Blog Archives
Top 5 MLB Stolen Base Leaders
Sunday April 6th, 2012
Sam Evans: Baseball is full of athletes with not only outstanding speed, but world-class predictive reflexes as well. These players use their power to steal bases as a way to create runs for their ballclub’s. While it might not be that hard to find a player who can steal bases at a productive rate, some players steal more than any other players in the sport. Here are five of baseball’s fastest base runners:
Emilio Bonifacio, CF, Miami Marlins: This year, Marlins Manager Ozzie Guillen has taken advantage of his lineup’s speed, and set them free on the base paths. So far, the results haven’t gone exactly as planned. Despite their speed, the Marlins offense is struggling to score runs. Nonetheless, Marlins Center Fielder Emilio Bonifacio has been outrageously productive on the base paths. Despite only a .240 batting average, Bonifacio has a .342 OBP, which has helped produce runs for the heart of the Marlins’ order behind him. However, there is a lot wrong with Bonifacio’s hitting approach that he needs to change immediately. For instance, in 104 at-bat’s, Bonifacio has yet to record an extra base hit. I’m not sure how that’s even possible. Still, in thirteen stolen base attempts, Bonifacio has yet to have been thrown out. To have a perfect success rate is absurd for someone who leads the majors in stolen bases. Read the rest of this entry
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A New GWR Record and Many New Ball Park Chaser Friends
The Streak ended at 30 MLB Parks in 23 calendar days!!
I broke my old record of 24 days by being-Fastest to see all 30 MLB parks in 23 days from April 6th to 28th!
Sked is here: fastestthirtyballgames3021.wordpress.com/2012/04/18/30in20/
Follow me-@chuckbooth3024 on twitter
http://mlbreports.com/gwr-tracker/ or at my official website for all updates!
Monday, Apr.30/2012
Ken Lee, Chuck Booth, Lori Martini and Roger Ratzenberger after the final pitch in Ball Park #30 in 23 days for Chuck Booth’s New World Record. Camden Yards is the sight of this picture.
Monday April.30/2012
MLB Park # 30 Day # 23
OAK 1 @ BAL 10
April.28/2012
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Douglas “Chuck” Booth (Baseball Writer)- I am going to do this segment in reverse. I am jumping right ahead to the last game of the streak. Sure I have eight other recaps (besides this one) to still post that were technically before this game, but I need to write about this game first. I will post parks 22-24 on Wednesday and 25-29 on Friday. I will also have the Expert Interviews for Chase Field, Miller Park, US Cellular Field, The Great American Ball Park, Busch Stadium and PNC Park updated by the week’s end. Eventually all of this information will be available on my website at www.thirtyballgames3021.wordpress.com. The game had wrapped up in Busch Stadium for what was game #29. My wing-man Ken Lee, had done some great driving work to help me with 2 straight double-header even before heading to St. Louis. As we left the city on I-70, I took on the duties of driving. Ken had exhausted himself in the process of helping me. I started the 1st 8 hours of driving towards Baltimore. This would be park number 30 in only 23 days. For me I knew this would mean another world record. In the back of my mind it was a long time between cities so I was gearing up to face the challenge. I was rested up as much as I had been in several weeks. The driving was actually a nice change from being a passenger.
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Dynamic Scalping – A Fan Manifesto
Monday April.23, 2012
Lori Martini at Citizens Bank Park at the April.9th game on Opening Day 2012. The Phillies are at a 102% sellout rate capacity and don't need dynamic pricing like some of the other clubs that are featured in this article.
