SB Nation - Curt Schilling

Four Last (?) Thoughts on the Halladay/Lee Trades

dajafi — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 04:07:27 -0000

1 day ago: New Philadelphia Phillies baseball pitcher Roy Halladay, right, makes remarks during a baseball news conference as Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. looks on in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009. Halladay was traded to the Phillies on Wednesday in part of a four-team trade that sent Cliff Lee to the Seattle Mariners. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Browse more photos »

I’m struggling to put a cap on this week’s stunning turn of events: one Cy Young Award winner out the door, another coming in, a transfusion of high-ceiling young talent, and the avowal of arguably the best pitcher in the game that coming to Philadelphia to play baseball was "a dream come true"—a sentiment he backed up by leaving tens of millions of dollars on the table in return for the privilege of joining the Phillies. Simultaneously I’m exhausted by this story and still finding new aspects of it that are nothing short of staggering.

So I’m going to try to articulate some of these thoughts, and then shut up about it for awhile. Maybe.

The Circle is Now Complete. In the span of two years toward the beginning of this decade, Curt Schilling and Scott Rolen—the Phillies’ two signature players as of 2000—talked their way out of town. Both blasted the organization as insufficiently committed to winning; Schilling thought the Phils were cheap, and Rolen additionally hated the manager, the stadium and the fans, if not the city itself. Much more often than not, players with limited no-trade clauses listed the Phils among the teams to which they would under no circumstances approve a deal. The team began to turn that perception around when they signed Jim Thome as a free agent just months after trading Rolen—but they had to massively overpay the slugging first baseman compared to other offers for him. Now, after seven years of winning records and perennial contender status, three straight division titles, two straight pennants and one world championship, they might be the premier destination in the game: terrific clubhouse, passionate (but supportive!) and loyal fan base, gem of a ballpark, demonstrated commitment to winning. For anyone who’s been a fan since the late ‘90s, it’s almost unfathomable—and pays back with interest all the pain from those days.
Prudent or Insecure?: Like most here, I would have preferred to keep both Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee for 2010. If that meant "gutting the system" for the time being, fine—though I don’t think it necessarily would have. (Remember too that the price tag in prospects for Halladay was steeper since the Blue Jays included that $6 million; dealing away the likes of Joe Blanton and Shane Victorino for whatever return they might yield, and non-tendering useless Chad Durbin, just about would have covered Halladay’s 2010 price tag, and that doesn’t even contemplate the possibility that he would have deferred a million of two of that money to future seasons if asked.) But even if the Toronto deal went through exactly as it did, the team would have retained top prospect Domonic Brown, more than a half-dozen nearly ready pitchers in the upper levels of the minors (Antonio Bastardo, Joe Savery, Yohan Flande, Sergio Escalona, Drew Carpenter, Vance Worley, Scott Mathieson, et al), and high-ceiling younger prospects like Sebastian Valle, Anthony Gose, Trevor May, Jared Cosart and Domingo Santana. Granted, the three former Seattle prospects should be ready to contribute in the majors by 2012 or so, as that younger cohort won’t be (and as Kyle Drabek and Michael Taylor would have). But it wasn’t a stripped system without them. I keep thinking that the Red Sox or Yankees would have kept both aces, taken the short-term developmental hit, and committed either to doubling their draft budget for the next year or allocating new millions for international signings. That the Phils didn’t do this suggests that they still aren’t quite entirely self-identifying as a big-shot franchise that can surmount whatever obstacles emerge. Part of me sees this prudence as a big plus—it suggests they won’t turn into the Mets—while another part is just bummed that we don’t have the two aces (and still wonders if that was really the best possible deal out there for Lee).
There's No Crying in Hot Stove Baseball: Anyone who remembers the early ‘90s Phillies, particularly the 1993 pennant winner, has to be a bit stunned by the team’s decision to cut ties with Cliff Lee. (As Lee was himself, it turns out.) What Lee did in his first post-season run was astounding, every bit the equal and then some of what Cole Hamels accomplished in October a year earlier. He was an instant Phillies legend—and six weeks later, he was a Seattle Mariner. Compare this to the sweetheart contracts the Phils gave Darren Daulton and Lenny Dykstra, both on the wrong side of 30 with extensive injury histories, after 1993; sentiment, specifically that of ownership front man/buffoon Bill Giles, drove those deals. Ruben Amaro Jr., though, evidently has his blood set at a much lower temperature. Again, this is a good thing—and, more than anything else, it should represent the last shovelful of dirt on the notion that these are in any respect the "same old Phillies."
An End, or a Beginning? It’s worth thinking about why Halladay fixated on the Phillies as the team he wanted to join so much that he took millions less than he might have claimed as a free agent. The results, yes: this is the most successful team in baseball over the last three seasons. But it’s the same set of factors that evidently so impressed Lee when he joined the team: "an ‘unbelievable’ lineup and excellence from top to bottom in Philadelphia’s organization." That’s Amaro in his relentless commitment to making the team a champion; that’s Charlie Manuel in his support for the players and his steady hand at the tiller; that’s Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard and the guys brought in around them who take cues from the leaders, ballplayers who match great talent with even greater desire. That’s Citizens Bank Park, which now confers a home-field advantage equal to that enjoyed by any great team in any great ballyard, and the fans who fill it night after night. The distance this franchise has traveled in the years since Schilling and Rolen pulled their parachute cords is just staggering, and Halladay’s arrival is just the latest validation of what the Phillies have accomplished.

11/24 - Opinions Can Be A Pain

bs.uf15bosox9bears23 — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:00:11 -0000

Okay, so I lied about the Filter being daily this week. Yes, I realize this situation's stupid. Let's move on to the links, shall we? As an experiment, I'm not going to say much about most of the links - except these:

This Dirt Is Free - A Red Sox Fan From Pinstripe Territory

Not completely relevant, but I figure that some people are going to want to be on the lookout for this. Doesn't bother me too much, but I don't own a blog and I don't see most advertisements anyways. That's more of an aesthetic choice than a political one though - I don't enjoy explaining the presence of certain ads to anyone that glances over my shoulder. However, there is a political aspect to blogging that I'd love to discuss:

ESPN is a bunch of morons

I don't particularly like Mr. Simmons's work. Most of it isn't entertaining, to me. But that doesn't mean I think that ESPN should be able to control what he can and can't say. (Yeah, I know, the stupid kid is ranting about stuff that he's not old enough to understand, but just bear with me.)

