Saturday, August 8, 2009

Yankees-Red Sox. And A-Rod

The Yanks have finally realized that they need to beat the Red Sox to win the division. About time. The scary thing is that the Yanks are only 2-8 against them so far this year and lead them in the division by 4.5 games. The Yanks have played some great baseball so far this year.

A-Rod hit a huge home run in the 15th to win it. Which leads to this post focusing mostly on A-Rod and his year so far. He's still hitting home runs and driving in runs at his usual pace. But, his batting average is far lower than usual.

Usually, the first thing I look at his a guy's BABIP (Batting Average on Balls In Play) and his Line Drive Percentage. If the BABIP is unusually low and his LD% is near his career average it's most likely that the guy has just gotten unlucky all year. This is the case with A-Rod. His BABIP is .266 compared to a career average of .320. His LD% is right at 17% which is right near his career average of 18%. The little drop is not nearly enough to warrant an average drop of that magnitude (A-Rod has a career .304 mark). So in conclusion, there is not much to worry about there. He's bound to start getting lucky. And when that happens, the average will rise.

A-Rod brings more to the table than just his own statistics, though. Since his return from the DL on May 8th, Mark Teixeira has improved dramatically. The added line-up protection has given Tex much better pitches to hit. I'm not going to go into all the statistics because I don't feel like figuring them out, but the improvement was pretty dramatic.

Another thing about A-Rod that I've noticed his is personality this year. He is so much more relaxed. I think he's removed most of the other distractions from his mind and his just focusing on having fun playing baseball. Last night the camera showed him and Tex joking around and A-Rod laughing pretty heartily during the 14th inning. In previous years, A-Rod probably would have been quiet and reserved, if not off by himself in the dugout. But not this year. And then he won the game with a monster shot in the 15th. I feel like the new A-Rod is much more relaxed and that's going to be what allows him to be clutch. I know I'm going to sound crazy, but if/when the Yankees make the playoffs this year, I feel as though A-Rod is going to have a monster year. And I'm going to say it's simply because the man simply learned how to relax and enjoy himself.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Pens Season

I was just thinking today how awesome the Pens season was. I think it took this long for it really to sink in. Basically, the best word to describe it is one of the most overused words to describe something: EPIC.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Park--Building a Better ______


I recently downloaded Park's Building a Better _____ from Emusic. Wow, was I floored. I'd compare them to Northstar, except a little more pop. The lyrics are great, the music is solid and creative, and the Ladd Mitchell's vocals are excellent.

Every song on this album is great. My favorite song right now it probably "The Trophy Wife," although I love each song. I was disappointed to learn that the band broke up in early 2007 (on my birthday, actually), but I'm currently on the hunt for their back catalog. If it's even half as good as this album, I'm sure Park will quickly become one of my all time favorites.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Yankees Thoughts

The non-waiver trade deadline has come and gone. The Yankees pretty much stood pat, which is somewhat unlike them. Jerry Hairston is a nice addition, simply so they can DFA Cody Ransom (hopefully), especially with only giving up a non-prospect catcher. Which is a position the Yanks have plenty of depth at anyway.

The real issue is the starting rotation. Obviously, Sergio Mitre is not the answer. Through 3 starts he has this beauty of a stat line:
13.2 innings
24 hits
13 runs
12 earned runs
3 walks
6 strikeouts

Do not want.

This leads to a bigger problem. There is no one else at Triple-A worthy of a call up.
The number one guy there is Kei Igawa. That's all I need to say about that.
Ivan Nova is the only man in the rotation there with any potential, being only 22 and lighting up Double-A earlier this year. But he's young and unseasoned and likely to get shelled if called up.

The only real option in the farm system at this point seems to be Zach McAllister, a 21 year old right-hander playing for Trenton. So far, through 16 starts:
5-4 record
92.0 innings pitched
2.25 ERA
1.14 WHIP
75 Strikeouts
27 Walks

Not bad. Especially for a 21 year old. The problem here is that he has never thrown a pitch at Triple-A.

This leads us to a second problem: Joba's so called "Innings Limit". No one knows what it is, but my guess is somewhere around 170. So far, he's at 110.2. While I understand the concept here, not wanting to tire out his still young arm and risk injury, I have to say that this is the biggest load of shit in recent memory. There are already more than enough questions in the rotation. Why add another by needing someone to step into his spot? I can understand moving him to the pen if he was doing poorly, or even just average possibly. But his last 3 starts look something like this:
3-0 record
21.2 innings pitched
0.85 ERA (read that again)
0.75 WHIP (read that again too)
19 strikeouts
7 Walks

If this trend is any indication, Joba seems to be getting stronger has he goes. Admittedly, if Joba were to come out of the rotation, it would have to be Hughes to come in and take his place. I thought Hughes was really starting to pitch well as a starter before getting put in the bullpen, so I wouldn't be too adverse to this, if it occurred. However, with the way both have been pitching since Hughes has gone to the 'pen, I can't really complain.

The thing is, I don't really trust the bullpen either. Hughes and Rivera have been lights out. But beyond that, there isn't anything special. Aceves has pitched well throughout the year, but has been suffering from some shoulder soreness and got lit up yesterday. Phil Coke has quietly put together a pretty nice season. But that's where it ends. Bruney has decided to suck recently. None of the other guys that have bounced around in there have made a strong case of why they should be in the 'pen and not Triple-A.


I guess all I can hope is this whole situation sorts it self out. I still think the Yankees need to get another solid bullpen arm or decent starter to for some depth.

MLB Trade Deadline

As you may or may not know, today was the MLB trade deadline. There were quite a few moves made today, per usual for the deadline.