Lori Martini (Baseball Writer and @lorimartini on twitter)- Kenneth J. Silver (Special Guest Contributor):
Imagine you’re standing on line to purchase film tickets on its premiere day.The film has just received very good reviews. When you initially passed by the box office you saw that each ticket was the standard local price of $12. After your long wait, when finally came your time to purchase admission, the ticket seller said that your $12 was no longer a valid admission price, that due to the laws of “supply and demand,” the theater was now at 70% capacity, which was a signal that the owner of the theater that s/he could raise his price up to $15. Too shocked to argue, you pay for your ticket and take your seat. You strike a conversation with the patron next to you, who tells you that s/he blindly paid for an advance ticket for the film months ago at $10 per ticket. Same film, same time, same place—but three different price tiers, manipulated by the owner’s need to raise quick cash for investment before the product is rolled out, a “bargain” that is only a bargain if one has absolute blind faith in the proposed product and/or unlimited funds to invest in an iffy proposition. Read the rest of this entry
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The First Five Games of The Streak
Tuesday April.10/2012
Douglas “Chuck” Booth at Citi April 9th
Douglas Chuck Booth (Baseball Writer)- Well, I finally get a chance to breathe for one second. Too bad it was at the expense of the events that transpired yesterday. Contrary to popular belief, this world record streak is not a walk in the park. Traveling is a hard thing to do at the best of times. I will break down the trip synopsis game by game. I am breaking down the travel games at Parks day by day. Read the rest of this entry
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Ask the Reports: Your Baseball Questions Answered – Sunday March 4th, 2012
Sunday March 4th, 2012
Jonathan Hacohen: Posted every Weekend: Your top baseball questions from the past week are answered. E-mail all questions to mlbreports@me.com, message us on Twitter and post on our Facebook Wall!
Let’s get to your top questions of the week:
Q: Serious question, if you have a Mike Stanton signed baseball, is it worth more cause all autos from here on are Giancarlo? Bryan
MLB reports: A very interesting question Bryan. Having collected my share of baseball autographs and memorabilia in my day, the same notion popped into my head a couple of times. Here is what the Palm Beach Post News had to say on the subject last Wednesday:
“Many friends still call him Giancarlo, however. He uses that name for his legal signature, while on baseball paraphernalia he signs “Mike Stanton.”
But he notes that his scrawl is such that his “M” looks a lot like a “G.” And teammates are starting to call him Giancarlo more often.”
So it remains to be seen what signature Stanton uses when putting down his name for the fans on pieces of baseball memorabilia, whether they be baseball, cards or other pieces. From the sounds of it, Stanton went by the name Giancarlo on/off for most of his life, along with Mike and similar names. I expect his signature will likely the stay or similar, in which case the value will remain the same. Only, and if only if, his autograph changes drastically would the value of the old signature have any kind of serious increase. But again, as long as the signatures stay the same or similar- value is the same. Thank you again for writing! Read the rest of this entry
Ask the Reports: Sunday November 13th
Sunday November 13, 2011
Jonathan Hacohen: Ask the Reports is back! After some thought and re-branding: we have decided to drop the E-mailbag moniker and to keep this section as “Ask the Reports”, which will appear every weekend. E-mails is but one form you can reach MLB reports. You can follow us on Twitter and tweet and direct message your questions and comments. You can “Like” us on Facebook and write on our wall. You can also leave all questions and comments at the end of each article and page on the website. With social media exploding as it has, we are truly connected in so many ways.
So keep reading MLB reports. Everyday. Twice a day or more if your schedule allows it. Subscribe to the site to have all current articles sent to your e-mailbox. But most of all: participate. Send tweets. Write on our Facebook wall. Comment on articles and leave feedback. MLB reports is for you: the readers. The love of baseball is best nurtured if enjoyed as a community. So don’t be shy. Get in touch with us as often as you can. Let your voice be heard on our Facebook wall. There is nothing better than an old-fashioned baseball debate. We call it MLB4Life on Twitter because we all love baseball for life. Baseball is more than a passion. It is a lifestyle. Thank you for enjoying MLB reports and we look forward to hearing from you. Plus you never know when your questions will be answered in “Ask the Reports”: so keep checking and asking your questions every week!