For one, maybe it's the young and naive view that needs to be considered here; I haven't been around long enough to be corrupted into thinking money is the only thing that matters. That'd be why I tend to over-romanticize simple stuff like curfews - but I digress. To me, there isn't a thing in the world more valuable than my voice. Without it, I wouldn't be able to write this post. Without it, I wouldn't be able to further my education through questioning the material. Without it, I wouldn't be able to express my many, hormone-driven emotions, I wouldn't be able to share my faith, and I wouldn't be able to be the die-hard fan I am. In short, I wouldn't be me without my voice.

Unless Mr. Simmons shares my flair for the dramatic and decided to sign an iron-clad contract with Lucifer so that he could have his voice amplified, I don't see how ESPN can justify censoring someone who was simply defending himself. Even though he probably could have found a more intelligent way of doing it than name-calling via Twitter, Mr. Simmons was not in the wrong to speak his mind. It may be part of the conditions that he agreed to when he signed onto ESPN, but I'm sure an insanity plea wouldn't be that hard to make for Mr. Simmons' case.

And now, onto the other links: some interesting, in not confusing, stuff about different parks and their effects upon stats; a couple of takes on recent Sox news; and plans for MLB domination!

HR/FB Park Factors - THT

For those of us that get a kick out of the wind tunnel effect at New Yankee Stadium, here's some interesting data.

Is UZR park adjusted[?] - Inside the Book

Yeah, I got lost a lot during this, but maybe someone can explain some of the more technical stuff?

Type A label hurts free agents such as John Grabow, Juan Cruz - Sky Andrecheck

Terry Francona's Staff One of the Best in Baseball - NESN.com

Even After Rough Season, Jonathan Papelbon Still the Red Sox' Best Choice for Closer - NESN.com

JD Drew Undergoes Shoulder Surgery - Bleacher Report

Good job, sir. Basically what we've been saying around here for a while.

Trade Market: Righty Relievers - MLBTradeRumors.com

We REALLY should have traded MDC for Nick Johnson. And now he REALLY needs to be good.

Red Sox May Take a Step Back in 2010 To Take Two Steps Forward in 2011 - Bleacher Report

As long as we can fail spectacularly so that we can lose some of the bandwagoners.

Red Sox Don’t Need to Break Bank to Win 2010 World Series - NESN.com

Yes, this is a generally accepted and completely obvious fact. And?

David Ortiz Has No Desire to Be General Manager - Heidi Watney

Try to focus on what Papi is saying, gentlemen.

All-Aughts Team of the Decade RP5: Rich Garces - Fire Brand of the American League

All-Aughts Team of the Decade bench IF: Alex Cora - Fire Brand of the American League

I kid you not, Drugs.

All-Aughts Team of the Decade SP2: Curt Schilling - Fire Brand of the American League

Ben Cherington Is Underrated Difference-Maker for Red Sox - NESN.com

The replacement for Jed Hoyer gets a nice little biographical post.

How Sabermetrics saved my dissertation - THT

What does clinical psychology have in common with Sabermetrics? Quite a bit, as it turns out.

Awesome story.

NEW SEGMENT: ~~OMGOMGOMGIWantToCallItTheJedSectionButItWouldBeWeirdYou'llSeeWhatIMeanInASecond~~

Falling to the Bottom of The Filter

New Poll Question: Left Field Left-overs - Fire Brand of the American League

Umm... where's Cameron? Or at least the Ells (with a new CF) option? I guess not every Sox blog has explored these options.

Miguel Cabrera Reminds Us That Character Still Matters - NESN.com

So THAT'S why he got a 1st place vote!

Why The Red Sox Should Get Alfonso Soriano - Bleacher Report

So... the contract... not at all a bad thing?

Links, comments, and angry rants (just warn us if there's any NSFW language) are all appreciated.

The Great General Manager Debate: NL Central Edition

davoag — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:00:27 -0000

The trade that made me lose faith in the Pirates suckitude...

View full size photo »

Part of my reaction to the Aki Iwamura trade was realizing how surprisingly competent the Pirates front office has become. They picked up a cost-controlled player for a replaceable part and improved their infield defense in the process. How is that a bad thing?

The funny thing is, the Pirates have been bad for so long, and it's so easy to dismiss their hires as actually being good baseball people, I had forgotten what Pittsburgh was actually getting in Neil Huntington. Here's another post from FanGraphs about what this trade means for the Pirates executives and here's an interview with Dan Fox, their database guru. Basically, the Pirates have a guy that gets to play with computer simulations all day until he can accurately evaluate and forecast players. I can get that job how?

It also made me start thinking about all the general managers in the National League Central. Which ones was I most afraid of? Which ones were a joke? Were there any teams that were run competently from year to year?

The thing that surprised me when I did my research was not that Ed Wade is probably the weakest GM in the Central, it's that so many of them have changed in the past two seasons. Justice loves to harp on how the organizational chaos Houston has gone through is affecting the club in many ways. Still, to see that so many of Wade's peers have also changed jobs recently is refreshing.

It's also scary, especially when at least four of these guys are competent-to-really good. After the jump is a look at each GM. Feel free to share your thoughts on who worries you the most in the comments...

Chicago Cubs

GM Jim Hendry

Tenure: Since July, 2002 ( 7 1/2 seasons)

Notes: The longest tenured general manager also has the biggest payroll of any team in the division. What does he do with all that money? Waste it. As scary as the Cubs lineup and rotation can be, Hendry alone makes me feel good about the Astros chances against Chicago in the near future.

This was a man who overpaid for guys like LaTroy Hawkins and Ted Lilly (though, to be fair, Lilly was excellent). He also spent a ton of money for Alfonso Soriano to play center field, and then promptly bumped him to left. Then, he spent a ton of money to bring in notorious pot-stirrer Milton Bradley, adding to the dangerous clubhouse dynamic that Lou Piniella always brings.

Funny thing, though, 134 million can buy you a damned good team. Hendry may have made mistakes in the past, but has done a good job of at least correcting them. He admitted failure with Rich Hill, shipping him off to Baltimore. He did turn Ryan Dempster into an effective pitcher in his new role with the Cubs. Hendry also has a productive farm system, with guys like Carlos Marmol and Geovanny Soto picking up the team on the cheap.

Would Hendry be this good without all that money? Probably not. In his market, though, it's tough not to make a big splash each season and have the fans be happy. Of all the GMs, though, I'm least afraid of Hendry.

