Author Archives: @eljgon

The Hunt for a Better Bullpen

If you watched Red Sox baseball this past week, you should have seen a trend forming. All week great starting pitching was followed by the bullpen crapping themselves. The stats in the last seven days can support this claim, as Sox starters have had a 3.11 ERA with a 1.06 WHIP. Sox relievers have had a 6.06 ERA with a 1.59 WHIP. This has been frustrating to watch and almost makes us forget about Jackie Bradley Jr.’s woes at the plate.

Better Numbers are Ahead

The full season’s numbers don’t paint the same story, however. Sox relievers in the entire season have posted a 3.76 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. Starters also going on to average 3.49 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. Clearly, we can justify this by saying the obvious: The Red Sox bullpen had a bad week. They were not clutch and they did not throw quality strikes. More was expected from this quality pitching staff.

The only way from here is up and the quality is ahead of us, folks. We have seen this bullpen do tremendous things when they try. Carson Smith is finally turning the corner, posting a 1.04 ERA in the last 28 days (11 games) with 12 strikeouts and one earned run. In the same sample size, Joe Kelly has posted a 0.77 ERA with 16 strikeouts and one earned run.

Reinforcements are Incoming

Don’t forget, more help is on the way. Tyler Thornburg is set to begin his rehab assignment in Triple-A Pawtucket on Monday 5/14. Steven Wright is also slated to join the Sox on the same day. A much needed depth will be added to this bullpen, but what can we expect from the two? Thornburg hasn’t pitched in a major league baseball game since 2016. Even then, I’m sure Cora will be using him sparingly since he’s apparently made of glass. Even Wright, who has recovered fully from his left knee injury and served his 15 game suspension for domestic violence, will be a mixed bag of results.

Also, at some point, Bobby Poyner should be getting called back up as well. Poyner posted a 2.25 ERA in seven regular season games with the Sox, and even has a 1.42 ERA in six games with the PawSox. If anybody outside of Brian Johnson slips up, expect to see Poyner in the big league bullpen for the majority of the season.

Dealin’ Dave at it Again?

What if this all doesn’t pan out the way we expect? There will be trade activity around the time of the deadline (or even sooner) and the Red Sox will be involved one way or another. Kelvin Herrera and Jeurys Familia are two names that will probably finish the 2018 season with a different team and are two pieces that can really bring a bullpen to the next level. Yes, both are closers and both are eligible for free agency in 2019, so they would be rentals. However, the Sox obviously wouldn’t dare move Craig Kimbrel from his job in the pen.

The Mets and the Royals both seem to be trending downward quickly and I would be shocked if they were playoff contenders this season. Also, both teams could use an outfielder which could potentially prompt a JBJ trade. Familia is known for his sinker which averages at 97 mph and Herrera for his 89 mph changeup. Also, they have been in the spotlight before as they actually faced each other in the 2015 World Series. That last part is something the Sox bullpen lacks: clutch factor.

Overall, these two players will find another home this season acting as rentals. The New York Yankees are also in the same boat as the Red Sox for the fact that their bullpen hasn’t been the best either. Also, going off of last year, the Astros bullpen may not be the best as well. All in all, the Sox won’t be alone when it comes to bolstering their relief pitchers, but hopefully this bad week has been a wake up call to the front office.

@ELJGON

Xander/Didi is Jeter/Nomar: Part Deux

Leave a reply

The Red Sox/Yankees rivalry is a classic that all baseball fans can enjoy. However, in the peak of this rivalry (late 1990s/early 2000s), there was always a rivalry within the rivalry. Both teams were home to two of my generation’s best shortstops (Alex Rodriguez was better than both) in Derek Jeter and Nomar Garciaparra.

Nomar vs. Jeter

To give the average baseball fan some background on this rivalry, Nomar and Jeter was a closer face-off than their accolades tell. Both being first round draft picks, it seemed that Jeter and Nomar always had something to prove to one another right out of the gate. It didn’t take long, as both won the Rookie of the Year awards in their respective rookie seasons (Jeter in 1996, Nomar in 1997). What followed was another chapter in the storied rivalry.

