- Picked in the preseason to be, at a minimum, a Series contender, ATL has given GM Jim Masters fits this spring. The Flyers sit at 8-18 and in the South cellar. The team is 100% healthy and with excuses being offered up by players, management and media alike, rumors of fingerpointing and clubhouse dissension abound. Has Manager Tony LaRussa lost his players? Who's responsible for 1B John Twain's inability to recognize a pitch at the plate? Twain is hitting .161 with 1 HR after hitting.294 with 25 bombs last year. Is SP Carlos Zambrano being shopped around? The 13M he's making doesn't match up too well with his 1-4, 5.19 line so far. A division rival scout, wishing to remain anonymous says, "His fastball has really straightened out the past couple of seasons. And I'd want to check his birth certificate. There's no way he's only 34."
- Taking the high road since being ripped in the papers by ATL GM Jim Masters, BAL GM Jose Gutierrez sees his team on top of the South. Since busting out of the gate, the Panthers are 5-5 in their last 10 and have pitching coach Joe Nathan giving extra time to RP Erasmo Ramirez (8.58 ERA), SP Oliver Perez (5.72) and SP El Ron Ubardo (4.89). "We need all of those guys to turn it around or pick it up a notch", said Nathan. "We've got a shot at this thing if they perform."
- CHNG SP Mark Prior is just 2-2 this season but those wins have him 1st among active and retired pitchers. Prior's record is 201-96, IRE's CC Sabathia is second at 183 wins.
- SAV 1B Hee Seop Choi is on pace for just 19 HR this season but his 3 HR have put him over the 400 career HR mark.
- More distressing to GM Rich Vohs (Choi is hitting .355) is the performance of ace RH Phillip Humber. Humber is just 2-2, 4.50 and also in the last year of his contract. Humber currently makes 10.25M per season.
- Nine active players currently have over 1000 RBI's (PAR's LF A Dunn just joining the club). Four of them have reached 1000 RBI's with under 400 HR - BAL's D McPherson and V Guerrero, KYO's J Hamilton and BED's J Barfield.
- Did anyone pick BED's Doug Waechter for this seasons Cy Young award? No? The 35 year-old RH picked up his 4th win of the season, going 7.1 IP with 1 hit and 7 K v KYO and is now 4-0, 2.34.
1 comment:
Nice job with the notes. Very comprehensive.
One additional note - SJ OF Buzz Bliss has recorded 30 hits, including 12 extra-base hits, but has yet to record a single RBI thus far.
Post a Comment