Cincinnati Reds

GM Walt Jocketty

Tenure: Since 2008 (2 seasons)

Notes: The interesting thing about Jocketty is he went from a winning team to one that is continually frustrated by not being able to get over the hump. He also went to a team that walked away from a more progressive-thinking GM in former Twins assistant Wayne Krivsky for the more traditional Jocketty. Of course, Jocketty also followed Tony LaRussa from Oakland to St. Louis, so it's unclear how much of his philosophy is tied to LaRussa's.

The Reds haven't exactly been dramatic in making over the club, but Jocketty has shown a willingness to be aggressive with the team's prospects and not trade off valuable assets for overhyped players (I'm looking at you, Jim Bowden). Still, Jocketty hasn't shown the same level of success as at his previous two stops. It will take a little more time to see whether his player evaluation method transfers to the Reds scouting department. If Jocketty can hit a few home runs in the draft, the rest of his record in the Queen City will be moot.

Milwaukee Brewers

GM Doug Melvin

Tenure: Since September 2002 (7 seasons)

Notes: One of the two longest tenured GMs in the NL Central, Melvin has had an up-and-down career in Milwaukee. Yes, he did draft Rickie Weeks and Prince Fielder. Yes, he did trade for CC Sabathia. But, what have the Brewers actually won? This team seems to consistenly play for second place, which isn't bad, but until they can get over the hump mentally, Melvin may not be viewed more positively.

All indications are that Melvin is a more traditional GM. The Brewers don't leap out at you as a very sabermetric-friendly team, but they do have a little bit of the Oakland A's philosophy for a small market. The Brewers under Melvin consistently make unpopular decisions with players to avoid locking them up to bad contracts that hurt the team. Instead, they'll buy out arbitration years for a player, insuring cost certainty and rewarding young guys before they may be overpaid. Exhibit one is Ryan Braun.

Certainly, the biggest deficiency with the club is starting pitching. Melvin has shown a knack for making big moves (CC), regardless of his position as a small market team. He's also done a good job of drafting by talent and not positional needs (Matt LaPorta, anyone?). The obvious plus side of this is Melvin can then trade for pitching with his talent surplus. It will be interesting to see if Melvin can keep the pipeline going for the Brewers and tinker around the edges enough to get a winner.

Pittsburgh Pirates

GM Neil Huntington

Tenure: Since September 2007 (2 seasons)

Notes: Here is the crux of my argument. The Pirates are without a doubt the worst-run franchise in the National League. For years, they have been incompetent, both in the draft, in trades and in fielding winning ball clubs. Who can forget Randall Simon viciously attacking that poor Bratwurst in Milwaukee? Just horrible. Still, Huntington has done a great job of reversing this trend. He correctly indentified assets that were expendible, seems to have valued his minor leaguers correctly and his only big misstep so far has been the Bay trade. The big deal with the Yankees netted the Buccos a solid starter in Ross Ohlendorff and a young outfielder in Jose Tabata (who hasn't panned out). The Bay deal saw an iffy Andy LaRoche, a reliever (Craig Hanson) and a fourth or fifth outfielder (Brandon Moss) traded for one of the best left fielders in baseball.

Of course, if the Pirates had let Bay walk after the season like the Red Sox have, they'd be roundly criticized. The organization seems to be headed in the right direction. Count me as still skeptical, though, even with present evidence to the contrary.

St. Louis Cardinals

GM John Mozeliak

Tenure: Since 2008 (2 seasons)

Notes: Mozeliak took over a team that didn't have much to work with outside of a couple big money players (Pujols, Rolen, Carpenter) and a ton of farm talent. He's tinkered around the edges well and leaned heavily on his manager and pitching coach's reputations to slot in marginal guys into productive roles. Mozeliak stuck by Colby Rasmus through early slumps and made a big-ticket acquisition of Matt Holliday.

There are conflicting reports about his style, but it seems like he appreciates what the stats can tell him about the game and uses it to some degree. Yet, his philosophy seems to be grating on the older school ideas of Tony LaRussa. Combine that with his cold-blooded trade of Dave Duncan's son, Chris, and he's done quite a bit to alienate two of the most important cogs to the Cardinals machine for the past decade. Not that I'm complaining.

There are both good and bad qualities here, but I don't think we can judge Mozeliak fairly until he's out from under LaRussa's considerable shadow (the man's a genius, after all).

Houston Astros

GM Ed Wade

Tenure: Since September 2007 (2 seasons)

Notes: So, the thing about Ed Wade is he can't trade. I said some nice things in the past about the job he did leading up to this past season, but after reviewing his track record in Philly, I have a suggestion. Ed Wade needs to hire some smart, baseball-savvy mind to be his trade manager. Like a salary-cap manager in football, this person would handle all the ramifications of trades (scouting players, balance, contracts, etc.) and give his best recommendation to Wade. Only then could the big man sign off.

If you think I exaggerate, look at his transactions. Here's a link to Baseball-Reference's transaction page starting in 1998. Wade took over in January of that year. In his entire Philly tenure, he made two good trades: Billy Wagner and Kenny Lofton. Every other trade he made was a bloodbath. Eric Milton? He gave up Nick Punto and Carlos Silva. Scott Rolen? He got Placido Polanco and that's it. He traded Curt Schilling for nothing. He traded away a young Adam Eaton for a declining Andy Ashby. He traded two young pitchers for two relievers and Ron Gant. Who thought this was a good idea? In fact, Wade's history is chock-full of trades for relievers. It's the position he enjoys tinkering with most on the team. Unfortunately, relievers are fungible, and trading for them wastes cheap assets.

Thus, why I had the idea of a trade manager. I'm sure someone like Paul DiPodesta or Kevin Towers wouldn't mind being the Astros full-time trade scout, right? Either one would be imminently more qualified than Wade to make these kinds of decisions. And yes, I realize that Wade has made some decent trades with the Astros. Sticking to the numbers, though? That streak may not last forever.

