SB Nation User Blog: TomDC

Dancing Bug Disses D-dub

TomDC — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:32:27 -0000

Dancing Bug Disses D-dub

As if Satan's choice of #27 or Repeat wasn't painful enough . . .
If I recall correctly, this wasn't the first appearance of Wright in one of Bolling's strips.

27 unassisted outs

TomDC — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:53:00 -0000

My Kansas-native buddy and I drove up to Baltimore last night to see Greinke and the Royals. Not a bad game for two basement dwellers, even with the rain delay and Greinke not having his sublime stuff. What I didn't realize until reading about it in a Baltimore sun recap this morning was that we saw (without recognizing what we were witnessing) something even more rare than a perfect game or a player hitting two grand slams in one game -- one team, the Royals, didn't collect a single assist! I had no idea about the 27 unassisted outs until reading about it in a Baltimore Sun recap. In hindsight it seems correct, as the only infiled grounder I can recall off an Oriole bat Butler took himself rather than tossing to Greinke. Strange this has only happened 6 times in 100+ years of baseball.

Historic, if not glamorous

Snark bait

TomDC — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:26:57 -0000

I had two thoughts while reading Jack Curry's piece this morning -- 1) he's right about the Phils and the Mets, and 2) Curry almost seemed to be inviting attack by sabermetricians. From the get-go, Curry serves of heaping spoonfuls of non-quantifiable touchy-feeliness:

Shane Victorino described the optimistic feeling in the Phillies’ dugout as “a sense.” The players do not share any specific words or special handshakes if the Phillies are trailing. But Victorino said they do share the belief that the beginning of a comeback is one pitch away.

In his observations of how differently the Mets and Phillies have fared in late innings, in my opinion Curry overemphasizes hitting performance vs. pitching performance, only alluding indirectly to the Mets bullpen failures of recent seasons (as well as this season) by noting the importance of the the Phillies "stellar bullpen." But that's really my only complaint with the piece.

While he didn't make any reference to the Phillies "grit," I could practically hear a collective groan about sentences like:

The Mets and the Phillies each scored 799 runs last season, and had comparable lineups, but the Mets do not have the same instincts to fight back.

Did he really say "Instincts to fight back?!" What an old fart, eh? Yuk, yuk.

And then there's Curry's brief dip into statistics:

One statistical measure of clutch hitting is how players do in close and late situations, which is defined as at-bats in the seventh inning or later when the score is tied, one team is ahead by a run or the tying run is on base, at the plate or on deck. Utley (.714, 2 homers), Ibanez (.583, 3 homers) and Matt Stairs (.500, 1 homer) currently have three of the top six averages in the N.L. in those situations. The Mets do not have anyone in the top 25.

First a derisive guffaw over "clutch hitting" and then a contemptuous eye-roll accompanying the objection that this is a small sample size.

And yet . . . having watched the Mets over the last 2+ seasons, I do "feel" within my "heart" that there is "something" lacking in the Mets "chemistry." Repeated late game and late season failures aren't entirely attributable to a lousy bullpen and boneheaded, old school managerial decisions.

Yes, one month does not a season make, but I've largely lost the optimism I had gained in the off season from the Mets bringing in Putz and K-Rod. I'm not sure how I would "fix" the team were I suddenly to assume Jerry's or Omar's job. I know I wouldn't have added Sheffield. I want to believe that Murphy will get demonstrably better in the outfield as the season progresses as long as he gets the opportunity. What's up with Wright? He does seem to be pressing, as if the pressure of the last two season implosions stil weigh on him. Are the 27 KOs a symptom of him trying too hard to banish the past with home runs? The rest? Mostly intangible, to me.

Mets batting stances

TomDC — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:07:46 -0000

Mets batting stances

BattingStanceGuy also does some decent immitations of some other teams -- Red Sox, Braves and end of Orioles were among my faves.
BSG

Slip sliding away

TomDC — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:56:48 -0000

Slip sliding away

During Randolph's last home series -- at least one team was having fun.

Randolph's days are numbered

TomDC — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:48:29 -0000

Aside from maybe Bobbie Cox and Tony LaRussa, no baseball manager is safe when their team performs below expectations for a prolonged period. The Mets have been underperforming for roughly 3 months now spanning back to last season.

The blame for the Mets poor performance is of course mostly attributable to the players -- Delgado's rapid descent, persistent mediocrity at 2B, the usually awful middle relief, the unreliability of the Mets 3-5 starters, two and a half outfielders the norm, Beltran's continued vulnerability to NY pressure, Wright and Reyes pressing when the rest of the team falters, etc. Nonetheless, I do believe that Randolph has done a poor job of bullpen management as well as putting together the best possible lineup each game. Another failing of Randolph in my opinion is that he's not adept at postively influencing team morale and individual attitudes.

Unless Pedro miracuously comes back and gives the Mets a solid half-season or so, I don't see the Mets making the playoffs without the attitude and positional adjustments from a new and more competent manager. Even with a healthy Pedro and a new manager, the Mets may not make the playoffs. Who on this team is likely to play better for the rest of the season? Maybe Wright and Reyes. The right side of infield looks hopeless. Sadly, I increasingly believe that Beltran will usually underachieve as long as he remains in NY. Heilman is another big disappointment to me. I was of the opinion that he should have been given more of an opportunity to prove himself as a starter, but now I have my doubts about whether he will ever resume being just a relibable middle reliever. I've had enough of Perez. Pelfrey? I dunno. Santana and Maine and then pray for rain?

With Rollins back I think the Phils will overtake the Marlins shortly. Unlike Delgado, you know Howard is not going to continue struggling for long. Without a new and improved manager and a relatively strong Pedro, I think the Mets will finish third, ten or more games behind the division winning Phils.

Poll

When will Randoph be canned?

Before May ends

5 votes

Before the All-star break

12 votes

In August, when it's too late

12 votes

End of the season along with Minaya

5 votes

Randolp and Minaya will still be around in April 2009

9 votes

43 votes | Poll has closed

Buckner's return to Fenway

TomDC — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:16:34 -0000

Kudos to Boston, the managment and the fans:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJeD62glbyM

That long, warm ovation and the sight of so many players (to include former Bruins) sincerely cheering Buckner and the obvious affect it had on him brought tears to my eyes.

Like any Mets fan old enough to have witnessed that fatefull ground ball to first off Mookie's bat, that play and the exultation that followed is a distinct part of what keeps me coming back for more even during the bad times (such as now, or during and after the Collapse).

Nevertheless, Buckner was too good a player to deserve being branded forever with E3.