SB Nation User Blog: U-God

Mother Nature, White Sox 11; Indians 4

U-God — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:03:58 -0000

Cleveland Indians left fielder Ben Francisco considers allowing the tarp to end his misery as the baseball game against the Chicago White Sox is delayed by rain in the top of the seventh inning Tuesday, June 30, 2009, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

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Paul Konerko, Gordon Beckham, and Josh Fields all went yard
We are above .500 for the first time since May 2

And Los Angeles is Burning: A Los Angeles Dodgers Preview

U-God — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:34:41 -0000

More photos » by Chris Pizzello - AP

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre doesn't trust those damn kids in his yard. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

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A brief look at an opponent we play this week.

Dates we play them: 6/23-6/25 at home

Offense: A potential lineup: Juan Pierre-LF, Rafael Furcal-SS, Orlando Hudson-2B, Casey Blake-3B, Andre Ethier-RF, Matt Kemp-CF, James Loney-1B, Russell Martin-C, Mark Loretta-DH

Did anyone actually think the Dodgers would have the best record in baseball with one week left in June? And that they would be able to do it without the Herculean man-child named Manny Ramirez? If you're raising your hand, you are full of it. Not even WTGTD could have predicted this with is magical powers. No single player on the Dodgers benefited more from Manny's suspension than Juan Pierre. The 31 year old speedster hit the gate running and has not looked back. He has 17 steals and if the season ended today would have set career highs in AVG, OBP, SLG, OPS, and OPS+. And that makes me happy. I felt bad for the guy this off-season, but it looked like everything worked out for him. Plus he even gets his name dropped by Jay-Z. Rafael Furcal has kind of done the opposite. His defense has been great, but his speed is down and so are his batting stats. It could be a result of the back injury he sustained last season, or the result of John Schuerholz taking up voodoo. Whatever it is, you can bet the Dodgers are praying it'll get fixed as they owe him $20.5 million over the next two seasons. For some reason, perenial White Sox All-Star Orlando Hudson is batting third for LA. I don't really understand it either, but it's not like he isn't hitting. He hit for the cycle this year and has seemingly made the impossible possible. Casey Blake is hitting better than he has any right to. This is due to his .352 BABIP, which is .044 points higher than normal. Hopefully regressions strikes this week. He's yet another over-30 veteren Ned Colletti decided to give a three-year deal to.

The next four hitters are the most interesting of the lineup, as they make up the young core. Andre Ethier, he of FJM fame (I miss them so), is on pace to set new career highs in homers, doubles, and steals. His slash-line stats are a little on the low-side for him, but his BABIP is down so that should fix itself over the season. And he's a blogger. The Bison on the other hand is a BABIP machine (career .379!). Kemp is my favorite of the young Dodgers. He's 24, fast, strong, and a good fielder. His best years lie ahead of him, as long as he stays away from Dodger's outfielder hater Mike Winters. James Loney is still young, but doesn't have the power you expect out of a corner infielder. He isn't a bad option, but unless he starts to develop some pop he might not be manning first at Chavez Ravine for too long, no matter how much he promotes our constitutional rights. Russell Martin, or Turtle as I like to call him, has something wrong with him. He's still drawing his walks and his BABIP and LD% are almost right in line with his career numbers, but for some reason he just isn't getting his hits and power is all but gone. Here's hoping he figures out what is wrong, but not until Friday at the soonest. Mark Loretta is still playing baseball? Seriously? Not that he was ever anything terrifying before, but old age has robbed him of almost all of his worth with a bat.

Pitching: A potential rotation and closer: Chad Billingsley-RHP, Randy Wolf-LHP, Hiroki Kuroda-RHP, Clayton Kershaw-LHP and Jonathan Broxton-RHP.