Curt Schilling: Be A Man, Pitch On Three Days Rest

Randy Booth — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:38:38 -0000

More photos » by Steven Senne - AP

2 months ago: FILE - In a Feb. 24, 2008, file photo, then-Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schiling poses for a photo in Fort Meyers, Fla. Schilling won't run for Edward M. Kennedy's seat in the U.S. Senate. Schilling made the announcement on "Joe Buck Live" on HBO on Tuesday night, Sept. 22, 2009. Earlier this month, the 42-year-old Schilling expressed interest in running for the seat held by the Massachusetts Democrat for almost 50 years before he died in August. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

Browse more photos »

If Curt Schilling was still playing, he'd be pitching on three days rest tonight. Why? Because that was the man Curt Schilling was:

From a starting pitcher’s standpoint, three days’ rest in October was never an issue, because from the time you’re 5 years old, doing that "World Series" replay in your back yard, it’s the game, the innings, the at-bats you’ve always dreamed about having the ball in your hand for.

I’ve always appreciated the respect pitching on three days’ rest in October got you, but go back to 2001, go to 2004 and beyond, and when you look at anyone pitching on three days’ rest you realize there were far bigger goings-on.

[...]

I always felt the other teams thought that they were going to be getting a "lesser version" of me on three days’ rest. The Yankees said as much after the 2001 World Series. I thought that gave me a huge advantage. Before they could figure out I wasn’t "less," and didn’t have diminished stuff, we’d be in the third or fourth inning.

I guess for me it comes back to the player. I always felt the need to make sure the manager KNEW I wanted to do it, and ya, I’d put up a fight to get the shot to be able to do it. If as a player you don’t assert this, you leave the manager sitting there in a no-win, really. If he does it, and you don’t do well, it’s his fault for pushing you. If he doesn’t do it, and you lose, it’s not your fault because he didn’t ask. That’s the easy way, I think, and I’ve watched guys take it more than once. Being the "quiet type," I never could. You may never be there again, and the belief that in October I could not be outpitched, regardless of whether it was true or not, made me push to get the ball in my hands if at all possible.

Some gems from Mr. Schilling in his post. It's nice to get an inside look at a Hall of Fame pitcher (yes, he is. Should we have that conversation, too?) when it comes to the postseason. I'd like to see Schilling on these damn Fox pregame shows. Now that would be fun to watch.

Here's my favorite part of the story, though, which gave me goosebumps:

Sitting on the bench before heading to the bullpen to start warming up for Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, I was sitting next to Brian Matuzas, our bullpen catcher and a good friend. In my head I’d just had a conversation with my Dad, who passed away suddenly when I was 21. I was nervous, scared as hell, really, and I can remember his voice popping into my head.

"What the hell are you afraid of? You’ve worked your ass off, you’re going to go down, get loose, and then you’re going to take the mound in front of billions of people for Game 7 of the World Series against Clemens and the Yankees. All that fluff aside, after the first pitch you are doing what you’ve loved, what you’ve done your whole life. You’ll bust your ass, give it everything you have, and hopefully you win, but at the end of this night you’ll have nothing left to give."

When I finished the thought I was smiling, sort of laughing at how casual he was about what many consider high-stress situations.

Tooz’ looks at me, he’s literally sweating, "Dude, what the hell! How can you be smiling right now?"

"What? What’s not to smile about, man? I am starting Game 7 of the fricking World Series against Roger Clemens and the New York Yankees? How cool is that?"

He replies, "Schill, I’m the f-ing bullpen catcher and I can’t breathe."

Houston Astros or Baltimore Orioles?

davoag — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:56:11 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

Miguel Tejada: does he still play for Baltimore?

Browse more photos »

It's the offseason, but not quite, since the World Series hasn't finished yet. The hometown nine have hired a manager, meaning the only reshaping they will do between now and the start of spring training is a few free agent additions and possibly a trade.

Basically, we've hit the point in the year when news is going to slow down. But, in the absence of games or transactions or the like, my mind wandered to a pretty interesting comparison. Are the Houston Astros the NL version of the Baltimore Orioles?

Think about it: The Orioles went to two straight American League Championships and followed it up with 12 straight losing seasons. Baltimore columnist Peter Schmuck also doesn't see hope for the team next season. Sound familiar? The Astros followed up an NLCS and World Series appearance with four straight seasons of missing the playoffs. Sure, they finished over .500 in two of them, but if you don't make the dance, does it really count?

Both teams paid 100 million for aging left fielders who had some attitude issues and were more known for their hitting prowess than their actual fielding ability.

Both teams were part of lopsided trades with each other involving borderline Hall of Famers (The Astros sent Mike Cuellar to Baltimore for nothing; the Astros got Curt Schilling for an aging Glenn Davis).

Both teams have had pretty barren farm systems of late; it should be noted, however, that the Orioles are considered to have a pretty decent minor league system now.

Both teams play in divisions with two of the best players in baseball (Pujols and Kate Hudson's boyfriend).

Both teams were once covered by none other than Richard Justice.

Both have had five different managers since 1997. The list could go on and on with these minor similarities, but the major one, the one that got me thinking about this in the first place is the owners.

Peter Angelos is a louder, more boisterous Drayton McLane.

Think about it. Both micromanage their employees. Both have final say over contracts, trades, etc. Both routinely mess up potential deals to keep players they like personally. Each is independantly wealthy and can spend money like the top teams in baseball, but both choose not to do so consistently. Both overvalue "splash" moves, like signing Miguel Tejada or trading for...Miguel Tejada.

Each got nice, new ballparks built that were supposed to dramatically increase their revenue streams, but both have threatened that by alienating fans. Neither enjoy dealing with Scott Boras, though Angelos seems to have learned how to at least tolerate him.

Lest this be considered a flattering comparison, I should note that until Andy McPhail was hired and given a de-facto carte blanche to remake the team, Angelos was considered one of the most meddling owners around. It was hard to do business with them because no one knew whether the big guy would ultimately approve certain moves. Sound familiar?

I hope the Astros aren't headed for another eight years without making the playoffs, but the comparisons with the two owners are hard to miss. The worst part is, you can trade bad players, you can fire bad management, but you can't do a damned thing about the guy who owns your favorite team. You just have to hope a messy divorce forces him to sell.

Chatting with the enemy: A Q&A with 'The Good Phight'

Ed Valentine — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:12:17 -0000

With the clock ticking toward Wednesday night's Game 1 of the World Series between our New York Yankees and the Philadelphia ~~soon to be ex-champs~~, er, Phillies I reached out to the folks over at SB Nation's Phillies blog 'The Good Phight.' Here is the result of our Q&A.

Pinstripe Alley: Not to insult Tampa Bay, but I guess I am insulting Tampa Bay. Does this series, being against the Yankees hold a little more excitement, mystique, aura -- whatever you want to call it -- than facing the Rays in 2008?