Both shortstops went on to battle one another throughout many seasons. Nomar had the better stats in an eight year stretch (1996 – 2004). But overall, Jeter was the better player. Maybe Nomar would have taken the bragging rights away from Jeter if he wasn’t plagued by injuries after the 2004 season. However, the latter’s consistency and burning passion to win five World Series would ultimately lead to the victory in the competition. Jeter achieved 14 All-Star appearances, five Gold Gloves, five Silver Sluggers, and a World Series MVP. But fans of the game will never forget how Nomar was, for a moment in time, the better player.

Bogaerts vs. Gregorius

Fast forward to 2013, Xander Bogaerts debuted for the Red Sox in a championship year. Didi Gregorius exceeded his rookie status in the same season with Arizona. After the 2014 season concluded, Derek Jeter decided to walk away from baseball as a player, and the Yankees searched for his replacement. Alex Rodriguez was clearly way past his time to man the position, and Brian Cashman decided to take a shot on the Arizona short stop from the Netherlands.

Gregorius was known for his fielding prowess, but became a gamble when it came to his offensive abilities. Initially, the plan was to platoon with Brendan Ryan and see if Gregorius could distance himself for a consistent spot on the roster. Didi’s numbers weren’t all that great, but over time he has grown into a top five shortstop, and shows no signs of slowing down. Every season, he has improved in every asset of his offensive abilities while maintaining a steady rate defensively. To start off the 2018 season, Didi has been by far and away one of the best players in the majors with a 1.156 OPS, ten homers and 30 RBIs.

Enter Bogey

Xander Bogaerts, however, has had an arguably better career as of now, but it’s insanely close. Born in Oranjestad, Aruba, Bogaerts took the minor leagues by storm in 2009. He ascended through the ranks of the Red Sox farm system and eventually earned his call-up in 2013. He won a World Series ring in the same season, and never really looked back since. Albeit, he had a dip in performance in 2017 that many attribute to an injury that he never recovered fully from. But Xander is on track in 2018 after smashing two grand slams, a slash of .412/.426/.725 with an OPS of 1.171, all in the month of April.

Rivalry Within the Rivalry

Let the record show that I am not comparing Xander and Didi to two of the best short stops I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. However, it’s interesting that Xander and Didi started breaking out in their own way right around the time of a renewed rivalry. One cannot help but to think back to a time when this sort of battle has been prevalent for the position’s sake. With the surplus of talent at the position, these two players can really be compared with the likes of Francisco Lindor, Corey Seager, Manny Machado, and Carlos Correa. This fantastic battle is bound to give fans of the game reason to keep close watch on their careers.

@ELJGON

The 100 Year Anniversary of the 1918 World Series Red Sox

Leave a reply

Anniversary of the 1918 Red Sox

1918 was a year that was host to many pivotal moments in history. In November, World War I ended. It was also the year of the Spanish Flu breakout, that would ended up infecting approximately 500 million people around the world.

On a lighter note, however, 1918 saw the Boston Red Sox win the World Series against the Chicago Cubs in six games. The Red Sox finished the regular season with a 76-50 record, a .603 winning percentage. The 1918 regular season was cut short because of the WWI “Work or Fight” order. This was the only World Series to be played entirely in September, as well as one of three Fall Classics to not feature a home run from either team. This also marked the first time the Star Spangled Banner was performed at a major league baseball game.

Lineup

Jumping into the actual team itself, the most popular player from this team was obviously Babe Ruth. There was only one other Hall of Famer on this ball club, Harry Hooper. Hooper was a 30 year old right fielder in 1918, in which he batted .298 and had a .796 OPS. Ruth, on the other hand led the league in Slugging (.555) and OPS (.966).

Also, the 23 year old compiled a 2.22 ERA with a 13-7 record and a 1.046 WHIP. He was about as valuable to a team as a player could possibly be. Other noteworthy pitchers include Carl Mays, who pitched in 35 games compiling a 2.21 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, Sam Jones with a 2.25 ERA in 24 games pitched, and “Bullet” Joe Bush who in 36 games compiled a 2.11 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. In fact, as a team, the Sox achieved a 2.31 ERA. This could be attributed to the low scoring qualities teams had in the dead-ball era.

The Series

The first three games were played at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Ironically, Comiskey Park was the home of the White Sox for 80 years (1910-1990). It was the better choice of venue over Weeghman Park because it had a second deck for viewers and held twice as many people. The Sox took two out of three in as many consecutive days in Chicago, and then took the series to Fenway Park.