That's right, according to their depth chart the Dodgers are using a four-man rotation. There is no doubt Chad Billinsgley is having a great season (ERA+ of 150). The only thing that seems unsustainable is his HR/9 of .27 considering his FB% is still the same. When regression hits in that regard, he'll still be an above-average starter who is only 24. One of the men who almost got the Astros to the playoffs (if not for our wonderful commisioner), Randy Wolf seems to have found the second-wind of his career. He's a lefty who throws in the high-80s, with a curve, change, and slider. Hiroki is basically having the same solidly above-average season that he had last year. He lives off of his fastball and slider. Clayton Kershaw is the future ace of LA's rotation. He throws a mid-90s fastball and a solid curve from the left-side. Thankfully, he doesn't get a pass as a pitcher we haven't seen before. Jonathan Broxton is on his way to becoming the Senior Circuit's premier closer. He has a steller K/BB ratio to go along with his over-powering fastball (97.4 mph this season) and devestating slider.

Outlook: Bad. The Dodger's are a very good team and quite possibly the best one we've played this year. Prediction: 1-2.

Happy Days?

U-God — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:22:23 -0000

More photos » by David Kohl - AP

Gordon Beckham, faster than a speeding relay-throw to home.

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Notes from this weekend's set in Cincy:

Gordon Beckham hit his first career homerun and had his second multi-hit game.
Chris Getz also hit his first big fly.
Mark Buehrle won his first game since May 19th.
Paul Konerko drove in his 1,000 career run and hit his 300th homer as a Sox player.
Scott Podsednik went 6-12, including a homerun.
We're only three games under .500.

I've Had the Reds, the Blues, and the Pinks: A Cincinnati Reds Preview

U-God — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:14:59 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

Cincinnati Reds starter Bronson Arroyo practices for his off-season career as a Rockette during the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, April 14, 2009, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

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A brief look at an opponent we play this weekend.

Dates we play them: 6/19-6/21 @ CIN

Offense: A potential lineup: Willy Taveras-CF, Alex Gonzalez-SS, Brandon Phillips-2B, Laynce Nix-LF, Ramon Hernandez-1B, Jay Bruce-RF, Jerry Hairston-3B, Ryan Hanigan-C

Willy Taveras is the Reds' leadoff hitter, despite the fact that he is currently rocking a .270 OBP. I enjoy having constants like this in the real world. I know Dusty Baker will always make decisions I will question to no end and that Willy Taveras will leadoff even though he has never drawn more than 34 walks in a season due solely to his blazing speed. It's like knowing the sun is going to rise in the morning. Alex Gonazalez is another hitter who has no place near the top of a batting order (think Juan Uribe with less pop). It seems like this is the year he finally falls off the cliff. The 32 year old is hitting .214/.256/.302. I don't care how good your glove is, you would have to be immaculate to make up for that slash-line (Alex Gonzalez is not holy). Brandon Phillips is one of the best second-tier second basemen in baseball. The former failed-Indians' prospect (thankfully they gave up on him) turned the corner when he moved to southern-Ohio. He brings speed and power to the table along with plus defense. He should be a key player for the Reds for the next few seasons. Jayson Nix's older brother Laynce is enjoying a brief career resurgence in the Great American Ballpark this season. His .310 OBP is a new career high, but it's his .514 SLG and .257 ISO that have turned him into a regular for only the second time in his career. He's probably going to cool-off quite a bit, but I kind of hope he doesn't.

The Reds are experimenting a little bit by putting Ramon Hernandez out at first since Joey Votto went on the DL. In the incredibly small sample-size of 26 games, he has been awful out there. His weakening bat was acceptable when he was a catcher, but he can't hit well enough to be a bonafide corner infielder. Jay Bruce needs to learn how to walk. He has great power (.249 ISO), but until he starts showing some more improved plate discipline he won't reach his full potential. Jerry Hairston continues to exist in the baseball world. Somehow, in 52 games he is one homerun away from tying his career high of 8. He'll be out of the lineup once Edwin Encarnacion comes of the DL. No one has benefitted from all of these injuries more than Ryan Hanigan. He currently has an OPS+ of 107 and in my opinion might be the better option to go with at catcher once Votto returns and bumps Hernandez off of first base.