The Good Phight: I would say it’s more the idea of going for two in a row than it is playing the Yankees. It’s the difference between being a "nice story" and being elevated to all-time great status. Particularly for a franchise with a pretty moribund history like the Phillies, it’s a pretty big deal. I do think that having more eyeballs on the Series, by virtue of playing the Yankees, changes things a bit. The tree fell in the woods, so to speak, in 2008, but in 2009, it will really make a sound.

Pinstripe Alley: Does being the defending World Champion give the Phillies any sort of advantage heading into the series? Oh, and how do traditionally ornery Philadelphia fans deal with all this prosperity?

The Good Phight: I don’t really believe there’s a palpable advantage outside of perhaps the preparation for the media onslaught, and playing on the big stage. Most of the roster has been there before, so they know what to expect, so they can focus on baseball. Whether that gives them any kind of "advantage" in the Series over the Yankees, who deal with the media microscope year-round, is difficult to determine. As to "success," I could get used to it. It’s different than with Boston, where losing seemed to define the fanbase for so long that finally winning radically altered the tone of the "Nation" (ugh). Most fans can either remember 1980, or were at least aware that it was recent enough that it wasn’t some abstract concept. The 2009 season seems to be the year where the Phillies really started acting like one of the "big boys" in the league, throwing their weight around with player acquisition (getting the best pitcher at the deadline in Cliff Lee, coaxing Pedro Martinez back into the league, etc.). The Phillies had been spending pretty big for awhile, but the legitimacy conferred by a World Championship really changed everything.

Pinstripe Alley: Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson have not exactly been sure things at the end of games. Do you feel confident the Phillies can close out games, or do the Yankees have an advantage in the late innings of tight games?

The Good Phight: Well, the best closer on the planet, ever, lives in the Bronx, so it’d be hard to say the Yankees don’t have an advantage in that regard. Let’s just say that I’m hopeful that Brad Lidge and the bullpen can keep it together for a few more games and not screw anything up too badly. The Yankees certainly have the advantage with Mariano Rivera, but if Lidge has "found it" and can be close to his 2008 self, that advantage will certainly be much smaller.

Pinstripe Alley: How big of an acquisition has Cliff Lee been for the Phillies?

The Good Phight: Simply huge. The anointed ace, Cole Hamels, has had a well-publicized off-year, due in great part to some bad luck, and probably thanks to his huge 2008 workload. Lee has taken the pressure off Hamels to be the stopper and given the Phillies the bonafide ace they haven’t had since Curt Schilling. And, with this World Series, he projects to nearly neutralize the Yankees’ deployment of CC Sabathia, which levels the playing field quite a bit.

Pinstripe Alley: In which area do you think the Yankees are superior to the Phillies? Is there one Yankee weakness you see that you think Philadelphia can exploit?

The Good Phight: As discussed previously, the back of the bullpen is a clear Yankees advantage. The Yankees lineup is better, but not by the huge margin one might expect. And that advantage will be mitigated somewhat in Philadelphia, where the Yankees have to pull one of their hitters and let their pitchers bat. As far as Yankee weaknesses, middle relief has been something of a problem recently, with the struggles of Boy Wonders Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain. Having a closer who can give you two innings on any given night cuts into that problem just a bit, though. The Phillies are a patient hitting ballclub; if they can make the starters throw lots of pitches, and knock them out in the middle innings, the Phillies might be able to exploit the Yankees middle relief problems.

Pinstripe Alley: Which player is the most important Phillie in this series?

The Good Phight: Cliff Lee. There are hints that he might be matching Sabathia in games 1, 4, and 7. If he can neutralize Sabathia in those games, it greatly improves the Phillies’ chances of winning.

Pinstripe Alley: Series prediction? Likely MVP?

The Good Phight: Naturally I’m going with the Phillies, and it’ll be six games. The Phillies’ deeper rotation will afford them the flexibility to make adjustments, including slotting certain starters into the bullpen, and the Phillies’ better overall team defense and baserunning will give them the narrowest edge in a pretty closely matched World Series. Cliff Lee is my Series MVP.

In all seriousness, this shapes up as a fabulous World Series. The defending champs vs. the team considered to be baseball's best throughout the regular season. Plenty of stars on both teams. Plenty of reasons for fans of both teams to think their team will win. Head over to The Good Phight to chat up Phillies fans, and see my answers to their questions. Just remember to do it with some class. Represent PA the right way. Please.

Jed Hoyer can negotiate with dummies

Dex — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:47:14 -0000

I got an email to a Jed Hoyer mailbag from September of last year. I don't know about you, but this guy is a mystery to me. I know that he's young and bright. He's never been a GM before, but he's being given the chance.

I'm reminded a little of Paul DePodesta except that Jed worked for a good GM. Hahahahahaha. That's a Billy Beane joke.

Here's one thing from the mailbag that stands out to me:

Curt [Schilling] took the very unusual step of representing himself. He was well prepared and detail oriented throughout the process. Whenever we would exchange offers, Curt would take it and then disappear to his office for an hour or so before responding. After we were done with the deal, I went into his office to find a quiet place to type up the final terms. On Curt’s desk was ‘Negotiating for Dummies’ or ‘My First Negotiation’ or some such book. Theo and I just cracked up.

On the one hand, it makes me laugh that Curt Schilling figures that he can represent himself because he read about negotiations in a book. On the other hand, I'm a little nervous, because Schilling got himself a pretty good deal. I know that books in the Dummies series are usually well written and Curt Schilling seems reasonably bright (brilliant and witty if you ask some Gaslamp Ballers), but really?

Zack Greinke's 2009 in the Stream of Time: The 11 Greatest Seasons by Starting Pitchers Since Pedro's 1999

devil_fingers — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:40:18 -0000

More photos » by ED ZURGA - AP

Don't worry, Miggy, I use the time waiting for you to retrieve the ball from the backstop (at a baseball game) to recalculate my WAR with respect to Pedro's 1999.

Browse more photos »

Well, it's pretty much over. Pretty much. Unless Justin Verlander throws 18 shutout innings of relief in today's game, Zack Greinke has got the "real" (i.e., "internet") Cy Young locked up (and, as I've been saying for a while, he should probably be the MVP, but I'll get to that later). But that was pretty clear a long time ago to most of us. The real question is "where does Zack' s2009 rank in history?" Earlier this season, I broached the question as to how Zack's incredible 2009 might end up ranking among the great seasons. He's done for the year, and we have the league average pretty much set. Given that I'm apparently the only person who posts here anymore, I didn't want to let another day go by. So it's time to bust out the ol' WAR-o-meter.