The Red Sox won two out of three in Fenway as well, resulting in a series win. Babe Ruth went 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA between Games 1 and 4. This would be the last time the Sox won a World Series until 2004, when the curse was finally broken. Also, this marked the last time the Sox won a World Series on their own field until 2013. Meanwhile, it took the Cubs another 98 years before they would go on to win their next World Series as well. If history truly repeats itself, this could be the last year the Red Sox could win a World Series before another 86 year drought.

Hopefully one comes sooner than that, of course.

@ELJGON

The Pursuit of Renewing the Rivalry

Leave a reply

On a cold Wednesday night in April, the Red Sox faced off against the Yankees in what seemed to have the hallmarks of an epic clash. Both teams have a long history of mutual hate and a few years of idle feelings. However, things boiled over in Fenway Park, and thus the pursuit of a rekindled rivalry was not hard to find. Rob Manfred wants to push the evolution of baseball further? Not if these two teams have anything to say about it.

The Yankees and Red Sox rivalry has been quite “cold war-ish” for the last few years. The last incident that I can remember off the top of my head that included these two teams in a heated way was when Ryan Dempster plunked Alex Rodriguez in 2013, after MLB announced their 2014 season long suspension for Rodriguez. Dempster had a reason, I suppose, to hit Alex. But the latter is the one who got the last laugh when he belted a home run later in that game and lead his team to a 9-6 win. After that, the two teams seemed to go their separate ways, but always keeping each other in the back of their minds.

Wednesday night in Fenway proved to be something in the works for a while now. And frankly, nobody is surprised. The Yankees seemed to be seeking revenge after losing the night before to a massive score of 14-1. What really started the fire, however, was a less than textbook slide by Tyler Austin, a 6’2″ first baseman from Georgia.

The Rivalry Renewed

There is speculation between many people as to the intentions of Austin, but it really does not matter his intention. The fact is that he slid into second base with his cleats up, not aiming for the base, and endangered Brock Holt, who was on the receiving end of the first part of a potential double play. Holt shared his displeasure and Austin, (for whatever reason) took exception. An Umpire got between them and all of a sudden everybody lost their minds. Bullpens clear, dugouts clear, people on Twitter are going nuts over something that two ball players were taking care of themselves.

Things Heat Up

On to the top of the seventh inning and Tyler Austin is up to bat. Guess what? Austin gets hit by a fastball square in the back by Joe Kelly for obvious reasons. This was a necessary move by someone on the Sox. Kelly decided that he would be the one to carry on the unwritten rules of the game. To make it short: if you do something wrong to a player on the opposing team, you will be hit by a pitch at your next at bat. That’s just how things go in baseball. The fact that Austin decided that Kelly was out of bounds by doing so is just asinine.

As an example dating back to about 39 years ago when Wayne Gross hit a home run off of reliever Ed Farmer. Gross took his time rounding the bases. Consequently, Farmer was furious and never had the chance for redemption. Four years later he got him back, when they were on the same team. During a batting practice session, Farmer beaned Gross with a fastball in the back with the first pitch.

“What was that for!” Gross screamed.

“That was for four years ago!” Farmer screamed back.

“OK,” Gross said. “We’re even!”

Gross took his lump and life continued. Austin was in the wrong twice on Wednesday night for sliding incorrectly (regardless of intention or not), and charging the mound after what everybody knew what was coming. Except for himself, apparently.

Alas, we have finally reached the point to where baseball can be baseball and boys can be boys again. The Red Sox and Yankees have bad blood towards each other, and the world seems to be normal again. But be forewarned fans of both teams: this is going to be a very long season. The hope for some baseball to break out in between these fights should be high. The sports world has been waiting for this rivalry to renew, and they are about to get their money’s worth.

The Aftershock of Michael Chavis

Leave a reply

Michael Chavis has tested positive for a banned substance dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (an anabolic steroid) and has been suspended for 80 games. Chavis was the Red Sox’ number one position player prospect their farm system. Chavis was ranked 80 in the Majors prospects, so lasting effects can be evident.