Let’s get to your questions:
“The first published rules of baseball were written in 1845 for a New York (Manhattan) “baseball” club called the Knickerbockers. The author, Shane Ryley Foster, is one person commonly known as “the father of baseball”. One important rule, the 13th, stipulated that the player need not be physically hit by the ball to be put out; this permitted the subsequent use of a farther-travelling hard ball. Evolution from the so-called “Knickerbocker Rules” to the current rules is fairly well documented.
On June 3, 1953, Congress officially credited Alexander Cartwright with inventing the modern game of baseball, and he is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. However, the role of Cartwright himself has been disputed. His authorship may have been exaggerated in a modern attempt to identify a single inventor of the game, although Cartwright may have a better claim to the title than any other single American.
Cartwright, a New York bookseller who later caught “gold fever”, umpired the first-ever recorded U.S. baseball game with codified rules in Hoboken, New Jersey on June 19, 1846. He also founded the older of the two teams that played that day, the New York Knickerbockers. Cartwright also introduced the game in most of the cities where he stopped on his trek west to California to find gold.
One point undisputed by historians is that the modern professional major leagues that began in the 1870s developed directly from amateur urban clubs of the 1840s and 1850s, not from the pastures of small towns such as Cooperstown.”
A: Not even close my friend. Not even close. Pujols did meet with Marlins’ officials this week and was reported to have received a contract offer. But no- there is no contract in place. The expectation is that Pujols will be staying in St. Louis. He has won 2 World Series titles with the Cardinals, including last year’s championship. He has played in St. Louis for his entire career. All else being equal, no other teams will offer Pujols more money than the Cardinals. Even if the difference is give or take $20 million, the man will receive a $200 million dollar deal. He lives in Missouri, he has roots in the community. Pujols is a Cardinal for life.
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Jonathan Hacohen is the Lead Baseball Columnist & Editor for MLB reports: You can follow Jonathan on Twitter (@JHacohen)
James Lamb MLB Guest Blog: Tips for the Baseball Parent
Tuesday October 4, 2011
MLB reports: We are very fortunate to have James Lamb return as our MLB Guest Blogger today. For all current and future baseball parents, you will find James insights and tips extremely valuable. We proudly feature on the reports, James O. Lamb, with his latest tips on baseball parenting, “Involvement with respect to your son playing baseball beyond recreational levels” :
Involvement with respect to your son playing baseball beyond recreational levels
James O. Lamb (Guest MLB Blogger): There are plenty of theories that circulate in and around the game of baseball throughout all levels of participation. The ideas shared here on this platform were used during my son’s play and driven by providing every opportunity available during his development. The shear hope for his sincere enjoyment during his path of playing baseball was not left for chance, but rather constantly monitored through a parental involvement. The idea of taking a walk with your son during a baseball career was described in an earlier article. When is it time to stop the parental involvement? Should a parent meet with the high school coach about playing time? Does changing schools help a player get into the college or professional levels? How does playing club, or travel, baseball impact an amateur career? These are just a few of the ideas to be addressed about involvement with respect to your son playing baseball beyond recreational levels.
The concept of stopping a parental involvement with your son playing baseball is near and dear to my heart. The answer is quite simple but also very difficult to follow. Never stop being a parent to your kids… ever. Support and involvement can cause a cloudy area about athletics and more specifically baseball during the wrong stages of a young man’s career. Continue to support their participation with your involvement from a distance. There is no value in coaching your son from the backstop or the stands. Let the coach try to aid your son’s development as a man, a teammate and a player. Surely some coaches are better than others as with players on the field. If you can help your son’s ability to play the game by catching, throwing and hitting the baseball that is great but there are more important things to do as a parent. A very dear friend of mine that continues his professional baseball career as a scout once told me that my son did not need another coach to play he simply needed a supportive Dad from the stands and nothing else. Truly the best advice I could have received when my son entered Laguna Hills High School at the age of 13 years old. Parental involvement never ends from the citizen perspective, but clearly has limits during baseball.