Pitching: A potential rotation plus closer: Aaron Harang-RHP, Bronson Arroyo-RHP, Johnny Cueto-RHP, Micah Owings-RHP, Matt Maloney-LHP and Francisco Cordero-RHP

Aaron Harang has had the bad fortune of pitching in Cincinnati almost his entire career. This has resulted in his relative obscurity outside of the Queen City and the fantasy baseball world. In 2006 he lead the NL in wins and strikeouts and recieved no votes for the Cy Young Award. Bronson Arroyo is better known for being with Boston in 2004 and playing terrible music. His stuff is fairly unimpressive and he appears to be on the downward spiral part of his career. Cueto is somehow leading the NL in ERA+ (206!) and I can't figure out how. His numbers aren't that impressive, but seeing as we've never seen him before we will lose. He is a fastball and slider guy to the extreme. Micah Owings is a mediocre pitcher and an above average hitter. A few seasons ago there were rumors the the D-Back's were thinking of trotting him out to play first on days he wasn't pitching. He was the PTBNL in the Adam Dunn trade last season. Matt Maloney is the only lefty in the rotation. He throws a high-80s fastball and a change-up and appears to be nothing impressive. Francisco Cordero is the kind of luxury a team like Cincy shouldn't have splurged on. He's a good but not great closer and cost them way too much money.

Outlook: Bad. We've never seen Cueto or Owings, so that's probably two losses right there. Bold prediction? We lose the series 1-2.

Just Slippin on by on L.S.D.: A Chicago Cubs Preview

U-God — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:49:18 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y Huh - AP

A Chicago Cubs fan warns others in her area of her chronic illness during the second inning of a baseball game between the Florida Marlins and the Cubs, Sunday, May 3, 2009, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

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A brief look at an opponent we play over the next two weeks.

Dates we play them: 6/16-6/18 @ Wrigley, 6/26-6/28 at home

Offense: A potential batting order and lineup: Alfonso Soriano-LF, Mike Fontenot-3B, Milton Bradley-RF, Derrek Lee-1B, Geovany Soto-C, Kosuke Fukudome-CF, Ryan Theriot-SS, Aaron Miles-2B Bench: Reed Johnson-CF, Bobby Scales-IF

Alfonso Soriano, he of the .327 career OBP and .515 career SLG is still leading off. This has always baffled me. I know he is more comfortable batting lead-off (or something), but those numbers scream that he should be further down in the lineup. AlSo has been in a bit of a slump this month (and season). While the potentially 33 year old may be slipping a bit due to old age, it's more than likely that this slump is BABIP-related, as he is .054 points below his career norm (this will be a common theme today). The $136 million-man will be playing for the Cubs until 2014, because no team is going to want to pick that contract up in a trade (he also has a full NTC). But he seems like such a nice guy. Mike Fontenot should not be a starter. His career splits show he shouldn't be seeing to many lefties, but the shoulder injury to Aramis Ramirez has pushed him into that role. UZR has him looking not-so-hot at the hot corner, as he should be playing second base. And now, Milton Bradley. Milton is known as a crazy person throughout baseball, and deservedly so. That's not why signing the 31 year old to a three year deal was a bad idea. The fact that he is a DH now being expected to play rightfield at Wrigely is. The man is a butcher in the field and trotting him out there everyday is going to lead to him being hurt. He hasn't played in more than 126 games since 2004. He needs his BABIP to swing back (.070 below career norm) or those fans will eat him alive. To say that Derrek Lee really hasn't been the same since his wrist injury back in 2006 wouldn't exactly be fair. It seems more accurate to say that may have knocked him back to Earth. His 2005 season was unholy. Lee continues to provide an above-average bat and glove at first, but don't expect him to stay up north past 2010, when his contract runs out. He is one of the only Cubs' hitters actually hitting like he should so far this season, so if anyone does significant damage from their lineup this week, my money is on him.

