c2\u00a0 Hopefully Hamels has better luck with his new closer, Billy Wagner, who was promoted to replace the ineffective Lidge.<\/p>\n

With the exception of one bad appearance against the Royals, D’Rocks closer Jose Valverde<\/a> has been lights out in his last nine appearances, recording three saves, posting a 1.17 ERA, allowing only seven hits in 15 1\/3 innings, and fanning 18.<\/p>\n

While the Expos are hoping their version of Jeff Fassero can bolster their staff, the Mariners have already given up on their version<\/a> and shipped him back to Tacoma after the southpaw went 1-1 with a 9.16 ERA in four starts, and posted a 13.06 ERA in his last three.\u00c2\u00a0 Fassero was so bad, he failed to make it out of the third inning in two of his four starts.\u00c2\u00a0 Mark Langston<\/a> (6-1, 2.07 in Triple-A) was recently brought up to give the Mariners’ pitching a boost.<\/p>\n

Randy Johnson<\/a> isn’t doing much to help the Mariners either.\u00c2\u00a0 The “Big Unit” is 1-4 with an 8.04 ERA in his last six starts and has pitched past the fifth inning only once<\/a> since April 14.\u00c2\u00a0 He’s 1-5 with a 6.41 ERA on the year.\u00c2\u00a0 He’s striking out batters like there’s no tomorrow (10.5 K\/9 IP), but batters are slugging .505 against Johnson and he’s surrendered 21 extra-base hits, including nine homers, in 46 1\/3 innings.<\/p>\n

Cardinals Hall of Famer Dizzy Dean<\/a> has fallen on hard times since his 4-2 win<\/a> over Seattle on April 21, in which he allowed only one run in eight innings.\u00c2\u00a0 Since then, Dean is 0-4 with an 8.10 ERA, and is 0-3 with a 9.37 ERA in May after going 3-2 with a 3.97 ERA in April.<\/p>\n

Fast Forward<\/strong>: If the players maintain their respective paces, here are some of the more interesting stories we can look forward to at the end of the year.<\/p>\n

The home run chase could be one for the ages as five players\u00e2\u20ac\u201dCarlos Delgado, Jim Edmonds, Willie McCovey, Kevin Mitchell<\/a>, and Babe Ruth<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u201dare on pace to finish with exactly 50.<\/p>\n

Willie Stargell<\/a> is looking to plate the sixth highest number of runs in baseball history (174), and if he reaches 170, it’ll be the first time since Jimmie Foxx in 1938 that a batter reached that mark.<\/p>\n

Red Sox center fielder Tris Speaker<\/a> is on pace to cross home plate 169 times, which would rank second in modern day history to Ruth’s 177 in 1921, and would be the fourth highest total in all of baseball history.<\/p>\n

Not only is the doubles record in Jeopardy, but no less than three batters\u00e2\u20ac\u201dEddie Collins<\/a> (A’s), Honus Wagner<\/a>, and Buck Weaver<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u201dare on pace to smack 70, which would eclipse Earl Webb’s record of 67 set in 1931.\u00c2\u00a0 Cubs backstop Gabby Hartnett<\/a> is on pace to belt 65 two-baggers, which would shatter the record by a catcher, Ivan Rodriguez’s 47 in 1996.<\/p>\n

Padres outfielder Gene Richards<\/a> is on pace to steal 99 bases and would be slated to pilfer even more if he wasn’t stealing at a 62.5% clip.\u00c2\u00a0 Richards has 20 steals through 31 games, but has already been caught 12 times.\u00c2\u00a0 His chief nemesis has been Montreal catcher Gary Carter<\/a>, who’s tossed Richards out four times already, including three times in the same game<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0 Richards shouldn’t feel so bad, though; Carter has thrown out 42.1% of would-be thieves so far this season.<\/p>\n

Despite playing in a league that boasts a plethora of Hall of Famers, Marlins\/Rays shortstop Hanley Ramirez<\/a> has established himself as the best hitter in the SHL.\u00c2\u00a0 Ramirez is on pace to hit .391 with 30 homers and 129 RBIs, 114 runs, 233 hits, 55 doubles, 15 triples, 25 steals, and 408 total bases.\u00c2\u00a0 And his VORP of 127 would easily outdistance runner-up Rafael Palmeiro (110.1).\u00c2\u00a0 Oh yeah, he’s also committed only three errors in 31 games.<\/p>\n

Roy Halladay<\/a> is projected to finish the season with a ridiculous ERA of 1.24, yet is expected to go a slightly-better-than-pedestrian 20-15 because the poor sap can’t get any run support.<\/p>\n

Pirates ace Jesse Tannehill<\/a> has a shot at 30 wins, as he’s projected to go 29-5 at this stage of the season.\u00c2\u00a0 Tannehill is 6-1 with a 1.37 ERA and has yet to throw fewer than eight innings in any of his seven starts.\u00c2\u00a0 His only loss so far was a 3-2 heartbreaker<\/a> in which he allowed only five hits to the D’Rocks.<\/p>\n

Bruce Sutter<\/a> of the Cubs and Hoyt Wilhelm<\/a> of the White Sox are on pace to battle it out for the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award.\u00c2\u00a0 Sutter is 10-for-10 in save opportunities, while Wilhelm is 10-for-11, and both are on pace to finish with 50 saves.\u00c2\u00a0 Tom Henke<\/a> and Joel Zumaya<\/a> are right on their tail with nine saves apiece and a projected total of 45.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A near 30-game hitting streak comes to an end, southpaws Plank and Carlton toss one-hitters only a day apart, the Expos try to keep their starters’ arms from falling off, and A-Rod is benched in New York.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=965"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/965\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=965"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}