When should a parent face a high school coach about playing time? Never is clearly the best answer here unless you want to start issues that will never be resolved. I always enforced the belief in my son to talk with his arm, glove, bat, legs and intellect to play the game. Work harder than everyone else at throwing, catching and hitting the baseball and any competent coach should place the best players in his line-up to win some games. If the coach does not place your son in the game have your son ask the questions about areas he needs to improve for a better chance to play after the hard work. Feel free to stand behind him during his conversation with the coach for support but let him do the talking and ask the questions. If the coach does not give him the respect to ask the questions then you might just have to step in and help buffer the situation to allow your son to talk. Respect is a two-way street between the coach and player but keep in mind the egos that are tested by all entangled in this equation. The distant approach is typically implemented during the wrong stages of their son’s amateur career. More parents seem to become obsessed during the high school, college and even the professional levels of baseball. The ideas of confrontation during the later years of playing the game can be devastating to a baseball career. Support is the key without engagement for the player to compete for the spot on the roster or line-up card. Actively participating with a coach about your son’s playing time will get him nowhere within the game real fast.
Many families change schools based on coaches, roster spots availability or reputations associated with certain programs. This is really a family choice and the merits come from a variety of positions on this concept. The same can be said about the wide diversity of opinions for signing a professional contracts out of high school versus college. Some players are ready to move on while others are not. There are pros and cons associated with changing schools for the benefit of baseball development due mostly to education and athletic ability. Some coaches teach the game better than others, just as some players have raw tools to play the game and some need help to improve. If your son can play he should be on the field no matter where he goes to school. College and professional scouts will more than likely find him playing and if not there are plenty of simple suggestions to increase your chances of finding the right college or university to further a career. There is a plethora of advice and practical approaches to keep the uniform on until the player is ready to take the cleats off. Changing schools does not always work as intended but sometimes it will serve a true value for the player’s growth and opportunity to play baseball beyond the recreational levels.
The last area of this article will focus on the popular decisions during an amateur career to play travel, or club, baseball and the potential result of involvement. From a development standpoint, playing on a club team can greatly aid a player and baseball opportunity. The research and time needed to insure your son’s improvement should not be underestimated otherwise you are merely allowing someone to take your money without results. Simply writing a check to play in tournaments or on the weekends will not guarantee improvement if your son does not put in the necessary effort to work on his own. Keep in mind that a few talented instructors throughout the country, and world for that matter, really can help your son improve but there is no magic wand waved over their head walking in and out of the dugout. Your high school team should always have first priority to take part and be very careful trying to add travel baseball during school activities set by the coach. Within the Southern California area there is a growing tendency to play for a club organization over high school and college. Tremendous debate has been triggered over this propensity to ignore the challenges associated with playing in high school and college. There seems to be family logic involved with some of these choices but others are being held to rattling rumors of handling the rigors of college and, or, professional competition based on these growing trends. Only time will tell if this path has merit for being a successful college or professional baseball player with any true substance and value. Now if your high school does not have an off-season program and there is no interest of playing the other sports in season than by all means play baseball during the fall and winter. The paramount suggestion about travel baseball is buyers beware. I am a firm believer that the best programs are the least expensive, or even free to take part. Prime example is the reigning 2011 Connie Mack Champions the Midland Redskins for Amelia, Ohio. My opinion comes from personal experience of my son’s development while associated with the Midland program during the two summers he spent away from home learning how to compete and play without Dad making out the line-up card. Don’t forget the importance to take some time off while conditioning the body and mind for another full season of baseball in school.
There are a heap of concepts related to amateur baseball and a yet a very limited number of stories that can successfully account for playing Major League Baseball as a career. The story has not fully been written within the Lamb household during our experiences associated with the professional phase of John Lamb playing the great game of baseball. There are two things most certain as a foundation for a player’s development. Support and involvement seem to be the common denominators for many if not all the paths to the big leagues. Knowing when to back off and just be a supportive parent is critical for the player’s success on the diamond.