Last season's NL RotY, Geovany Soto has had a rough season so far. His power numbers have been way down, most likely due to an early-season injury. All of his secondary numbers except ISO say he should start bouncing back. Here's hoping it takes another two weeks. The forgiveness for Fukudome's mid-season collapse last year kind of surprises me. Yeah, he's doing great right now, but he did the same thing last year in the first half. I'm not saying he'll collapse again after the ASB, but I wouldn't be shocked by it either. The object of every female Cubs fan I know's affection, Ryan Theriot, is hitting way down in the order this season. I think it's safe to call Theriot a grinder, as he hits for no power, steals bases (badly as of late), and plays above-average defense. Essentially, he is an infield version of pre-groin injury Scott Podsednik, with less speed. Aaron Miles has been so bad this year that he makes our troubles at second base pale in comparison. How badly do you think they wish they still has Mark DeRosa?

Pitching: A potential rotation and closer: Carlos Zambrano-RHP, Ted Lilly-LHP, Ryan Dempster-RHP, Rich Harden-RHP, Randy Wells-RHP and Kevin Gregg-RHP

We all know Carlos Zambrano by now. He's an above-average right-hander who strikes out a ton of guys, but walks about half as many every year. He is also the only player in the major leagues who can give Milton Bradley a run for his money as craziest bastard out there. He is mainly a fastball and slider guy, but also uses a cutter and a split-finger as well. Ted Lilly is having a career-year (150 ERA+). The good news for him is he has lowered his walk rate. The bad news is his K rate dropped as well and his opponents' BABIP is .032 below his average. Will he continue to have a good year? Probably. Will it be as good as it has been? Probably not. The Cubs gave Ryan Dempster a Mark Buehrle-esque contract this off-season just before the market crapped out despite the fact that last season was only his second above average season as a starter this decade. He's been good so far, but he is yet another over-30 player with a back-loaded contract, which is starting to make the Cubs look like the Yankees of a few years ago (not the WS winning ones though). Ryan Dempster also had an altercation with the Gatorade machine, leading upper management to remove it from the dugout. Perhaps they would be interested in a different sports drink? Rich Harden has shown signs of humanity this season, allowing two less homeruns so far in about 100 less innings. He's still got his good stuff and is still as fragile as the old people in the Life Alert ads, but maybe the NL is adjusting to him (though it could just be bad luck). Randy Wells will be our doom. He is a slow-throwing righty we've never seen before, which is bad enough for us. The fact that he has been dominating the NL in his 42.1 innings so far is even worse. Kevin Gregg isn't that great of a closer. He gets a lot of strikeouts, be he walks his fair share of guys and is giving up homers at an alarming rate this season.

Outlook: The Cubs are in win-now mode. The farm is barren and their starting lineup only has one guy under 29. While they aren't hitting like they were last year, they should still have a solid lineup once they regress to the mean and their pitching has been top notch so far. But I like us, and seeing as I can't bring myself to pick them to win the season series, my bottom line is us winning it 4-2.

New Arm of the Week: Aaron Poreda

U-God — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:36:53 -0000

New Arm of the Week: Aaron Poreda

The BTB guys take a look at Aaron.

What Made Milwaukee Famous (Made a Loser Out of Me): A Milwaukee Brewers Preview

U-God — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:15:31 -0000

More photos » by Jim Prisching - AP

Milwaukee Brewers' Rickie Weeks demonstrates proper bunting technique during the fourth inning of a baseball game Monday, April 13, 2009, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

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A brief look at an opponent we play this weekend.