Although most people understand (particularly in Greinke's case) that pitcher wins are irrelevant, expressing a pitcher's greatness seems difficult. Do we cite ERA? FIP? Number of innings thrown in games started? WHIP? Number of homers allowed? How do we account for the defense behind the pitcher? And so on. If you haven't been paying much attention to on-line sabermetrics the last few years (or just want a refresher), I recommend taking a look at my earlier column on Pitcher Value (which has lots of informative links, too) and my later thoughts that were implemented in a season preview series. In short, WAR (Wins Above Replacement) gives us the tools to properly weight a pitchers performance not only with respect to his rate of excellent, but the amount of playing time in park, league, and year context.

Here's the brief methodological rundown:

I chose Pedro's 1999 because we all know how great that season is supposed to be. It also gives us a neat "1999-2009 window" in which to look at pitching performances. I used "top 11" because Zack's 2009 made it into the top 10 (but where?), and I wanted to see who he "bumped."
I use Colin Wyer's BaseRuns-FIP (BsR-FIP), which combines the defense-independence of FIP with the dynamism and accuracy of BaseRuns. It is scaled to RA rather than ERA (and thus more accurately reflects pitcher value).
Value is based on a Win% generated using PythagenPat in relation to the league (AL/NL) average RA.
Different replacement levels are used to reflect the difference in league talent: for starting pitchers. I use .390 for the NL and .370 for the AL.
I use terpsfans' five-year, regressed park factors; I don't think KC will have changed that much from 2008 to 2009.
Adjustments are made for each pitcher's influence on his run environment through a dynamic run-to-win conversion for each individual pitcher.
Pre-Greinke raw data is taken from the Baseball Databank and calculations done using MySQL.
Just for the record, I know it is silly to calculate WAR to two decimal places, but it helps with sorting out the rankings here.

The basic idea is just like other versions of WAR, like that at FanGraphs. There are some differences -- I use PythganPat (I don't know if FanGraphs does yet), BsR-FIP rather than FIP, and I separate replacement levels (FanGraphs will probably do that soon), among other things. I also can go as far back in history as I want... but anyway, enough yakkin', yet's start ranking the best 11 seasons by starting pitcher, 1999-!

11. Roy Halladay, 2008. 8.76 WAR, .693 Win %, 3.08 adjusted BsR-FIP, 246 IP, 33 GS. Well, Doc may have gotten the All-Star start over Greinke, but Zack bumped him from this all-important list. This is the most recent season on the list other than Zack's 2009. Ominously for Zack, Halladay was the best pitcher in baseball and didn't win the Cy...

10. Johan Santana, 2004. 8.82 WAR, .734 Win % 2.98 adjusted BsR-FIP, 228 IP, 34 GS. It's sort of surprising that this season didn't rank higher, as it's Johan's best of all time according to my rankings at this point. A great season with the Twins, though, as he rightly won the Cy Young (he went 20-6, so that helped).

9. Roy Halladay, 2003. 8.94 WAR, .685 Win %, 3.28 adjusted BsR-FIP, 266 IP, 36 GS. Doc did win the Cy Young this year, and rightly so. If you buy into WAR, this shows how valuable being a workhorse is; while Sanatana's 2004 was more dominating per inning, Doc gave his team a lot more innings. Doc "won" 22 games for the Blue Jays this season. I saw the last game of the season, and Doc started it. It was a relatively fun season in Toronto overall. Vernon Wells and Carlos Delgado had monster offensive season. Delgado hit four home runs on September 25 against the (then) Devil Rays.

And now there's a (relatively) big jump in WAR amounts...

8. Zack Greinke, 2009. 9.52 WAR, .742 Win %, 2.73 adjusted BsR-FIP, 229.3 IP, 33 GS. There it is. I imagine some fans will be disappointed that Zack's 2009 doesn't rank higher, but it really shouldn't take anything away from how dominant he's been this season. I think if you look at the seasons below him (two clear Cy Young winners and another that should have won) and realize that he's clearly been more dominant this season, then it helps put things in perspective. And once you see the seasons ahead of him... A great year all around.

7. Randy Johnson, 2000. 9.66 WAR, .751 Win %, 2.87 adjusted BsR-FIP, 248.7 IP, 35 GS. Barely better than Greinke's 2009, to the point where you can say they are about equivalent. I have to admit I simply have never liked "The Big Unit" all that much, but there's no denying his greatness. Hopefully, this is the last time I'll have to write about him in this post...

6. Curt Schilling, 2002. 9.75 WAR, .716 Win %, 2.75 adjusted BsR-FIP, 259.3 IP, 35 GS. Hey, it's a guy I like even less than Johnson! Great pitcher, though. I wish he'd run for Senate so we could all pile on him. He actually got screwed out of the Cy Young this season, by

5. Randy Johnson, 2004. 10.11 WAR, .753 Win %, 2.61 adjusted BsR-FIP, 245.7 IP, 35 GS. Well, at least we're done with him n--

4. Randy Johnson, 1999. 10.18 WAR, .734 Win %, 2.96 adjusted BsR-FIP, 271.7 IP, 35 GS. Yikes, okay I --

3. Randy Johnson, 2001. 10.39 WAR, .757 Win %, 2.62 adjusted BsR-FIP, 249.7 IP, 34 GS. What is there to say? Like him or not, Johnson has been of of the best pitchers many of us have seen. His (first) run in Arizona was utterly frightening. It's one thing to win four Cy Young in a row -- it's even more impressive that he deserved three of them (and the one he didn't should have gone to a teammate!).

2. Pedro Martinez, 2000. 10.80 WAR, .837 Win %, 2.41 adjusted BsR-FIP, 217 IP, 29 GS. Can you believe this isn't his best season?

1. Pedro Martinez, 1999. 11.78 WAR, .866 Win %, 2.06 adjusted BsR-FIP, 213.3 IP, 29 GS. There it is. It's really hard to put this in perspective. I "believe in" WAR -- playing time matters. But that only points up just how dominant Pedro was in 1999 and 2000. These are the two seasons with both the least innings pitched, and the least games started (the only two seasons on the list with less than 30 starts). And they were still the most valuable. Terrifying and awe-inspiring.