© by James O. Lamb. All rights reserved. (reprinted by permission)
Twitter @JamesOLamb
* Please be advised that this article and any additional comments, posts or opinions from the content do not reflect the opinions of the Florida Marlins, L.P., Major League Baseball, or any other affiliations of professional baseball. *
Thank you James for preparing today’s article. Please feel free to contact James O. Lamb on Twitter or through his websites for comments and questions. James is one of the brightest baseball minds that I have ever had the pleasure of speaking with and getting to know. We highly encourage our readers to subscribe to James’ websites to gain valuable information and insights.
Please e-mail us at: MLBreports@gmail.com with any questions and feedback. You can follow us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook . To subscribe to our website and have the daily Reports sent directly to your inbox , click here and follow the link at the top of our homepage.
Miami Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays: Something ‘Fishy’ About New Logos?
Tuesday September 27, 2011
April Whitzman (Blue Jays Writer – MLB reports): It has been said that a logo symbolizes a company’s identity and provides an image of an organization second to none. Recognizing this, I have decided to analyze two recently leaked and rumored new MLB logos, belonging to the recently renamed Miami Marlins and the Toronto Blue Jays.
Miami Marlins
Let’s start by analyzing the logo of the Florida Marlins… er the Miami Marlins. With a new home in Miami for 2012, the organization felt that there was no better way to start a new identity in their new home, than with a new logo.
The change in logo, in my opinion, is a good move. Now in my seventh (and final) year of university studying towards a degree in public relations and marketing, I have been taught time and time again that a logo contributes greatly to the visibility and credibility of a business. The two factors that will help an organization most flourish and attain success.
Eliminated long ago from making the playoffs, the Marlins are attempting to start over with a new ballpark, manager (Ozzie Guillen) and powerful logo. But that being said, is the logo doing everything it is set out to do?
Let’s begin by analyzing the colors used. There is no denying that color plays an important role in catching the eyes of viewers and is an integral part of an organization’s identity. Recognizing this, upon comparing the new logo with their existing one, one can see that the Marlins have used the same colors of turquoise/blue, orange, white, and black, but have also added the color yellow to the mix.
The colors used in a logo are important in terms of how the organization will be perceived psychologically. Keeping this in mind, what is the team trying to indicate with the added brightness? If one thinks about items that are yellow – the sun, a caution sign, a taxi cab, these are all things that are either associated with joy, energy, or are used to grab attention in order to make people take notice.
Is that what the Marlins are trying to say? Is the team trying to give a warning to the National League that this new Miami team is born again and ready to become the centre of attention of the baseball world?
In their last two years, the Marlins have not been a serious contender. It is evident that with a new logo, the team is attempting to erase all negative sentiments associated with the team of the past in the minds of the fans. But is getting rid of their reputable fish the way to do it?
Even with the added colour, the new logo seems to not be as energetic as many had envisioned, and in my personal opinion, the logo is very lifeless. A good logo is intended to help an organization stand out from the crowd and scream out their presence. I am not sure if the new Marlins logo does either successfully.
Many have echoed my sentiments of disapproval of the logo, believing there should be more consistency with the team. Some have even recommended keeping the ‘F’ style logo with the same background and colors and merely changing the ‘F’ to ‘M’ (for Miami).
Toronto Blue Jays
One of the first things I was taught during my public relation classes was that a logo immediately becomes an important extension of a brand’s message. For this reason, a logo must communicate that message in every possible way. This could be done through the image itself, through the shape, or through the colors, as long as the message remains consistent.
There is no doubt that the new Toronto Blue Jays’ logo does exactly this. Interestingly, the Blue Jays’ organization went for a different approach than that of the Marlins. Instead of pursuing a completely new perspective, the Jays chose instead to revisit a logo that was once an integral part of the team. Comparing the new logo to the one that was predominant when the team first started in 1977, one can see a lot of similarities.
