tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post6416814741473391127..comments2024-03-16T08:21:16.037-04:00Comments on The DiaTribe: Bring It OnPaul Cousineauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03490622970961409253noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-11054324736421235302007-10-02T19:22:00.000-04:002007-10-02T19:22:00.000-04:00Here's Gammons' Saturday blog entry about awards:E...Here's Gammons' Saturday blog entry about awards:<BR/><BR/>ESPN.com: Gammons [Print without images]<BR/><BR/>Saturday, September 29, 2007<BR/>Updated: October 1, 1:59 AM ET<BR/>AL Cy Young is one amazing race<BR/><BR/>The postseason awards can be unfair. There are three legitimate MVPs in the National League, two NL Rookies of the Year and two American League Cy Youngs.<BR/><BR/>And if this were not an emotional, human game, all awards could be spit out of a computer. But it is human, which is why so many people feel the way they do about Jimmy Rollins or appreciate what it means that C.C. Sabathia is 5-1 in games he started against the two best opposing starters in his division, Johan Santana and Justin Verlander. I still believe Kirk Gibson brought a most valuable emotion to a 1988 Dodger team that was Orel Hershiser and others, and that the swagger and bravado David Ortiz brought to the 2005 Red Sox with his 47 homers and 148 RBIs outweighed another brilliant year from Alex Rodriguez.<BR/><BR/>This is what I believe:<BR/><BR/>I. Rollins is the MVP. The Phillies were not riding the perfect wave when I did three games from the end of their dugout, but Rollins' energy never stopped. It never slowed when Chase Utley was hurt. Rollins, Utley and Aaron Rowand carried the Phils through dreadful pitching and hard times. Look, Matt Holliday is an MVP -- tops in RBIs in the NL and second in runs, with a 1.011 OPS going into Saturday and 90 extra-base hits -- and Prince Fielder is an MVP -- with his 50 homers, 119 RBIs and 1.013 OPS. But Rollins' 30 homers and 93 RBIs going into Saturday came from a shortstop. His 87 extra-base hits are the second-most ever in one season by a shortstop (A-Rod had 91 in 1996), and his runs are the fifth-most ever in one season by a shortstop. No team went farther with what it had than the Phillies, and no one was more valuable than Rollins.<BR/><BR/>II. The question in the American League is who finishes 3-4-5 behind Rodriguez and Magglio Ordonez. To not include Vladimir Guerrero in that troika might be unfair to the fulcrum of the Angels' lineup and one of this generation's great warriors, but, in the war of what was the league's best race, Mike Lowell, Ortiz and Jorge Posada have earned those positions. Ortiz first, because, limping and often unprotected, he barely trailed Carlos Pena and A-Rod in homers and RBIs and led the league in OPS after the All-Star break. Posada (fifth in the league in OPS) has battled through injuries to try to hold together the Yankees' pitching staff, and Lowell (sixth in the AL in RBIs) has been the ballast of a Red Sox team that jumped out and survived. What Posada and Lowell mean to their teams on a daily basis goes way beyond any numbers.<BR/><BR/>III. The AL Cy Young Race is "The Amazing Race." In the end, it comes down to this: Cleveland's two brilliant starters -- Sabathia and Fausto Carmona -- won nine of 11 games against Santana and Verlander. Josh Beckett had a Cy Young year, and so did Carmona, John Lackey and Dan Haren. But the quality starts and the ability to preserve each pitcher's bullpen are major factors. Beckett got through the seventh inning eight times, the eighth inning eight times and 8 2/3 innings once, while Sabathia got through nine innings four times, eight innings six times and 8 1/3 innings once, and completed at least seven innings 14 times (two were 7 1/3 and 7 2/3).<BR/><BR/>AL CY YOUNG COMPARISON<BR/>PITCHER W-L IP ERA QS QS% RS<BR/>1. Sabathia 19-7 241 3.21 24 71 5.54<BR/>2. Beckett 20-7 200.2 3.27 20 67 6.59<BR/>3. Carmona 19-8 215 3.06 26 81 5.02<BR/>4. Lackey 19-9 224 3.01 23 72 4.94<BR/>5. Haren 15-9 222.2 3.07 27 82 5.28<BR/><BR/>IV. Jake Peavy led the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts, had one more win than Brandon Webb and was 0.65 better in ERA. While Peavy pitched into the eighth inning only once all season, he earned the Cy Young. That quality start percentage advantage (85% to 62%) stands for something.