looks like 2 more headed to the disabled list for the mets http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110823&content_id=23654200&vkey=news_nym&c_id=nymwell..at least the Mets scored 4 runs. Not like it mattered anyways and it'll be an easy sweep for the Phils with that mental midget Mike Pelfrey pitching tomorrow.
edit: LOL Jon Niese and Scott Hairston pulled their rib cages and are DL bound. Same damn injury during the same damn game? Amazin'!
Heath Bell claimed by SF off waivers, let's see if they can close the deal...
...he had a great pick-off move and good control. Asked where that control came from, Flanagan said that when he was a teenager his 72-year-old grandfather would catch him in the backyard of their home in Manchester, N.H. "If I threw too far inside or too far outside, he couldn't reach it," he said. "And if he missed it, he would have to chase it. So, I had to learn how to hit the target."
In 1980, as another Orioles pitcher, Steve Stone, was on his way to winning the Cy Young, Flanagan determined the different stages of Cy: He was the reigning Cy Young. "[Jim] Palmer is Cy Old," he said. "Stone is Cy Present and Storm [Davis] is Cy Future. When you get hurt, you become Cy-bex. When you're done, you become Cy-onara."
18 up, 18 down for Fister.
Well nevermind.
Oh well.
I think this thread for the last two weeks is a testament to how boring the playoff races are this year.
And next year Ryan Howard will make $25 million in the final year of his five-year, $125 million contract, which, given his obvious decline, won't end a moment too soon.
Hah! Just kidding! Howard's five-year extension actually starts next season. He turns 32 this November, and even before the Phillies have paid a dime on his new contract, it looks like one of baseball's most bloated. Even at his peak, Howard couldn't run, wasn't a great first baseman, and couldn't hit left-handed pitching. (For his career, Howard has averaged just .233/.312/.443 against southpaws.) He's in the lineup for one reason his ability to crush right-handed pitchers. If that talent starts to flicker, Howard will barely deserve an everyday job, let alone $25 million a year.
I thought it was going to be pretty close between the Giants and the D-Backs, but the Giants are going down, fast.Oh well.
I think this thread for the last two weeks is a testament to how boring the playoff races are this year.
Cliff F*cking Lee. :wub:
People make way too much of this, Ryan Howard is still above the league average in OPS vs lefties. Proof is easy to find: look at the Baseball Reference park adjusted sOPS+ stat (defined as "OPS for split relative to the League's Split OPS - A number greater than 100 indicates that the batter did better than the league in this split.").
2006: 156 in 225 PA's
2007: 131 in 246 PA's
2008: 110 in 265 PA's
2009: 86 in 252 PA's
2010: 139 in 216 PA's
2011: 99 in 168 PA's so far.
Considering he had 1 subpar year vs lefties from 2006-2010, 1 above average, and 3 very good above League average I don't see what the problem is. Last year was his 2nd best ever and best since 2006. Yes, 2011 is his worst year overall so it's easy to bash him, but the fact is that he's very close to the league's average OPS vs lefties this year and has a good shot to finish above average.
So now the question is: Do you pay that much to a guy who has averaged 43 HRs in 6 years (number will probably rise b/c he will have more this year), has a stellar OPS vs righties, and is usually above OPS league average vs lefties? Maybe, maybe not. Ideally you'd want him to be stellar vs any pitcher, like Pujols. However, Howard has averaged 3 more HRs per year than Pujols in the past 6 years so I can see why the Phils paid him that much b/c chicks dig the long ball.
IMO Howard is slightly overpaid b/c I personally would expect a slightly higher batting average for that kind of money (.300 instead of his .275 lifetime). But let's not bullsht ourselves and start saying he absolutely blows against lefties when his OPS is usually above the league average.