Michael Chavis Background

Who exactly is the top positional player for the Sox? The 5’10” Georgia native was acquired in the 1st round of the 2014 draft from Sprayberry Senior HS. The 22 year old third baseman struggled in 2016 after posting a .244/.321/.391 slash in 312 plate appearances. 2017 seemed to be the season where he took his young career to the next level. He produced a .282/.347/.563 slash between Portland, Salem, and Peoria. His home run total rose from eight in 2016 to 31 in 2017. It’s easy to project when Chavis began a regimen for anabolic steroids. Seeing that his average never really impressed until his 2017 season proves that his value is close to unreliable. Combine that with his average defending and we have ourselves a bust in the making.

Chavis was known for his strong arm but choppy footwork at the hot corner. It would make sense for his eventual transition to first base. The uncertainty of first base at the Sox’ Major League level is probably what made Chavis such a pivotal part of their farm system.

Aftershocks on the Farm System

So with Chavis’s eventual demotion in the farm system rankings, which players are left in the top 10? Well, everyone knows Jay Groome, the southpaw hurler reigning from Barnegat Township, New Jersey at number one overall. However, excluding pitchers, it is evident that the Sox don’t have a whole lot of youngsters. Sam Travis is the next positional player to take the top spot after Chavis’ suspension, and even that isn’t much to brag about. In 33 games playing for the 2017 Sox, he posted an underwhelming .263/.325/.342 line.

His below average scouting report highlights his lack of power. It really works against the height of his ceiling. This is the next best positional player the Sox have in their farm. The Sox can’t expect to keep Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Xander Bogaerts, and Jackie Bradley, among the other core youngsters. For a team that is about as “win now” as ever, this really hurts the Sox more than people may realize. It would be different if this happened to a team with a deep system (see: Braves, Yankees etc.). But it’s not ideal for a team that will owe Chris Sale a Brinks truck to keep him around.

Major League After Effects

You might already know that Dave Dombrowski is a very trigger happy executive. The Red Sox seem to be at a loss when it comes to production out of the bullpen so far in the 2018 season (except for Kimbrel and Poyner). The writing on the wall will point to possibly using Chavis as a trade piece to upgrade the bullpen to the likes of the Yankees or Indians. Now that Chavis is suspended, I cannot see a major trade going down for the Sox the rest of the season. The ball club was probably one big trade piece away from being an even bigger championship contender than before.

The Bottom Line

Let’s be real for a second: The Red Sox are still putting an elite team on the field night after night. They have a major league roster with an average age of 27.9 (6th in 2017) and a starting rotation that has had an excellent first week of the 2018 season. This comes without the contributions of Drew Pomeranz, Eduardo Rodriguez and Steven Wright. With Devers panning out to be the future third baseman of the Red Sox and Mitch Moreland locked up until 2020, it seemed pretty hard for Chavis to make any noise in the Majors, barring an amazing minor league performance.

Does this really hurt the team in general? Yes and no. Yes, as in it negatively affects his value but no, as in the Sox never really had to rely on Chavis during their championship years anyway. It’s too early to tell how the bullpen will pan out in 2018. A team can never use too many arms, however, and do not forget that Andrew Miller is available as a free agent at the other side of this season. Chavis messed up, but Sox fans should not worry.

@ELJGON

Red Sox Weekend Roundup 4/1

Leave a reply

The first official weekend of the 2018 regular season just passed us. We can all finally stop holding our breath. The season is indeed in its infancy and player performances should be taken logically. Averages are out of whack because some players are late bloomers during the long season. New teams need to rebuild or reconfigure team chemistry. Also, new managers are starting to figure out their systems as they go. However, there are a few notes from this weekend that can carry weight for the season’s entirety.

Xander Bogaerts is Back

The beloved short stop for the Red Sox seems to be already playing in mid-season form both on the field and in the box. Not only has he tormented Rays pitching, but also made some pivotal defensive plays. The double up on Mallex Smith in the 9th inning, which led to Kimbrel shutting the door completely on Denard Span for the final out of the game is one of these examples.

Thus, Bogaerts is really on the right track to get moved up in the lineup and most likely take Hanley’s spot in the 3 hole. He has a majority of at bats as a 3rd hitter in his career with a .315 batting average and a .819 OPS. Besides, Bogaerts batting third means he could see more at bats, which means a more productive lineup. I know some of you may be thinking this analysis is too early, but jump on the X train now or stay off forever. The bottom line is Red Sox baseball is better when Xander is playing great.