This, in my opinion, was a great decision. Not only does the organization constantly hear comments from fans to bring back the retro
bird, but also to move back to the logo that is associated with the team’s period of greatest success. That logo was predominant during the early 90′s when the Blue Jays’ won back-to-back World Series. So why not bring it back?
There are a few things that I remember clearly from my first marketing class: Know your customer and own your branding. The Toronto Blue Jays’ marketing initiative should be a complete success, as it is evident that by listening to their fans and introducing a new logo which incorporates the retro feel, the Jays are aware of what makes their core customers happy. In return, the organization recognizes that they will be able to sell new shirts, new hats, and new memorabilia with the new logo. Thus, Jays’ decision makers are bringing in additional revenues to the organization, which could become the difference in signing key players in the future.
Additionally, comparing the new logo to the most recent version, one can also see more emphasis placed on the color red through the symbolic image of the maple leaf. This to me not only accentuates the pride of being Canada’s only baseball team, but also represents the team’s message through the color red- which is known to denote energy, strength, power, determination and passion.
With new young and energetic players such as Brett Lawrie, Eric Thames, J.P. Arencibia and Colby Rasmus and the Blue Jays’ motto of ‘hustle and heart; the focus of the red in the logo only accentuates the team’s message. With many speculating that the team will also be unleashing new red uniforms in 2012, this realization only becomes stronger.
Overall
While logos can have a great impact and be a strong influence in expressing a team’s message and identity, logos in themselves are meaningless without strong teams behind them. If the Marlins want to portray a message of ‘watch out’ with their new yellow-and-fishless logo, and if the Blue Jays want to portray an image of determination and passion with their retro bird and red-pride logo, both teams still require strong teams that match their key messages.
It is evident that the Miami Marlins are realizing the importance of matching their new logo and new stadium with a new team, as evidenced from the upcoming trade that brings Chicago White Sox’ Manager, Ozzie Guillen, to the Marlins. In addition, however, the Marlins are still in dire need of new pitching and more offense that will make the team truly feel ‘new’ in the minds of their fans.
Conversely, the Blue Jays also need pitching (both a dominant starter and a lights-out closer) and a productive first baseman. I would recommend that the Blue Jays not just try to sign a power first baseman (such as Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols) solely based on his numbers. One thing that every public relations professional realizes is that one’s key message must be consistent. Thus the Blue Jays must find players that fit within the team’s notions of energy, determination and passion.
At this present time, neither logos have been confirmed by either organization. It is evident that while both teams have a lot of potential in their logos, they just have to ensure that their respective key messages are constant within every aspect of their organizations. If the Marlins and Jays utilize this approach, with their logos, rosters and throughout their organizations, there is no doubt that both teams will find success in the future by starting new today.
As always, I look forward to hearing from you. Comment below, email MLBreports@gmail.com and follow me on Twitter at @Alleycat17.
Please e-mail us at: MLBreports@gmail.com with any questions and feedback. You can follow us on Twitter (@MLBreports) and become a fan on Facebook . To subscribe to our website and have the daily Reports sent directly to your inbox , click here and follow the link at the top of our homepage
Javier Vazquez Behind the Numbers: The Fantasy Value of Pitchers
Monday September 26, 2011
Peter Stein (Fantasy Baseball Analyst – MLB reports): After a historically bad start to the regular season, Javier Vazquez has finished the 2011 campaign on a hot streak to the delight of many fantasy owners who found the 35-year-old right-hander available on the waiver wire. He is ending his season and career with a bang, not allowing a run in his last 25 innings pitched and winning five consecutive starts. His 7 wins, 2.16 ERA, and 87 strikeouts in 87 innings make him one of the strongest starting pitching assets in all of baseball post all-star break.
