Friday, June 19, 2009
By Jim Feist
There's an old wagering adage about teams being at a big disadvantage when they have never seen a pitcher before. In the last six days, the NY Yankees lost to three pitchers they had never faced: Mets right-hander Fernando Nieve on Saturday, and John Lannan and Craig Stammen (Nationals) this week. They were big favorites in all three games and got shut down. Alex Rodriguez is in a 3-for-34 rut. That's not uncommon. Batters have never seen these guys before and many times coaches can't get video or detailed scouting reports when guys are brought up from the minors.
It was interesting that Lannan shut down the Yankees, as NY is a homer-happy park and Lannan brought an ERA over six into the contest! By the way, the 3-0 loss to the Nationals was the first game this season where there was not a home run hit in the new Yankee stadium, which is remarkable as we are almost halfway through the season.
Of the top 10 teams in pitching ERA, three are in first place (Dodgers, Red Sox, Tigers). Pitching is still the name of the game! The Texas Rangers are doing it more with offense, however, ranked 19th in baseball in team ERA. Can they hold up as the summer months get hotter? That's why the rumors are swirling they will make a bid for Boston righty Brad Penny, who is on a one-year deal. Reports are if he's around in September Boston has to pay him a big bonus, so it's very likely he will be moved soon. Scouts watching Penny (6-2) this week from Philadelphia and Texas appear most interested in the righty.
What is going on in Denver? The Rockies made the 2007 World Series with an amazing 22-1 stretch late in the season, then flopped last year. They looked like one-year (or should we say one-month) wonders. Currently, Colorado is on a 13-1 run. With pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez bringing 98-mph heat and Todd Helton blasting another two-out homer in a 4-3 victory against Tampa Bay, these Rockies have more honest talent than those 2007 Rocktober wonders. Jimenez, Aaron Cook and Jason Marquis have formed a solid starting trio, while Huston Street has solidified the bullpen, closing out games like in his heydey in Oakland. Colorado is on a 7-3 run under the total.
And let's not forget Colorado made a managerial change, catching fire under new skipper Jim Tracy. Tracy's patience makes him a more reliable manager than Clint Hurdle. This is reminiscent of the 1988 All-Star break, when an underachieving Boston team fired manager John McNamara, then went 19-1 under new manager Joe Morgan. Colorado fans only hope its similar to their Rockies of just two years ago.
Thanks for the support from all our friends. Roz and I had a great tournament at the Venetian Deep Stack, reaching the final table and finishing 9th and 10th. Of course we wish we could have gone deeper but pleased just the same. Side note: no one can remember a married couple making the same final table in the high level tourney. Did we make history?
By Jim Feist
There's an old wagering adage about teams being at a big disadvantage when they have never seen a pitcher before. In the last six days, the NY Yankees lost to three pitchers they had never faced: Mets right-hander Fernando Nieve on Saturday, and John Lannan and Craig Stammen (Nationals) this week. They were big favorites in all three games and got shut down. Alex Rodriguez is in a 3-for-34 rut. That's not uncommon. Batters have never seen these guys before and many times coaches can't get video or detailed scouting reports when guys are brought up from the minors.
It was interesting that Lannan shut down the Yankees, as NY is a homer-happy park and Lannan brought an ERA over six into the contest! By the way, the 3-0 loss to the Nationals was the first game this season where there was not a home run hit in the new Yankee stadium, which is remarkable as we are almost halfway through the season.
Of the top 10 teams in pitching ERA, three are in first place (Dodgers, Red Sox, Tigers). Pitching is still the name of the game! The Texas Rangers are doing it more with offense, however, ranked 19th in baseball in team ERA. Can they hold up as the summer months get hotter? That's why the rumors are swirling they will make a bid for Boston righty Brad Penny, who is on a one-year deal. Reports are if he's around in September Boston has to pay him a big bonus, so it's very likely he will be moved soon. Scouts watching Penny (6-2) this week from Philadelphia and Texas appear most interested in the righty.
What is going on in Denver? The Rockies made the 2007 World Series with an amazing 22-1 stretch late in the season, then flopped last year. They looked like one-year (or should we say one-month) wonders. Currently, Colorado is on a 13-1 run. With pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez bringing 98-mph heat and Todd Helton blasting another two-out homer in a 4-3 victory against Tampa Bay, these Rockies have more honest talent than those 2007 Rocktober wonders. Jimenez, Aaron Cook and Jason Marquis have formed a solid starting trio, while Huston Street has solidified the bullpen, closing out games like in his heydey in Oakland. Colorado is on a 7-3 run under the total.
And let's not forget Colorado made a managerial change, catching fire under new skipper Jim Tracy. Tracy's patience makes him a more reliable manager than Clint Hurdle. This is reminiscent of the 1988 All-Star break, when an underachieving Boston team fired manager John McNamara, then went 19-1 under new manager Joe Morgan. Colorado fans only hope its similar to their Rockies of just two years ago.
Thanks for the support from all our friends. Roz and I had a great tournament at the Venetian Deep Stack, reaching the final table and finishing 9th and 10th. Of course we wish we could have gone deeper but pleased just the same. Side note: no one can remember a married couple making the same final table in the high level tourney. Did we make history?
| Baseball: Second Half Surges |
| Jim Feist |
| Baseball: First Half Roundup |
| Jim Feist |
| Getting Injured Players Back Can Be as Important as a Trade |
| Jim Feist |
| A Call to the Pen |
| Jim Feist |
| Hot and Cold Streaks! |
| Jim Feist |
| Lean Toward Big Dogs More than Big Chalk |
| Jim Feist |
| Baseball Hot and Cold Starts |
| Jim Feist |
| Baseball Pitchers: A Different Breed |
| Jim Feist |
| Wagering on the World Series |
| Jim Feist |
| The Bullpen is Mightier Than The Sword |
| Jim Feist |
| Baseball Weekly Rap Sheet |
| Roz Juarbe |
| Baseball Comebacks Provide Go-Against Spots |
| Jim Feist |
| Baseball Stretch Run Begins |
| Roz Juarbe |
| Baseball Wagering: Build Your Bankroll with Dogs |
| Jim Feist |
| Baseball Betting Trends |
| Roz Juarbe |
| Post All-Star Break Time! |
| Roz Juarbe |
| Break Down Your Pitchers |
| Jim Feist |
| Rolling into the All-Star Break |
| Roz Juarbe |
| Be Aware of Team Chemistry Shifts |
| Jim Feist |
| Baseball Second Half Surges |
| Jim Feist |