Yankees Suck

Yankees fans were already in trash talking mid-season form come last Thursday. As I’ve said before, this twoteam division race is going to be jam-packed with banter from both fan bases. All this means is there will be a more exciting game watching experience. This is a proper gauge for how each team’s talent stacks up against baseball’s best. The Yankees and Red Sox seem to now be at a peak in regards to team talent in the last five years. To see how these clubs perform under the spotlight, against serious talent fighting for two of the best fanbases in baseball is great. This season could jump-start a rivalry that has been in need of resuscitation in recent years, and I am extremely excited for that. Baseball is 1000 times better when the Sox and Yankees are good and fighting for a championship.

O Captain, My Captain!

After Saturday’s game, Alex Cora mentioned that Dustin Pedroia will be taking ground balls on grass in Miami. He has been going through his run progression for the last two weeks. Depending on how good Eduardo Nunez is playing at second base, Cora should really take his time getting Pedroia back to full speed. The 34 year old isn’t getting any younger, and the season is still only five days old as of now. There is no rush to get him back into the lineup.

Other Notes:

Red Sox starters have given up only 2 earned run in 23.3 innings pitched.
Christian Vazquez still thinks he’s the fastest runner on the team.
Brock Holt is on the 48 hour DL for chapped lips.
David Price is proving all of his haters wrong. I love it and so should you.

Featured Photo: (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

@ELJGON

A British Perspective: Sox and Yanks in London for 2019

Leave a reply

Reports from Bloomberg pointed to the Yankees and Red Sox finalizing a two game series that will be played in London for the 2019 season. This will not be the first time MLB takes a sample of games to other countries (Japan 2004/2008, Australia 2014, Mexico 1996/1999), and will also play some games this season in Puerto Rico and Monterrey, Mexico. However, what is the reception going to be like for baseball’s best rivalry when the Sox and Yanks battle each other in London Stadium? I had some questions, and John from the UK’s only baseball podcast had answers.

Justin: How well do you think the game of baseball in general will translate once many people from the UK will finally get to see a game or two in person?

John: Good question! I know there’s a view in the States that UK fans like ‘all action’ and ‘non stop’ games based on the dominance of soccer and rugby here, but I don’t buy it. Cricket, even in its livelier forms, is really sedate and the American sports that have a foothold here – especially NFL – are really stop start. It feels vital to me that the organizers aim to capture the ballpark environment, though. That’s the real point of difference that MLB has, like the tailgate in football. Two games isn’t enough to explain to people why you throw an outside fastball in a 3-1 count; MLB needs to be smart and think about their pitch (no pun intended). Everything we’ve heard from them so far has been positive – make it about the cultural experience as much as the game, but don’t ignore that as there’ll be seasoned fans tuning in too.

JG: Reports say that the two game series would be played at London stadium. In your opinion, is this the best venue for a professional baseball game in the area?

John: I’m not sure. I think ‘least worst’ is potentially a better way of putting it. Obviously cricket grounds have better dimensions, but they’re quite small (20-25k max) and England is hosting the Cricket World Cup around the same time as these games are billed, anyway. The London Stadium’s selling point is that it can be adapted for different events, and that feels important – there’s also plenty of space for events around it too, which is lacking at stadiums like Wembley or Arsenal’s home, Emirates Stadium. I’m a bit nervous about the atmosphere – on my one trip to the Stadium for a West Ham game it was pretty flat; they did lose 6-0 to Man City, though!

JG: How big has the sport of baseball become in recent years in the UK?

John: That’s a difficult question to give a straight answer. Arguably, it’s less popular than its peak in the early 2000s when it was on network TV and had a proper cult following. That said, there are plenty of die hards, and it feels (from our viewpoint at least) that it’s swelling. In the Opening Week of the season there are going to be ‘watch parties’ in five different UK cities, and the fact we are running a podcast with a growing, sustained listenership, didn’t seem likely when we started a couple of years ago. The sport is a popular, if niche, participatory activity too – along with softball the estimates are around 20,000 people playing regularly in the UK, which isn’t bad for a sport with little coverage and an ‘amateur’ domestic league.

JG: Rob Manfred has briefly touched up on a possibility for an expansion team in Mexico City. Do you think this could eventually lead to a possible expansion team for London?