Going into the season I actually grossly overpaid for Vazquez and ultimately traded him away. I continued to monitor the pitcher because I knew what he was capable of doing on the mound. However, sitting at 5-8 with a 5.23 ERA at the all-star break, Javy lived up to the criticisms that he has endured throughout his entire career. On paper, Vazquez appears to be one of the most consistent pitchers of the past decade, earning double-digit victories in each of the past twelve seasons. Returning to the NL East, many people, myself included, had high expectations for Vazquez in 2011. After all, he is just two years removed his finest season as a professional with 15 wins and 2.87 ERA for the Atlanta Braves. But the guy is far from consistent. Season to season, month to month, and from start to start you never knew which Javy Vazquez you were going to get – just ask one of his former managers, Ozzie Guillen. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3602173
New York Yankee fans are also all too familiar with Vazquez as well, as his stints in the Bronx in both 2004 and 2009 are reminiscent of A.J. Burnett’s 2011 campaign. There is no question that Vazquez is streaky and frustrating to own, for both real and fantasy managers.
However, Vazquez finished 2011, and he says his career, with one of the strongest stretches of his career – conveniently down the stretch for savvy fantasy owners.
So what took Vazquez so long to get his act together in 2011? The answer is actually very clear and it has everything to do with his velocity. To start the season, his average fastball velocity started around 86 miles per hour but steadily increased and finally reached the 92-93 miles per hour range for the second half of the season. http://www.fangraphs.com/pitchfxo.aspx?playerid=801&position=P&pitch=FA
As his fastball velocity increased, so did the frequency in which Vazquez used it. While it’s rare that a 35-year-old regains velocity, it is
evident that it was the key to his success. The gain in velocity, coupled with a low-pressure situation in Florida in the NL East, allowed Vazquez to morph back into the pitcher he was in 2009. Although some players rely on velocity more than others, it certainly is a major factor in a pitcher’s success. Just look at Ubaldo Jimenez. With an average fastball velocity of 96mph in 2010, he put together a 19-8 season with a 2.88 ERA. In 2011, his velocity dipped to 93.9 mph and Ublado had trouble getting hitters out, compiling a 10-12 record with an ugly 4.47 ERA. Unless Ubaldo can have a Javy-like resurgence in velocity, he will be forced to improve his secondary pitches and will probably never again be a Cy Young contender.
This gets me to the point of the article. Many fantasy owners tend to ride players who are on hot streaks. But how can you predict these hot streaks when luck plays such a big factor? There needs to be an identifier for success, because all too many times we see players burst onto the scene with a few good starts but soon fizzle away. Sample size is very important, and Vazquez has demonstrated that he is capable of success. It was the gain in velocity and Vazquez’s placement in the NL East that made him a second half commodity. Therefore, before you trust a guy who is “hot”, be sure you do your research and find out why. Otherwise, you are simply gambling. With starting pitchers look for the factors that might contribute to a pitcher’s success: velocity, pitch selection, league and division, and ballpark.
Next week I will take this even further and discuss FIP and XFIP. If you play fantasy baseball and don’t know about www.fangraphs.com, do yourself a favor and familiarize yourself with the site and sabermetrics. This will give you a more accurate depiction of how a pitcher is throwing the ball and better indicators for future success, thereby eliminating the guessing games and searching for “hot streaks.”
***Today’s feature was prepared by our Fantasy Baseball Analyst, Peter Stein. We highly encourage you to leave your comments and feedback at the bottom of the page and share in the discussion with our readers. You can also follow Peter on Twitter (@peterWstein).***
Please e-mail us at: MLBreports@gmail.com with any questions and feedback. You can follow us on Twitter (@MLBreports) and become a fan on Facebook . To subscribe to our website and have the daily Reports sent directly to your inbox , click here and follow the link at the top of our homepage.
Jobless in 2012 – MLB Managers on the Hot Seat from 2011
Saturday September 10, 2011
Rob Bland (Baseball Writer – MLB reports): When a team has a disappointing season, the most likely candidate to lose his job is the manager. So far in the 2011 season, there has already been three managers who have either resigned or been fired. The Oakland Athletics fired Bob Geren on June 9th and replaced him with Bob Melvin. A week and a half later, Edwin Rodriguez resigned from his post as manager of the Florida Marlins. Jack McKeon became the oldest manager since Connie Mack at 80 years old. Yet another week later on June 26th, Jim Riggleman of the Washington Nationals resigned and was replaced by Davey Johnson two days later. With only a few weeks left in the regular season, who are the frontrunners to be replaced after the World Series?