As a Yankees fan I'll discuss the moves that occurred in the AL East, as well as give my thoughts on them.

The Yankees acquired Jerry Hairston Jr from the Reds for Chase Weems. It's hard not to like this move. Weems doesn't look like anything special at all, and the Yankees have 3 better catchers in their minor league system already. Hairston can play most defensive positions, so he'll provide depth. It looks like he'll probably supplant Cody Ransom, which is also ideal. The truly horrifying thought is that the initial reports had Austin Jackson going to the Reds.
The major disappointment is that they didn't get a major league ready pitcher or reliever. Normally, I don't like trade deadline deals because you always seem to give up more than you get if you're the buyer. This year, though, with such a thin starting rotation and many question marks in the bullpen, I really wanted the Yankees to make a move. I was hoping that they would get Ian Snell or Zach Duke from Pittsburgh, but that didn't happen. On the other hand, the argument can be made that the Yanks are in first place and don't need the help (allow I don't believe it).

The Red Sox acquired Victor Martinez from the Indians for Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone, and Bryan Price. I'm not scared by this addition to the Red Sox. Martinez has been slumping for quite a while now. The only reason his stats are as respectable as they are is because of his immensely hot start. It's nice to get a couple of young pitchers out of the Red Sox organization. Masterson projects as a very solid #3 starter or at worst, a great set up man. Hagadone has a ton of potential and could eventually be a true #1 guy. Price was just kind of thrown into this deal. With the addition of Casey Kotchman, who was acquired for Adam LaRoche, as well, the Red Sox have built themselves quite a stack of corner infielders. It'll be interesting to see who plays where, especially with David Ortiz on the roids again playing well. Overall, I think the Red Sox will continue to push the Yanks for the Division title, and at this point I'd say it's a toss up for who wins.

The Blue Jays traded Scott Rolen to the Reds for Edwin Encarnacion, Josh Roenicke, and Zach Stewart. Apparently the Reds know something I don't. Rolen is 34 years old, owed $11.8 million next year, as well as whatever he still needs to be paid this year. While he is having a resurgent year, the Reds are no where near playoff contention barring an amazing stretch run. Encarnacion, on the other hand is still only 26 years old. Although he plays some pretty shoddy defense, he can be made into a first basemen or corner outfielder is need be. Encarnacion is also going to be much cheaper than Rolen. The pitchers the Blue Jays receive both project as excellent relievers. Roenicke could help the Blue Jays right now if they so desired, as he is having an excellent year at Triple-A. Stewart has a 1.52 ERA in the minors this season. This trade was a clear win for the Jays.

With all the moves made, I don't think there was anything made that will have a huge impact over the final two months of the season. I think the Martinez trade looks bigger than it will actually be and the Red Sox hurt themselves in the long run. The Kotchman pick up was nice, especially for Adam LaRoche. Hairston will likely only remain a Yankee for these two months,as he's a free agent at the end of the year. I think the Jays did the most to improve themselves at the deadline, although they thought more long term than either the Red Sox or Yankees did.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Bands You Need to Know About

So I said at the beginning that this blog was going to focus on music too. Here are some bands that have flown under the radar that really deserve some attention.

Set Your Goals--I can't say enough good things about these guys. Pop-Punk how it's supposed to be done (The Maine and stuff like that is not Pop-Punk but that's the subject of a future rant). The music is catchy as Hell, the lyrics have actual meaning. Their new album is already in my top 5 for the year and it's been out for just over a week.

The guest vocalist in the video is Vinnie Caruana, formerly of the Movielife and currently in I Am the Avalanche.

The Gaslight Anthem--I know a lot of people have been singing this band's praises recently, but they are completely deserved. They've put out 2 amazing full length albums so far. Raised in New Jersey, this is working class rock. They frequently draw comparisons to Bruce Springsteen, but those are more for the ideals and lyrical content. Still, this band has quickly become one of my favorite bands ever.


P.O.S.--Yeah, it's rap. Who would have expected that from me. Never Better is my album of the year so far (At least until the new Thrice comes out, but there is no shame in coming in 2nd to them, especially from me). This album has everything that mainstream rap does not. Socially conscious lyrics, great backing tracks, and no fucking autotune. If there was any justice in the world, he would be bigger than Lil' Wayne.


P.O.S. gets two videos because he's that damn good.

There are plenty of other bands out there that don't get the attention or respect that they deserve. If you want to get one of them out there, leave it in the comments.

First Post

So let me first say that I never thought I would EVER start blogging. But, I need a place to share my thoughts and probably more often than not rant on various subjects. I don't intend to make this blog very personal. Mostly, I imagine that I'm going to discuss my various sports teams and music artists. What they're doing right, What they're doing wrong, What they need to change, What they should be congratulated for, stuff like that.

For the record, if you don't know I am a die hard fan of the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Penguins, and San Francisco 49ers. I know, it's quite a random collection. Concerning my musical tastes, I consider them fairly broad. I guess the best way to describe them is that I don't care for country, modern mainstream rap and hip-hop (with some exceptions), and classical. Basically anything else is fair game.

I guess I should fill you all in with a little bit of personal info about me too. In case you were curious. My name is Steve. Everyone calls me Lenard. You should too. I'm 20 years old, live around Erie, PA, and go to college at Allegheny, were I'm going to be a junior this fall. I'm a History major with minors in Religious Studies and Political Science. I've also been known to enjoy a beer or two on occasion.

All right, with that, I need to get back to watching developments that occur during the MLB Trade Deadline. I'll probably be back later with my thoughts on that.

EDIT: I swear I'm going to change the title of this guy. I just can't think of anything creative at the moment.