Dates we play them: 6/12-6/14 @ Milwaukee

Offense: A potential batting order: Craig Counsell-2B, J.J. Hardy-SS, Ryan Braun-LF, Prince Fielder-1B, Mike Cameron-CF, Mat Gamel-3B, Corey Hart-RF, Jason Kendall-C Bench: Bill Hall-UTIL

Milwaukee, the good land. This series is our first in a National League park this season, so expect to see very little Jim Thome. But back to the Brewers. Craig Counsell, he of the little league coach's nightmares batting stance (which he apparently has changed), is batting leadoff since Rickie Weeks remembered he is the Mark Prior of hitting. Craig gets on base at a good clip (.344 career OBP), but has no power. He seems like the kind of guy people like us would mock relentlessly (see grinders). Something has to be wrong with J.J. Hardy. He should not have as bad of a slash-line as he does (.219/.298/.344). His walk and strikeout rates are normal and his BABIP is a bit low, but just looking at these numbers still makes me think something is wrong. His past two seasons were too good for this. Ryan Braun is having the best year of his young career. The Hebrew Hammer is crushing the ball like he has since his 2007 call-up, but he is finally showing some patience at the plate. He has practically doubled his walk rate and his 29 walks on the season match his 2007 total in just over half the games. I feel bad for NL Central pitchers, as this guy is going to be terrorizing them for years. Plus, he has a lot of great links about him. My favorite vegetarian, Prince Fielder, completes one of the best pair of 3-4 hitters in the NL. As great a season as Braun is having, Fielder's is even better (169 OPS+). The King of the Fatties has already belted 15 homers and is walking almost as much as he is striking out. He is on his way to becoming a better hitter than his father, who he doesn't talk to.

Mike Cameron does not seem to be aging. The man we traded over 10 years ago for Paul Konerko has not had a below average season since. He hasn't been stealing as much this year, but still has a powerful bat and plays above average defense in center. He also strikes with an assassin's accuracy. Mat Gamel is going to hit eventually. Gamel, the Brewer's number two prospect, has destroyed the minors. His problem is his terrible defense. It's not a great thing when you're 23 and people already talk of turning you into a DH or first baseman. Don't be surprised if either him or Prince Fielder get traded this offseason, as both would be better off in the AL. Corey Hart is one of those guys you think is better than he actually is. What do I mean? Last season he was an All-Star. With an OBP of .300. The man seems allergic to drawing a walk, which will ultimately stop him from being as valuable a player as he should be. And he needs to go back to using the most obvious at-bat music ever. Jason Kendall is playing out the string. The Brew Crew have some good young catchers in the minor and the man with the sub-.300 slugging percentage will most likely leave Wisconsin this winter, and should give retirement some serious consideration. I will always remember him for this.

Pitching: A potential rotation and closer: Jeff Suppan-RHP, Yovani Gallardo-RHP, Manny Parra-LHP, Braden Looper-RHP, David Bush-RHP and Trevor Hoffman-RHP.

Milwaukee's rotation went from a strength to a weakness when they lost CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets last winter. Jeff Suppan frightens no one. He back of the rotation fodder than the Brewers gave too long of a contract to. Gallardo is the true ace on the team. He currently has one less strikeout than innings pitched. If he continues pitching like this, he could lead Milwaukee to the playoffs for many years to come (he's only 23!). The next three are the guys we will see this weekend. Manny Parra has five pitches and bad control. He strikes out a large number of hitters, but walks far too many. This wasn't a problem for him in the minors, so he may be able to fix it. Braden Looper is a groundball machine. He made the transition from closer to starter a few years ago for St. Louis and has been fairly solid since. He's no world-beater, but he doesn't walk hitters and is pretty cheap. I wanted us to sign him this offseason. David Bush is yet another decent but unspectacular pitcher. He has gotten three no-hitters past the seventh, but lost all of them before the ninth. He throws a fastball, a curveball, and a cutter. Trevor Hoffman is very old (think WU-old), but somehow has been lights out this year. He hasn't allowed a run in 17 innings and has only walked one hitter. Not bad for a guy who made his debut before I started kindergarden.