<BR/><BR/>V. Take Troy Tulowitzki, and it's not fair to Ryan Braun. Take Braun, and you're unfair to Tulowitzki. The Rockies were close to the best defensive team in the NL in the second half, and the big athletic shortstop was the lynchpin. Plus, he hit 23 homers and drove in 94 runs out of the position. But, as Jayson Stark pointed out, Braun challenged Ted Williams in less than 450 at-bats, with a .999 OPS on the final weekend. In the end, the Rockies made their charge backboned by defense, while defense was one of the prime reasons the Brewers did not finish first, so I take Tulowitzki. Tomorrow, I may be wrong.<BR/><BR/>VI. Why are the Devil Rays sending out Delmon Young rookie fliers? Delmon is a fine player en route to being a great one, but, really, there is no argument. Dustin Pedroia's OPS was nearly 100 points higher than Young's on the final weekend. Pedroia has turned into a superb defensive second baseman, and his hitting skills can be defined by this rare demonstration of unusual skill: 47 XBH, 47 BB, 42 SO. Players who have more walks and extra-base hits than strikeouts transcend the scouting reports that judge nothing but tools.t-bonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07557582144953901789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-60342197686316895882007-10-02T19:19:00.000-04:002007-10-02T19:19:00.000-04:00No way, no way, NO WAY do I want to see Laffey sta...No way, no way, NO WAY do I want to see Laffey starting a game. I don't think he should be on the postseason roster. No way.<BR/><BR/>(watch, no he'll throw a perfect game or something)Voltairehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10258794828672578619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-32429899090250593892007-10-02T17:25:00.000-04:002007-10-02T17:25:00.000-04:00Is everyone wearing red to the game Thursday?Is everyone wearing red to the game Thursday?Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02706603625549914397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-78351354857048811202007-10-02T14:25:00.000-04:002007-10-02T14:25:00.000-04:00i think that is the closest a yankee fan can come ...i think that is the closest a yankee fan can come to conceding the series.Cy Slapnickahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10109399114263980881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-77094227405138435272007-10-02T12:59:00.000-04:002007-10-02T12:59:00.000-04:00an interloping yankee fan here. i just stopped in ...an interloping yankee fan here. i just stopped in to get the latest on the opposition. <BR/><BR/>this was a great write up.<BR/><BR/>the tribe scares me.<BR/><BR/>i look forward to a great series, this should be a memorable one.Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08463784724806437450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-72315893484140931002007-10-02T09:58:00.000-04:002007-10-02T09:58:00.000-04:00swarty, I too live in NYC. I go to a place called ...swarty, I too live in NYC. I go to a place called Blondies on the UES. It's the home of the OSU Alumni Club and the NYC Browns Backers...it's Cleveland Sports friendly. There's actually two of them, the other on the UWS and it has become the de facto MICHIGAN sports bar, interestingly enough.<BR/><BR/>shoot me an email at jbuehrer@gmail.com. I can give you details on the place. You might have to make reservations for something like the postseason. I often go there to catch regular season games and just walk right in, but for Browns Sundays, you definitely need reservations. I'd assume the same will apply for Indians post season.<BR/><BR/>I'll be there on Friday!BrainOfJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00551292924147523486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-51279881386751657972007-10-01T19:27:00.000-04:002007-10-01T19:27:00.000-04:00Off topic, but does anyone know where there is a b...Off topic, but does anyone know where there is a bar in New York that might be Indians Friendly this week?<BR/><BR/>I have lived here for many years but never needed such a thing. <BR/><BR/>If there is a Browns bar anyone knows about, that might be a good place to start.<BR/><BR/>Thanks,<BR/>Chris in NYChris Swartouthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08959524221539069126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-24652730035006413872007-10-01T18:29:00.000-04:002007-10-01T18:29:00.000-04:00pictures from rookie hazing...http://www.newsnet5....pictures from rookie hazing...<BR/><BR/>http://www.newsnet5.com/slideshow/sports/14240993/detail.htmlt-bonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07557582144953901789noreply@blogger.com