Something that surprised me: all of these guys but Schilling played in 2009.

There you have it. Greinke fans might be disappointed after he started out the season looking like he might end up with more than 10 WAR. But when you see the company he's in, it's difficult to complain. Now, if he doesn't win the Cy Young... then we'll get the torches and pitchforks ready.

Here is a table with the rankings for easy reference:

	Name	Lg	Team	GS	Year	IP	AdjBsRA	Win%	RAR	WAR
1	Pedro Martinez	AL	BOS	29	1999	213.3	2.06	0.866	105.8	11.78
2	Pedro Martinez	AL	BOS	29	2000	217	2.41	0.827	99.2	10.8
3	Randy Johnson	NL	ARI	34	2001	249.7	2.62	0.757	91.6	10.39
4	Randy Johnson	NL	ARI	35	1999	271.7	2.96	0.734	93.4	10.18
5	Randy Johnson	NL	ARI	35	2004	245.7	2.61	0.753	89.2	10.11
6	Curt Schilling	NL	ARI	35	2002	259.3	2.75	0.716	84.5	9.75
7	Randy Johnson	NL	ARI	35	2000	248.7	2.87	0.751	89.9	9.66
8	Zack Greinke	AL	KCA	33	2009	229.3	2.73	0.742	85.7	9.52
9	Roy Halladay	AL	TOR	36	2003	266	3.29	0.685	83.8	8.94
10	Johan Santana	AL	MIN	34	2004	228	2.98	0.734	82.9	8.82
11	Roy Halladay	AL	TOR	33	2008	246	3.08	0.693	79.4	8.76

Make Your Pitch: The NL playoff teams want YOU...

Jim McLennan — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 05:56:50 -0000

The regular season is over, and we now move on to the playoffs. Well, the Diamondbacks don't, but most fans will still be watching with interest as things progress in the post-season. We all have our own loyalties, but in order to decide who gets the Official AZ SnakePit Playoff Endorsements, I reached out to all the SB Nation blogs that are taking part, and asked them to make a pitch for the support of the post-season neutrals here in Arizona. The AL version will follow, just as soon as the league gets their act together and decides who'll be taking part out of the Central division. But after the jump, you'll find what the National League contenders had to say for themselves.

[Update] I have now added a sixth option to the poll, since I suspect a significant number of those voting may not actually be Diamondbacks fans at all...

First up, Dan Moore, from Viva El Birdos, through his hat into the ring with a pitch for the Cardinals.

Thanks for the opportunity to win your fanbase. I thought I'd express my love for the Cardinals in the same way Shakespeare would have, if he were still alive to tell us how much he loved the Cardinals.

THE CARDINALS

A SONNET

by Dan Moore (feat. Albert Pujols)

There on the edge of plausibility,

a figure stalks across beisbol fields—

his swing a picture of agility;

against his accent "G" and "T" yield.

Behind him saunters a standing army,

players we guessed would be lying in traction.

Carpenter's shoulder—lost years, it harmed me—

somehow surviving two seasons' inaction.

A team of destiny and Mozeliak:

Injuries conquered and outfield acquired,

Shortstop still saved with Khalil out of whack,

Unlikely heroes and guns that are hired.

If after all that I still don't have you caring,

"It's our faulg your teang has gongtrol of Dag Hareng."

Eric Stephen, of True Blue LA, bravely takes up the tough job of canvassing on behalf of the Dodgers:

Here's why the AZ Snake Pit members should throw their support to the Dodgers:

Phoenix for years was Dodger territory, with broadcast affiliates in Arizona dating back for God knows how long. Now that you have your own team, obviously it's different, but ask your parents. I bet a lot of them were Dodger fans. You don't want to disappoint your parents, do you?

Speaking of broadcasting, the Dodgers have Vin Scully, in his 60th season behind the microphone. He will be broadcasting the games on radio during the postseason. Who better to be associated with the World Series than Mr. Scully?

Stay within the NL West! A victory for the Dodgers is a win for the division, in the never ending struggle for national respect. I realize the Rockies are also in the NL West, but George Frazier is one of their broadcasters. Why reward Frazier, on of the worst announcers in baseball, over Scully?

The longer the Dodgers last in the postseason, the more highlights we will see of Kirk Gibson's home run in Game One of the 1988 World Series. With each viewing, the announcers might mention Gibson is currently a coach with Arizona. Getting the name "Diamondbacks" into a postseason broadcast is a good thing.

Rooting for the Dodgers can only bring good karma, and you owe us for Rusty Ryal's line drive that nearly ended Hiroki Kuroda.

If the Dodgers win the World Series, it is a lock that Ned Colletti will be given a long-term extension as general manager. He has given a combined $127.2 million to Andruw Jones, Jason Schmidt, and Juan Pierre during his Dodger tenure. This is a good thing for D-Backs fans.

WholeCamels out of The Good Phight, opted to get his pitch in early, creating a Fanpost for the Phillies. But in the interests of completeness, here's what he had to say:

As your Philadelphia Phillies blogger, here's my pitch:

Because red is good (different hues, but so what?).

Because you're as sick of hearing about the National League's inferiority as I am. A repeat World Series Championship for a National League team would benefit the league. "A rising tide raises all ships."

Because we're not the Dodgers or the Rockies, those guys can eat it hard.

Because we sent you Curt Schilling, in exchange for some crap and that sociopath Vicente Padilla. And Schilling begat a World Championship. Show some gratitude.

And lastly, because I am a former short-time Arizonan. I lived in Tucson for a year, and that year happened to be 2001. I went to Game One of the NLDS -- the Curt Schilling/Matt Morris pitchers' duel. I cheered like a crazy person after that Luis Gonzalez blooper in Game Seven, and jumped in the pool at my apartment to celebrate. I'll admit that it helped that there were about a dozen lightly-clothed UofA coeds in there too, but it was still a beautiful, pure moment. I have a Tucson Sidewinders t-shirt that I still wear to this day. I spent a couple nights in Summerhaven just a year or so before the big fire. I miss Eegee's, I used to work at the Speedway Bookman's and acquired about half of my record collection there, saw a bunch of shows at the Rialto and Club Congress, and I got my dog there! He just turned eight years old.

Okay, I realize that most of you are probably Maricopa County folks, but c'mon. Was that a shameless pitch or what?

Go Phillies!