Outlook: The Brewers are a pretty good team, but have been playing pretty badly lately. We have also been playing pretty poorly, but most likely aren't a very good team. This series being played at Miller Park hurts us, as we lose the Gentleman Masher. The retractable roof does insure no rain delays though, so unfortunately we have no chance of this happening. I'm feeling optimistic this morning though, so I say we take the series 2-1. And if you happen to be at the game on Saturday, stop by section 414 and say hello. I'll be in the 17th row.

California is Sinking, It Won't be Long Now: an Oakland A's Preview

U-God — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:53:59 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Oakland Athletics third baseman Jack Hannahan does his best Brent Lillibridge/airplane impersonation in the fourth inning of the second game of a doubleheader in Arlington, Texas, Friday, May 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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A brief look at an opponent we play this week.

Dates we play them: 6/1-6/4 at home, 8/14-8/16 @ OAK, 9/8-9/9 at home

Offense: A potential lineup: Orlando Cabrera-SS, Adam Kennedy-2B, Matt Holliday-LF, Jason Giambi-DH, Kurt Suzuki-C, Ryan Sweeney-CF, Aaron Cunningham-RF, Bobby Crosby-1B, Jack Hannahan-3B Bench: Jack Cust-DH/OF

Coming up with a lineup for the A's was a little frustrating. It's like they go with a pattern for three days, and then switch. The main reason for all this switching is due to amount of injuries Oakland's roster has had so far this season. On offense, they are currently missing Nomar Garciaparra, Mark Ellis, Travis Buck, and Eric "Elijah Price" Chavez. Since their own writers will have more to say about injuries, you can visit the always solid Athletics Nation after you finish the article (or before if you want to be an ass).

Leading off for Oakland lately is easily the least well-liked former White Sox player since Magglio Ordoñez, Orlando Cabrera. The press box darling is off to a terrible start (.236/.280/.296) and hasn't even been good in the field. His luck should start improving, as his BABIP is more than a bit under his career norm, but he had been hitting over his head the past few seasons so maybe this is what we should expect out of him from now on. This probably isn't what he was hoping for while playing for what may be the final contract of his career (especially in this market). One half of what used to be the scrappiest, grindiest double play combo in baseball, Adam Kennedy has been a godsend for the A's so far this year. Picked up off the scrap-heap from Tampa for a PTBNL, Kennedy was brought in on a minor league contract. That didn't last long, as Mark Ellis quickly got hurt and the A's needed a new second baseman. Kennedy has been a machine so far (.390/.462/.622) and is fourth on the team in homeruns (with 4, which says something about Oakland's offense). Yes, this is completely unsustainable (.424 BABIP) but it is nice to see Kennedy get to have a good season again. He always seemed like a nice guy. Matt Holliday has not been having nearly as rough a start to this season as most media would have you believe. Yes, his April numbers were terrible, but he has been mashing the ball since. There could be mutiple reasons for his shaky start (new league, bigger stadium), but the most likely was just some more terrible luck. His BABIP was .078 below his career norm, which will cripple any hitters numbers. The fact that he still has a 111 OPS+ after that first awful month is a testament to how good of a hitter he really is. If he continues to heat up and the A's continue to falter, expect Holliday to be trading in his green and gold before August.