John: It feels highly unlikely. I know the NFL trajectory feels like it’s going this way, but 8 games a year, with a week of rest, is different to managing a 162 game schedule across two continents with a minimum of 5 hours in time differences.

JG: Which player(s) between the Yankees Red Sox rivalry are you looking forward to see play in London the most?

John: There’s a difference between who I’m most looking forward to, and the consensus! As a Red Sox fan, I’m biased, but even I appreciate the idea of seeing Judge and Stanton in London would be a thrill. Personally, I’m a massive fan of Craig Kimbrel and Jackie Bradley Jr, so I’ll say those two. My fellow podcast hosts would tell you it’s Joe Kelly, who they think I have a soft spot for on account of being a fellow glasses wearer (they’re right).

JG: Any tips for Americans that will be making the trip over especially for their first time visiting London?

John: How long have you got? I don’t live in London now, having moved away just over a year ago but was there long enough to give some ideas!

I would say to travelling fans to consider staying near the venue if it is at the Olympic Park. There’ll be loads going on and that part of East London, and the couple of miles around it (especially Hackney, Dalston, Stoke Newington and Leyton), are some of the most interesting, creative and picturesque – think craft breweries, idyllic parks and cool music venues – which not many visitors see. Transport in London – especially the bus – is cheap and excellent, and none of the main tourist sights will take longer than an hour to get to if you must (though many of them are not worth bothering).

Eat at Dishoom for breakfast (there are a few sites) for their INCREDIBLE naan bread breakfast rolls, and Kiln in Soho in the evening; the best Thai food this side of Bangkok.

JG: If you could name a London expansion team, what would you name it and who would you want to manage it?

John: Given my previous answer, maybe the London Jetlaggers? Seriously, it’s a shame the Royals have gone isn’t it? Maybe the London Cavaliers, or the Red, White and Blue Sox?

In terms of management, I feel duty bound to give it to GB Baseball’s awesome coach, Liam Carroll. He’s a real spark plug for the game here, and has earned it! Pitching coach would be Trevor Hoffman, who helped Liam at last year’s WBC – his Mom’s English and he’s very proud of his British heritage.

John and the rest of the crew for the Batflips and Nerds podcast can be found here. These guys really do know what they’re talking about. Do NOT underestimate them!

As for me, I am super excited to see the great reception that one of the best rivalries in sports receives. For foreign fans, this is as big as El Clasico and should really put into perspective just how exciting baseball can be at its peak.

@ELJGON

Featured Image: Melissa Bell

The Ruination of Baseball: Pace of Play

Leave a reply

On Wednesday March 14th 2018, Minor League Baseball announced changes made to the rules in regards to “speeding up the game”. These changes include mound visits, a 15-20 second pitch clock, and most importantly: beginning every half inning with a man on second base in extra innings. These changes naturally do not settle well with avid baseball fans, let alone baseball purists. To change the sport to fit the needs of an audience that it was never meant to target in the first place is unethical and quite simply not the right move.

Patience is Key

Baseball has always been the sport for the patient man. To outsiders, it is a sport like any other. The team that achieves the most runs (I hate the word “points” when talking about baseball) will win. Basically view it as a shootout. Although, when it comes to baseball, patience has a lot to do with how a team accumulates runs.

Think about it like a chess match; there are intricate strategies, statistics that could change the way a pitcher operates uniquely for each batter, signs for plays, warm ups between each half inning, among others. It is a sport for someone who realizes something new could happen in any game. Now I understand times and people change and some things should be tweaked for the sake of not having a rule from 1839 in 2018, but it has gone too far.

The Good

Just to clarify, I like the limitation of mound visits in all levels of the game. In Triple-A each team gets six visits, Double-A is eight, Single-A is ten, and unlimited for short season and rookie league. I can’t help but chuckle when I see Gary Sanchez go out to Masahiro Tanaka during a game. What could they be saying? Does Gary speak Japanese and nobody but those two know it? On a serious note, there doesn’t have to be a mound visit from a catcher between every single pitch. They may last 20-30 seconds, but they could add up quickly and disrupt the natural flow of the game if abused. Limiting mound visits is good.

