Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Report Cards for the team
Ok, the season is over, we lost again in pitiful fashion in the post season, with a team that just didn't bother to show up the last series of the season. Now it's time for the obligatory season ending grades to the team, and notice the word season ending grades, not post season that is a different story.
Starting pitching, a lot was made about how the cardinals didn't have that great of pitching both going into the season and then in the post season, well here is (with creative editing) how our top three pitchers did this year.
Pitcher a 21-5, 2.83 ERA,
Pitcher b 16-5, 2.95 ERA(morris 1st half, mulder 2nd half)
Pitcher c 15-9, 3.40 ERA (Marquis 1st half, Suppan 2nd half)
we had basically two aces all season long, just that they changed names around the half, and we had a solid number two(similar argument) so basically our rotation consisted of two aces, a number two...and not such great guys
pitcher d 14-15, 4.30 ERA(Marquis 2nd, Suppan 1st)
pitcher E 14-13, 4.76 ERA(Morris 2nd, Mulder 1st)
still, league average era was 4.22 which makes pitcher D at worse a number three while pitcher E is a borderline 4. Overall our rotation was very good, although not as good as having the best ERA in baseball would indicate, because our pitching coach intimidated the official scorers this year and they started ruling anything and everything an error. Leading the team to the best ERA in the Majors even though as a team, with a very good defense, being second in runs allowed.
Starting pitching, a lot was made about how the cardinals didn't have that great of pitching both going into the season and then in the post season, well here is (with creative editing) how our top three pitchers did this year.
Pitcher a 21-5, 2.83 ERA,
Pitcher b 16-5, 2.95 ERA(morris 1st half, mulder 2nd half)
Pitcher c 15-9, 3.40 ERA (Marquis 1st half, Suppan 2nd half)
we had basically two aces all season long, just that they changed names around the half, and we had a solid number two(similar argument) so basically our rotation consisted of two aces, a number two...and not such great guys
pitcher d 14-15, 4.30 ERA(Marquis 2nd, Suppan 1st)
pitcher E 14-13, 4.76 ERA(Morris 2nd, Mulder 1st)
still, league average era was 4.22 which makes pitcher D at worse a number three while pitcher E is a borderline 4. Overall our rotation was very good, although not as good as having the best ERA in baseball would indicate, because our pitching coach intimidated the official scorers this year and they started ruling anything and everything an error. Leading the team to the best ERA in the Majors even though as a team, with a very good defense, being second in runs allowed.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Post Season Awards. National League
Ok, now that the season is officially over, it's time to take a guess at how the post season awards should turn out, and how they will turn out. We'll start with the easier ones.
National League Rookie of the year, really there are only two candidates for this award, and it depends on how you view the award as to who is going to get the vote. The two candidates are Ryan Howard, Philly, and Wily Taveras, Houston. If you are voting for the guy because he was a decent regular player all year long, then Wily is your choice, if you are voting for the guy that was actually the best rookie, and had some significant playing time, then you go Howard. I'm going with Taveras, mostly because he played centerfield(defensive position) wasn't a complete waste at the bat(4.23 rc/27,) had some intangibles like speed, and played everyday for the whole season. Howard was a much better player for about half the playing time, much better offensively, but it is hard for me to vote against the guy that was there all year long. Historically the voters seem to feel the same way, so I have feeling that Wily will also win the nl award, beating out Howard, and Francouer(while everyone forgets the first half that Barmes put up)
Nl Manager of the Year...In myopinion, just like the ROY, there should only be two names in the discussion, and that is Tony LaRussa, and Bobby Cox. I know that some people will attempt to put Frank Robinson and Ned Yost into here, I just don't see it, the Brewers are a good team and did about what should have been reasonably expected of them, and well, the Expos fell apart the second half of the season, and a good manager doesn't have a team fall apart. I'm pretty certain that Bobby Cox is going to win the award, that Yost will finish second and TLR will come in third. I'm not too sure I disagree with Cox winning it, but I don't think it's as obvious as some people seem to act. In my book, TLR had a much harder road to manage, and had to overcome more adversity which require great handling of personel to have the best record in baseball..having said that, I also realize that most of the adversity happened after the Cardinals took a commanding lead, giving TLR breathing room to try and experiment to find out what works and what doesn't. Cox had a stronger cast of potential quality players, whether they are rookies or not. I mean Francoeur, Betemit, Langerhans have a much brighter future, and even predicted present than guys like Taguchi, Nunez and John Rodriguez. So going from Mondesi to Francouer isn't quite the same as going from Rolen to Nunez. But you have to hand it to cox, he not only got the rookies to play at a good level, when by all rights they shouldn't have, he had the conviction to put them out there day in, day out(sometimes not by choice) and never really whined about it either. too bad you can't split the vote as I would easily vote both ways, but since I can't, I'm going to vote TLR ahead of Cox, and admit that only way I separated the two was hometown bias, if Cox wins, it is the right choice also(but I would be upset if TLR doesn't finish top two)
ok, now to the big awards.
