Daily Archives: September 11, 2008
Chipper Jones regained the NL batting average lead Wednesday night. He collected eight hits in his last fourteen at bats to raise his batting average to .363, one point ahead of Albert Pujols.
Sam Donnellon notes some quality stats about the Phillies rotation. The are second in innings pitched, third in quality starts and tied for first in shutouts.
With their win Wednesday night, the Marlins lead the season series with the Phillies 9-6. Jorge Cantu generated a good deal of the offense, hitting five home runs, driving in 14 runs and scoring 13. He knocked out 21 hits in the 14 games he played against Philadelphia.
The Nationals visit the Marlins over the weekend. They have only won two of twelve games against Florida so far and trail in the series by 30 runs, 79-49. Shairon Martis starts for Washington in game one of the series. Martis brings excellent minor league home run allowed numbers against a power hitting team.
For more real-time information, news, links and stats from around MLB, check out Baseball Musings.
According to the site Awful Announcing, Howie Rose will join Mark Grace on Saturday’s telecast of the Braves vs. Mets game on Fox.
…i will take howie rose over any of those fox commentators so i’m glad to hear this…it makes me wonder if he’s contemplating a move to t.v. play-by-play but i guess time will tell…
Tagged Regis Courtemanche |
To watch today’s edition of 
New York Baseball Today, during which Ted Berg, Alex Belth and I talk about who should be the fourth and fifth starter for the Mets, and whether Derek Jeter will always be a shortstop, click play below:
To submit a question for tomorrow’s New York Baseball Today, send an e-mail to baseball@sny.tv.
According to The Japan Times, Junichi Tazawa will forgo playing in Japan next season and will try to sign with a MLB team.
It has been rumored that the 22-year-old Tazawa will draw interest from the Braves, Mets, Yankees and Red Sox.
For more on Tazawa, click here.
In a trademark long, meandering post on his website today, the amazing Joe Posnanski writes about Carlos Beltran.
Posnanski discusses the pure talent and insecurity that marked Beltran’s early seasons and goes on to describe the way he’s come into his own on the Mets, writing:
This year, with the New York Mets, Carlos Beltran is on pace to hit .281/.371/.491 with 41 doubles, 26 homers, 117 runs scored, 114 RBIs, 22 steals (3 caught) and 90 walks. He should win a Gold Glove … he’s +17 according to the Dewan plus/minus. Since the beginning of August — so in the heart of the pennant race — he’s hitting .329/.391/.593 with 30 RBIs and 32 runs scored in 37 games. And he’s doing all this after having knee surgery in the off-season.
Only nobody is talking about Carlos Beltran as an MVP candidate. In fact, from what I can gather, many people are still disappointed in Carlos Beltran. He’s good, but he could be better. He’s well-rounded but overpaid. He’s put up some numbers but he left many on the table. The more things change, the more they stay the same. “I don’t think he’s right for New York,” one writer said to me. “I don’t think his personality fits in here.”
I suppose that will never really change for Carlos Beltran — he will keep on being incredible and he will keep on leaving people wanting.
I wrote a similarly appreciative piece on Beltran in July for SNY.tv, but Posnanski blows mine out of the water.
Tagged Ted Berg |During a chat for ESPN.com, Keith Law had the following to say when asked if Bobby Parnell could be a good option out of the bullpen.
“Yes, I think that’s his future, although his breaking ball isn’t good yet. He and {Brian} Stokes are the best two pure arms in that Mets’ pen.”
In 29 games this season, split between Triple-A and Double-A, Parnell was 12-8 with 114 strikeouts and only 66 walks in 148 innings pitched.
…with the current state of Aaron Heilman‘s ineffectiveness to say the least, i would love to see what parnell could bring to the table…i know Jerry Manuel has been insistent on using veterans in key spots down the stretch and i get that, however he may have to dip into that well soon…
Billy Wagner’s 2009 salary is not covered by insurance, reports Ben Shpigel in the New York Times, meaning the team will be responsible for $10.5 million.
According to Shpigel, “That makes it extraordinarily unlikely that they will pursue a high-priced closer like Francisco Rodríguez of the Angels.”
…thanks to Kenneth T for the link…
Shpigel also reports on the state of Ramon Castro, while profiling Brian Stokes, who allowed a run last night for the first time in 10 appearances.
To watch my segment from last night’s pre-game show on 
, during which I about Carlos Delgado, and how this September compares to last September, click play below:
Dan Levy wrote the following, among other emotional remarks, on The 700 Level, a popular Phillies blog:
“I’m tired of this…I’m tired of waking up and seeing the Mets boxscore and wondering if it’s even possible to catch a team that has gotten better after each pitcher goes down for the season. I’m tired of the Chase. I’m tired of chasing the Mets. I’m tired of chasing the Brewers, begging for a four-game sweep this weekend to maybe get into the Wild Card. I’m tired of chasing anyone. This should be a first-place team. That’s what we were promised…
“The television commercials and ticket brochures had us gearing up for the best season in 28 years. This team had everything. Except, as it seems, leadership. That’s why I’m tired of Chase. You read that right.
“Jimmy Rollins is a soundbite and this year can’t back it up. Ryan Howard only cares about money. So does Cole Hamels. Brett Myers is just happy to be in the majors…Pat Burrell is just happy to get at-bats.
“That leaves one man to lead this team: Chase Utley.
“Chase Utley sucks this year. Do something other than snap your gum, hit a pop up or little dribbler to the right side, put your head down in shame and trot to first. Show us you’re alive. Show us you’re a leader. We care so much about this team. We just wish you cared enough to show us you do too.”
For more, read Randy Miller’s column for the Burlington County Times, which is titled, ‘It’s Slipping Away.’
Tagged Phillies |Last night, Mike Pelfrey broke a streak of five consecutive ‘Quality Starts,’ by letting up five runs, eight hits, a home run and two walks against the Nationals.
Pelfrey, on his outing, speaking to 
reporters following last night’s game, said:
“I don’t want to make too big of a deal out of it…You know, obviously, I didn’t have it. Physically I didn’t feel great, I think there was even a time when nobody was on and I threw a pitch from the stretch. You know, so, mentally I wasn’t in to it either. The best thing to come out of it tonight is that we won…
“I felt like I let the team down, but the offense scored a lot of runs and they did a great job, as did the guys in the bullpen, we won and it’s huge…I think that’s the sign of being a great team, picking each other up.”
The Mets are 1–2 in Pelfrey’s last three starts.
Tagged Mike Pelfrey | ← Older posts