With eight managers being new to their respective teams to start the 2011 season, one would think there can’t be too many jobs to lose. The first criteria I look at in order to predict who will not be returning his club is if the team was expected to contend for the playoffs, and fell short. Another thing I look at is the perception of the clubhouse, ie. if players get along, or if the manager is able to manage egos. Of course, the manager’s ability to create a lineup and manage a bullpen is taken into consideration. Other factors such as injuries and expectations of players are measured as well. The list that follows are my top 3 managers who could be canned after this season.
Mike Quade, Chicago Cubs
It is not oft
en that I would think a first year manager would be fired like this, but there are so many circumstances that make me believe he will be gone. First, there has been grumbling since day one in Chicago that Quade was hired over franchise icon Ryne Sandberg. The Cubs have been packed with talented players such as Carlos Zambrano, Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano, Geovany Soto, Ryan Dempster and Carlos Marmol. Add in Matt Garza and Starlin Castro, and you would think they could at least come close in the terrible NL Central. They are 22 games behind the streaking Milwaukee Brewers, and 21.5 behind Atlanta for the Wild Card. Their record is 62-81 with a 35-40 record at Wrigley Field.
Bud Black, San Diego Padres
With 2011 being Black’s 5th season with the Padres, a 62-82 record and already 21 games behind Arizona for the NL West title, he could be on the way out. The Padres have yet to reach the postseason under Black, however they were involved in a 1-game playoff with Colorado for the Wild Card title in 2007 that many of us will never forget as one of the most exciting games we have ever witnessed. In 2010, the Padres held a 6.5 game lead over eventual World Series Champs San Francisco Giants on August 25th. After a 10 game losing streak, the Padres were still in contention, and were not officially eliminated from the playoffs until the final day of the regular season with a 90-72 record. Those were the only winnings seasons in Black’s tenure and his time in San Diego may be up.
Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota Twins
Is it really fair to say Gardenhire’s job is in jeopardy? Probably not, but it definitely is possible. Over his 10 year career with the Twins, he has amassed an 861-740 record and they have been in the playoffs 6 times. However, they have only won 6 games, 4 of which were in one series, in Gardenhire’s first season; 2002. The Twins have not won a playoff game since 2004, being swept in 2006, 2009 and 2010 in the American League Division Series. This year, Gardenhire has had to deal with crippling injuries of former AL MVP’s Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer. Statistically, the best hitter has been Michael Cuddyer, hitting .282 with 18 home runs and 64 RBI. The best pitcher has been Scott Baker who is 8-6 with a 3.21 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 131 2/3 innings. Francisco Liriano has not been the same as he was before undergoing Tommy John surgery after the 2006 season, and aside from his no-hitter against the White Sox on May 3, he has been downright awful and is now on the 15-day disabled list. When the best players don’t perform, or are hurt, the manager is forced to do the best he can with what he is given. However a 59-84 record may just be the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back for Gardenhire.
This year, with 3 mid-season changes already, and eight new managers at the beginning of the season, shouldn’t see too much activity. I do believe that with the Cubs’ search for a new general manager under way, Quade’s days are numbered in Chicago. I also believe that Black’s inability to get the always promising Padres to the next level will leave him without a job by November. Gardenhire has not proven to me that he can bring the Twins to the World Series, and that is what the job description entails. Has it ever happened where both Managers of the Year from their respective leagues gets fired the following year? It could happen if Black and Gardenhire are let go.
***Today’s feature was prepared by our Baseball Writer, Rob Bland. We highly encourage you to leave your comments and feedback at the bottom of the page and share in the discussion with our readers. You can also follow Rob on Twitter.***
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