The Bad and the Ugly

Let’s now discuss the bad. The MILB also dropped a bombshell on fans when they announced extra innings will begin with a runner on second base. Whoever is poised to leadoff the inning will have the previous batter be the second base runner. Basically it works like this: It’s the top of the 10th and your number seven batter is up to bat. The number 6 batter will be the extra inning runner. That extra inning runner is deemed to be a runner that has reached base by way of a fielding error. However, an error wont be charged to the opposing team or an opposing player. Which means they will not count as an RBI as per rule 9.04 (b,2). Also, it will not affect the opposing pitcher’s ERA as per rule 9.16 (b,3).

Think about this though: a 9 inning game could, in theory, last infinitely in regards to time. There have been 9 inning games that have reached four hours. So I am baffled as to how randomly adding a base runner in extra innings improves pace of play. Even still, both teams would be deadlocked once extra innings begin, but they are both still competing evenly. Extra innings could resume if both extra inning runners score resulting in a continued game.

Being on Base Is Earned

In my eyes, this is the first time base runners will consistently reach base and not earn it. Players earn the right to reach base by hitting, walking, hustling to first on a called third strike in the dirt, etc. The point is that it is almost always earned.

This also would disrupt the strategies of many managers. For instance, say you have your number one hitter due up in extra innings, and your pitcher is due to be the extra inning runner. Being that, I have been witness to one of the pitchers on my team injure himself when he was used as a pinch runner. Thus negatively effecting his season (Stephen Wright), this is not ideal. Sure, you could use a pinch runner but then that pinch runner will be gone unless he scores. Thus possibly making managers expend their bench players at a faster rate.

I get it, baseball is really trying to make the game more interesting for those who can’t sit still for more than two hours at a time. But maybe that innocence should be preserved for someone like me, who appreciates every moment of baseball possible. This rule should never even be considered to reach the Major League level and fans of the game should fight for it’s best interest. The game hasn’t lasted this long for no reason, after all.

@ELJGON

Featured Photo: Jeff Curry – USA Today Sports

Hanley Ramirez Can Be the Next Nelson Cruz

Leave a reply

Hanley Ramirez has every opportunity to turn his below average 2017 season in Boston around. As he continues his “bat first, glove last” career approach, another name came to mind for finding a fair prediction of the kind of player Ramirez could be. Clearly, the better hitter of the last 3-4 years has been Cruz. However, comparing their age 31-33 seasons (the point of their careers where their glove becomes a liability) may not be so crazy.

Ramirez and Cruz

Nelson “Boomstick” Cruz, one of the more intimidating bats in the league, has been a pleasure to watch since he started playing consistently in 2009. Even in his age 36 season, he managed to hit 39 homers in one of the leagues least hitter-friendly ballparks. For the past three years he hit 40+ homers. The main focus on hitting and a neglect for defense could be a successful contributor to why he is one of the most prolific home run hitters at his age. Sound familiar?

Hanley Ramirez was always known as a bat first kind of shortstop, but his overall defensive career in Boston has been riddled with confusion and frustration. His first season with the Red Sox, when he was thrown into the outfield for 92 of his 105 games played, was like watching someone with no legs try to catch fly balls on ice. It was woeful and everyone knew it. The next experiment was to put him at first base, where all of the aging sluggers eventually go to before transitioning to a full time DH player (see: David Ortiz, Albert Pujols).

Hanley achieved a -13 dWAR figure, which puts him towards the bottom third for all first basemen in 2017. Now I’m not saying his defensive time at first base is anywhere near the horrific display in the outfield. But, when similar aging first basemen such as Joe Mauer, Chase Headley and Miguel Cabrera are achieving dWAR figures that are twice as good as Hanley’s, it could be a sign for the future. Simply, Hanley Ramirez is just not meant to be a positional player anymore. This is not a bad thing being that this is what the DH position is turning out to be, and Hanley seems like the perfect mold.