Oh, Jason Giambi, you never-ending source of entertainment. Giambi is yet another slumping hitter by the bay. Unfortunately for him and his team, his slump might be harder to break than that of his teammates. Giambi turned 38 this year, and I'm not really sure how much more baseball his body can take. The roids did a number on him and old age is not being kind to the slugger. Kurt Suzuki is quietly becoming one of the best catchers in baseball. While he'll probably never reach the tier of guys like Mauer, McCann, and Martin (I just noticed that the three best catchers in baseball all have surnames starting with M), already is second tier and should be one of the top ten catchers in the game for at least a few years. He doesn't have much power (16 career homeruns), but he hits for average, seems durable, and plays solid defense. He's also under team control for quite some time, so Oakland will get his prime years dirt cheap. And now we come to Ryan Sweeney, former White Sock of the future. Sweeney was part of the Swisher trade from last year. His bat isn't all that great and his defense in center is pretty shoddy, but he's young and quick and will be a good enough stop-gap until Oakland finds someone better to replace him. He's probably going to be a fourth outfielder fairly soon. Aaron Cunningham is yet another former White Sox prospect playing for the A's. The better half of the Danny Richar trade, Cunningham came into this season as the fourth best prospect in the vaunted Oakland farm system. He's off to a rough start, but it's only been seven games and he's only 23. His track record says expect the bat to come around, but his fielding will likely remain an issue. Bobby Crosby won the RotY award in 2004 as a shortstop and hasn't done much since. Both his bat and his glove abandoned him, and when OrCa came on board this winter he was forced to become a utility guy or learn some new tricks. Crosby went from being a crappy-hitting shortstop to a crappy-hitting first baseman. Jack Hannahan is awful, and the poor guy doesn't even get to have the distinction of being the best baseball player in the history of his high school. Joe Mauer quickly ended his reign a mere two years later. If Oakland's offense were a rap video, it would be about this bad of one.

Pitching: A potential rotation plus closer: Dallas Braden-LHP, Trevor Cahill-RHP, Dana Eveland-LHP, Brett Anderson-LHP, Josh Outman-LHP and Brad Ziegler/Andrew Bailey-RHPs

This is probably the youngest rotation in baseball, as no starter is older than 25. Braden seems to be the default ace of the group, by having the best combination of experience and talent. His fastball doesn't crack 90 mph and his K:BB ratio is pretty poor. He's done decent this season by limiting homeruns, but a guy who gives up a flyball percentage of 44.2 won't have much luck not giving up homers in a park like USCF. Trevor Cahill, the sole righty of the rotation, came into this season as the number two prospect in the organization. He's doing about as well as you would think a 21 year old pitcher who never pitched above AA would, having a 96 ERA+ so far. His K/9 has dropped dramatically since the call-up, but he has been making up for it by inducing a solid number of groundballs. Dana Eveland came over in the Dan Haren trade and looks to be nothing more than back of the rotation fodder. He's a left-handed innings-eater at best. Brett Anderson is the team's number one prospect. He's struggled so far, but is essentially in the same boat as Cahill, having never pitched above AA. He should improve as the season goes on. Josh Outman has one of the best last names a pitcher could have. He also has a low to mid-90s fastball and at least decent control. He may have pitched a little over his true ability so far, but that could just be him turning the corner as he is only 24 years old. I have both Ziegler and Bailey listed as the closer, because I'm not certain which one will actually be closing. The A's have split their nine team saves among three pitchers, so it's really anyone's guess. Bailey is a young, hard-throwing righty with typical closer stuff (good fastball and slider). Ziegler is the more interesting of the two. Ziggy has an awesome sidearm/submariner style pitching motion which makes his fairly slow pitches much harder to hit. My favorite thing about the guy is that he is just like us, and by that I mean he is a member of SBN and has written blog entries over on Athletics Nation in the past.

Outlook: The A's are a team in transition. Billy Beane seemed to be going into rebuild mode, but then saw how weak his division might be this season and figured why not go for it. So far it hasn't been working too well. The team was denied their new stadium in Fremont (so I guess this really worked) and this season doesn't look like it will end well for the team with my favorite throwback jerseys. That all being said, we play the A's nine times this season. Me picking against us has been working so far, so I say we go 4-5 against them this season with a guarenteed win this Thursday (the Sox are 12-6 with three DNPs over the past 20 years on June 4th). At least the A's can hang their hat on having an awesome mascot.

See This Guy Right Here?

U-God — Sun, 31 May 2009 21:27:03 -0000

More photos » by ED ZURGA - AP

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Zack Greinke is not a magical, unhittable entity. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

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We didn't let him beat us.

You Come at the King, You Best Not Miss

U-God — Sun, 31 May 2009 17:01:32 -0000

White Sox vs. Royals

Game Time- 1:10 pm

John Danks vs. Zack Greinke

Gameday