MVP, is in my opinion the easy one. generally speaking, I'm from the camp that believes the MVP is the best overall player in baseball that year, by every measureable way and some unmeasureable ways. The national league featured two MVP candidates, Derrek Lee of the Cubs, and Albert Pujols of the Cardinals, I'll start out with this comment, in nearly every meaningful measureable way, Derrek Lee was slightly better than Albert this year. Do I then try to find a way for me to give Albert intangible points? of course I do, even then I really can't find much reason to give it to Albert over Derrek. Sorry fellow Cardinal fans, but Derrek Lee is my vote for MVP. Of course I don't vote for the actual award, and I'll tell you right now that Albert is going to win the Award, he'll beat out Andruw Jones who will take the second spot, and Derrek Lee who will take the third spot, Albert will end up with a little over half the first place votes, Lee better at least get two for the Chicago votes, and Andruw will probably get a handful(mostly east coast) votes in the end, Albert will win the award. I'll be happy even if I don't whole-heartedly agree with the decision.
NL Cy Young award, this is the toughest award, it's funny on baseball primer, some of the people were voting, and they listed 5 names, and Pedro was on more ballots than Carpenter. Sorry, but no, Pedro doesn't even enter this discussion.
the four candidates, and yes there are four candidates, are clemens (13-8, 1.87, 211.1) pettitte (17-9, 2.39, 222.1) willis (22-10, 2.63, 236.1), carpenter (21-5, 2.83, 241.2). I know this seems arbitray and silly, but Clemens great era, which is usually my primary argument for Cy Young, gets wiped out by a couple of things, somewhat lack of innings, failure at the end(when his team needed him) and lack of decisions, to me, the cy young is the guy that not only pitches great, but you know that your bullpen is going to have some rest. Clemens came into a game, and you knew your bullpen was going to be called on in the 7th inning, you didn't have an illusion that he would throw a complete game, and that just doesn't cut it. Pettite has the best era of the remaining three candidates, and was great down the stretch, It's hard for me to ignore the 14 innings difference between him and willis and the w/l difference. Carpenter had a great season, his run was impressive, and his failures towards the end really didn't hurt his team as much as it hurt his numbers, I have to eliminate him from consideration since Willis and Pettite were both, over the course of the 162 game season better than Carpenter. It's tough for me to vote for Willis ahead of Pettite, I know that the voters will, just not sure if that is the right decision for me to do.
My final Cy Young vote? Pettitte, Willis, Carpenter, Clemens, Pedro. ...that is not anywhere close to how the voting will go though, my guess is that the voting is going to go Carpenter, Willis, Clemens, Pedro and I don't know Raffy Palmeiro knowing the voters.
oh, for the record, if I had to vote ten MVP's Derrek, Albert, Bay, Ensberg, Griffey, Delgado, Carpenter, Willis, Andruw, Utley....