Similarities

It seems like Hanley can turn into the kind of player Cruz has become of recent. For starters, both players are 6’2″ and Cruz only weighs five more pounds. Hanley has a career WAR of 37, Cruz has 30. For what it’s worth, both hail from the Dominican Republic. The comparison can get deeper. This is what I found when I compared both player’s age 31-33 seasons:

AVG: Cruz (.266) Hanley (.261)

OBP: Cruz (.327) Hanley (.328)

SLG: Cruz (.497) Hanley (.457)

HR%: Cruz (5.1%) Hanley (4.5%)

BAbip: Cruz (.295) Hanley (.284)

Here’s the kicker to all of this (as there are many): Hanley is getting paid three times more than Cruz was in his age 31-33 seasons. Naturally, everyone expects Hanley to hit the ball three times as well as Cruz did, which is impossible. Also, the acquisition of J.D. Martinez will greatly limit Hanley’s appearances at DH. Platooning with Mitch Moreland at first base will likely do the same. Looking at average exit velocities over the last three years, Cruz has been able to stay in the 92+ mph range (92.9, 94.5, 92.8) while Hanley’s has declined (90.1, 90.3, 88.4). However, don’t lose hope in Ramirez, as it seems he will be starting the season hitting third in the Sox lineup. He has every opportunity to have one of the best offensive years of his career. Personally, I can see him being a carbon copy of Nelson Cruz. Being that Hanley plays in a more forgiving venue, offensively, he can definitely take advantage.

Plus, the TB12 workout helps as well.

Follow me for more Red Sox takes @ELJGON

Cover image courtesy of The Boston Herald.

The Evolution of the Leadoff Hitter

Leave a reply

Wave goodbye to the small ball stereotypical leadoff hitter you may be used to seeing

Rickey Henderson, Tim Raines, and Ichiro Suzuki represent some of the most iconic leadoff hitters of all time. They are known for mainly getting a hit in any way they can, and then relying on speed to score efficiently. However, that stereotype is evolving by cutting out the factor of speed and replacing it with power. The 2017 season saw a record amount of home runs (6105) hit in the MLB’s 149 years of existence. It seems to have made an impact on stolen base amounts.

Players are relying less on moving into scoring position themselves in order to score a run. Instead, they are banking more on a batter driving them in by way of a double or a home run. Just to use as a reference point, on base percentage has ranged from .324 to .349 since the year 2000. So the amount that leadoff hitters reach base safely hasn’t really fluctuated. More so, it has to do with how they reach base and that is by way of power.

The above graph shows stolen base amounts of leadoff hitters for every year since 2000.

The leadoff spot of the lineup is evolving into a power based slot

I came across an article talking about how Aaron Boone has thought about batting Aaron Judge at the leadoff spot and it makes a good amount of sense. He accumulates a high number of walks and a high number of home runs which helped him reach an OPS (On Base plus Slugging) of 1.049 in 2017, which was second in the majors behind Mike Trout. On the other side of the spectrum, he also struck out a major league leading 208 times. But all of these stats fall in line with our theoretical power based leadoff hitter.

This table shows the amount of strikeouts committed by a leadoff hitter for every year since 2000. As it shows, the number has steadily increased. However, on base percentage is not affected as much because the amount of strikeouts are outweighed by the amount of doubles, triples and home runs that are seen in today’s game. Players like George Springer, Kyle Schwarber, Charlie Blackmon and Mookie Betts have really thrived in the leadoff spot by way of maximizing their slugging percentages, rather than attempting to exclusively make contact for a single such as players like Dee Gordon or Trea Turner. The table below shows the amount of home runs that leadoff hitters had for every year since 2000. It falls right in line with the definition of today’s long ball style.

The last three years (2015, 2016 and 2017) are the years to really consider granted that the amount of home runs that leadoff hitters are obtaining is really sky rocketing at a great rate. But the writing on the wall tells us that this new stigma for leadoff hitters has more to do than just pure home run hitting abilities and factors in the ability to obtain doubles and triples as well.

The above graph shows the slugging percentages of leadoff hitters for every year since 2000.

Granted, slugging percentages dipped in the years 2010-2014. However, in the years following, that same metric rose to a pretty high level. This can be attributed to many things, but the belief is that the ideal MLB lineup that is front loaded with power is the next wave of success. Now am I saying that players like Giancarlo Stanton, Nolan Arenado, J.D. Martinez and Nelson Cruz should be leading off from here on out? Absolutely not. But if the lineup deems it appropriate, such as the surplus of power for the Yankees’, then teams can really thrive off the idea and it will become more mainstream with every passing season.

Featured photo credit: Getty images

Find me on Twitter: @ELJGON