Finally, Russ from Purple Row, adopted the straightforward and to the point approach in support of the Rockies: "We welcome you with open arms over at Purple Row. We had such great fun with those of you who came over during the 2007 postseason, we'd love you to come over again." [Update: RockiesMagicNumber has now provided something a little more detailed]

Here’s why the AZ Snake Pit members should support the Colorado Rockies:

    * Rivalry. It sounds absurd, but after 2007, both teams looked to have a strong presence within the division and the two of us would be beating up on each other with our homegrown rosters for years. As it stands, the gods of regression hit you guys in a disproportionate manner as compared to us, which terrifies me for next season. I hate seeing teams hit by injury and regression, because I know that if we beat them, we’re not saying we bested Brandon Webb and Conor Jackson, we’re beating up on a massively regressed Chris Young and AAA players. It sounds arrogant, but I want to see these two teams embody excellence in building a homegrown team and fight each other to the top of the NL West for years to come. Respect your opponent.
    * Speaking of broadcasting, the Dodgers may have Vin Scully, but since his talents have been wasted on television, Jeff Kingery and Jack Corrigan have been painting the picture of the games over the airwaves for Colorado better than nearly anyone in baseball for the past forever, especially Kingery, who is in his final season. He’s been there since the inception.
    * Stay within the NL West! I agree with Eric, but why reward the Yankees West? I sure wish I could throw an entire payroll at 2 players who aren’t even playing for the team (Schmidt and Jones), don’t you? Then account for Manny and Pierre, and that is just a pile of misappropriated funds. Reward the wise fiscal organization.
    * You don’t want to root for Joe Torre. Or Manny.
    * The Cardinals wouldn’t even be where they were they not able to trade for Holliday at the deadline. The Rockies have been essentially the same club since day 1, adding only a few supplementary pieces here and there.
    * The American League is made of evil and gimmicky rules. "I believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter."
    * Much as we “eat it hard” do you really want the entire NL to be centered around Philadelphia even more than it already is? PHILLIES PHILLIES PHILLIES OMG OMG OMG!!! Give me a break. More power to the unappreciated teams in terms of media markets.

Poll

Which NL team will you be rooting for the in the playoffs?

Cardinals

387 votes

Dodgers

80 votes

Phillies

56 votes

Rockies

118 votes

Who cares?

25 votes

I'm not actually an AZ fan, but am here to stuff the ballot-box for my real team.

116 votes

782 votes | Poll has closed

Dodgers Cash In Against Penny

Eric Stephen — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 23:26:17 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

Ronnie Belliard's grand slam in the bottom of the first inning removed all doubt as to the winner of today's game.

Browse more photos »

The Dodgers got one of their most satisfying wins of the season, bombing Brad Penny and the Giants 12-1 at Dodger Stadium on national television. Penny, who didn't make any friends during his final days in Los Angeles last season, had his first bad game since returning to the National League, giving up seven runs in just 2.2 innings of work.

The game started off on a bad note for the Dodgers, as Manny Ramirez misplayed an easy flyball by Eugenio Velez in the first inning for a two-base error. Velez later scored on a sacrifice fly by Randy Winn. Little did we know that would be the only damage allowed by Jon Garland today. Garland allowed only seven hits in his eight innings, lowering his Dodger ERA to 2.33 and his Dodger FIP to 3.96.

The Dodgers immediately responded against Penny, using two singles and two walks to tie the game when Ronnie Belliard came to the plate. Belliard launched a pitch well into the Dodger bullpen to break the game open, giving the Dodgers a 5-1 lead. Belliard also stole second base in the third inning, his first stolen base as a Dodger. That was the fifth time a Dodger has had a home run and a steal in the same game this season, joining Matt Kemp (three times) and James Loney.

When Belliard was acquired last month, I jokingly invoked the name of Magic Marlon Anderson, another reserve infielder acquired at the end of August from the Nationals, this time in 2006. So far, the comparison isn't that far off:

Player	PA	R	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS
Anderson, 2006	73	12	3	2	7	15	.375/.431/.813	1.243
Belliard, 2009	55	6	4	0	4	12	.308/.345/.615	.961

James Loney last homered at Dodger Stadium on August 21, 2008 against the Rockies. He has played 86 games at home since then, and hit no home runs. Until today, that is. Loney followed Matt Kemp's home run in the third inning with one of his own, a shot to right field. Before today, Loney had 12 home runs this season, all on the road, but now Willie Davis stands alone, again, as the Dodger record holder for most home runs in a season with none at home, with 11 in 1969.

Randy Johnson, activated from the 60-day disabled list Wednesday, pitched in relief in the sixth inning, giving up doubles to two of the three batters he faced. I was at The Unit's last regular season relief appearance, in San Diego on July 18, 2001. Johnson came in for an injured Curt Schilling to start the third inning, then proceeded to set an MLB record for strikeouts in relief, with 16 during his seven scoreless innings.

Every Dodger starter reached base at least once, and even some of the reserves got in on the fun as well. Blake DeWitt joined the power parade with a home run off Joe Martinez in the seventh inning. Jason Repko even got a plate appearance, grounding out to end the seventh inning.

Jeff Weaver pitched in mop-up duty in the ninth inning, closing out the win but not before allowing some baserunners. The Giants loaded the bases with one out, but Weaver again got out of the jam with minimal damage. This season with the bases loaded, opposing batters are hitting just .050/.167/.050, with just one single and three walks in 24 plate appearances.

22-year old catcher Buster Posey delivered a single in the ninth inning for his first big league hit. I have a feeling that he'll have many, many more of those in his career.

Rafael Furcal started the game with a single, the 34th time this season he has started a game by reaching base. The Dodgers are 26-8 in those games.

The Dodgers' win today clinched the season series with the Giants, as they have beaten San Francisco 10 of the 17 times they have played. The Dodgers have won the season series against every team in the NL West, winning 43 of 66 intra-divisional games this season.

The series finale is tomorrow afternoon, with Randy Wolf facing off against Tim Lincecum.

Magic Numbers
To win NL West: 8 (pending the Rockies' game in Arizona at 5pm tonight)
To clinch a playoff spot: 6

WP - Jon Garland (11-11): 8 IP, 7 hits, 1 unearned run, 3 strikeouts

LP - Brad Penny (10-9): 2.2 IP, 5 hits, 7 runs, 3 walks, 1 strikeout

Box Score