National League Rookie of the year, really there are only two candidates for this award, and it depends on how you view the award as to who is going to get the vote. The two candidates are Ryan Howard, Philly, and Wily Taveras, Houston. If you are voting for the guy because he was a decent regular player all year long, then Wily is your choice, if you are voting for the guy that was actually the best rookie, and had some significant playing time, then you go Howard. I'm going with Taveras, mostly because he played centerfield(defensive position) wasn't a complete waste at the bat(4.23 rc/27,) had some intangibles like speed, and played everyday for the whole season. Howard was a much better player for about half the playing time, much better offensively, but it is hard for me to vote against the guy that was there all year long. Historically the voters seem to feel the same way, so I have feeling that Wily will also win the nl award, beating out Howard, and Francouer(while everyone forgets the first half that Barmes put up)
Nl Manager of the Year...In myopinion, just like the ROY, there should only be two names in the discussion, and that is Tony LaRussa, and Bobby Cox. I know that some people will attempt to put Frank Robinson and Ned Yost into here, I just don't see it, the Brewers are a good team and did about what should have been reasonably expected of them, and well, the Expos fell apart the second half of the season, and a good manager doesn't have a team fall apart. I'm pretty certain that Bobby Cox is going to win the award, that Yost will finish second and TLR will come in third. I'm not too sure I disagree with Cox winning it, but I don't think it's as obvious as some people seem to act. In my book, TLR had a much harder road to manage, and had to overcome more adversity which require great handling of personel to have the best record in baseball..having said that, I also realize that most of the adversity happened after the Cardinals took a commanding lead, giving TLR breathing room to try and experiment to find out what works and what doesn't. Cox had a stronger cast of potential quality players, whether they are rookies or not. I mean Francoeur, Betemit, Langerhans have a much brighter future, and even predicted present than guys like Taguchi, Nunez and John Rodriguez. So going from Mondesi to Francouer isn't quite the same as going from Rolen to Nunez. But you have to hand it to cox, he not only got the rookies to play at a good level, when by all rights they shouldn't have, he had the conviction to put them out there day in, day out(sometimes not by choice) and never really whined about it either. too bad you can't split the vote as I would easily vote both ways, but since I can't, I'm going to vote TLR ahead of Cox, and admit that only way I separated the two was hometown bias, if Cox wins, it is the right choice also(but I would be upset if TLR doesn't finish top two)
ok, now to the big awards.
MVP, is in my opinion the easy one. generally speaking, I'm from the camp that believes the MVP is the best overall player in baseball that year, by every measureable way and some unmeasureable ways. The national league featured two MVP candidates, Derrek Lee of the Cubs, and Albert Pujols of the Cardinals, I'll start out with this comment, in nearly every meaningful measureable way, Derrek Lee was slightly better than Albert this year. Do I then try to find a way for me to give Albert intangible points? of course I do, even then I really can't find much reason to give it to Albert over Derrek. Sorry fellow Cardinal fans, but Derrek Lee is my vote for MVP. Of course I don't vote for the actual award, and I'll tell you right now that Albert is going to win the Award, he'll beat out Andruw Jones who will take the second spot, and Derrek Lee who will take the third spot, Albert will end up with a little over half the first place votes, Lee better at least get two for the Chicago votes, and Andruw will probably get a handful(mostly east coast) votes in the end, Albert will win the award. I'll be happy even if I don't whole-heartedly agree with the decision.
NL Cy Young award, this is the toughest award, it's funny on baseball primer, some of the people were voting, and they listed 5 names, and Pedro was on more ballots than Carpenter. Sorry, but no, Pedro doesn't even enter this discussion.
the four candidates, and yes there are four candidates, are clemens (13-8, 1.87, 211.1) pettitte (17-9, 2.39, 222.1) willis (22-10, 2.63, 236.1), carpenter (21-5, 2.83, 241.2). I know this seems arbitray and silly, but Clemens great era, which is usually my primary argument for Cy Young, gets wiped out by a couple of things, somewhat lack of innings, failure at the end(when his team needed him) and lack of decisions, to me, the cy young is the guy that not only pitches great, but you know that your bullpen is going to have some rest. Clemens came into a game, and you knew your bullpen was going to be called on in the 7th inning, you didn't have an illusion that he would throw a complete game, and that just doesn't cut it. Pettite has the best era of the remaining three candidates, and was great down the stretch, It's hard for me to ignore the 14 innings difference between him and willis and the w/l difference. Carpenter had a great season, his run was impressive, and his failures towards the end really didn't hurt his team as much as it hurt his numbers, I have to eliminate him from consideration since Willis and Pettite were both, over the course of the 162 game season better than Carpenter. It's tough for me to vote for Willis ahead of Pettite, I know that the voters will, just not sure if that is the right decision for me to do.
My final Cy Young vote? Pettitte, Willis, Carpenter, Clemens, Pedro. ...that is not anywhere close to how the voting will go though, my guess is that the voting is going to go Carpenter, Willis, Clemens, Pedro and I don't know Raffy Palmeiro knowing the voters.
oh, for the record, if I had to vote ten MVP's Derrek, Albert, Bay, Ensberg, Griffey, Delgado, Carpenter, Willis, Andruw, Utley....
