SB Nation User Blog: andrewmiller

First Three Starts as a Royal: Tejeda vs. KC's All-Time Greats!

andrewmiller — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 05:10:35 -0000

Robinson Tejeda's first three starts as a Royal have been outstanding, so much so that I started wondering: Did any of the Royals' standout pitchers make an even better first impression? After hitting the game logs, I can report: Yes, one. Tejeda leads all candidates in fewest hits/ER allowed, and finishes second in K's. While he can't compete with Tejeda's ERA, the #1 guy gets the nod for turning in two complete games in his first three Royals starts.

First, here's how Robinson Tejeda fared in his first three starts as a Royal:

(2-0, 0.55)

IP H ER BB K

16.1 6 1 7 16

I compared these results with the 10 best Royals starters I could think of off-hand, plus two future flame-outs who I recalled getting off to promising starts. The standings appear below in reverse order.

___________________________________________________________________________________

12) Dennis Leonard

(0-3, 5.17)

IP H ER BB K

15.2 20 9 10 8

11) Kevin Appier

(1-2, 4.96)

IP H ER BB K

16.1 23 9 7 7

10) Bobby Keppel

(0-2, 3.15)

IP H ER BB K

20 21 7 6 7

Note: OK, so Keppel's start wasn't as "awesome" as I thought at the time. I was desperate for competence in 2006.

9) Jose Rosado

(0-1, 4.19)

IP H ER BB K

19.1 20 9 9 10

8) Runelvys Hernandez

(1-1, 3.86)

IP H ER BB K

18.2 22 8 6 15

Note: Hernandez had a 9 K game that turned out to be a huge outlier; he only topped 5 (with 6) once more that year. Hopefully Hochevar's 13K game won't seem equally preposterous to game-log historians seven years from now.

7) Bret Saberhagen

(1-1, 3.86)

IP H ER BB K

16.1 21 7 3 10

6) Paul Splittorff

(1-1, 3.44)

IP H ER BB K

18.1 21 7 7 12

5) David Cone

(0-3, 3.48)

IP H ER BB K

20.2 19 8 7 13

Note: Cone made his big-league debut in 1986 with the Royals, but he made no starts that year. These stats are from 1993, when he was a 30-year-old free-agent signee with an already impressive resume.

4) Zack Greinke

(0-1, 2.37)

IP H ER BB K

19 18 5 4 7

Note: (0-1, 2.37) in three starts. Sigh. At least he's had several years to grow accustomed to pathetic run support.

3) Mark Gubicza

(0-2, 1.59)

IP H ER BB K

17 15 3 5 13

2) Larry Gura

(2-0, 1.23)

IP H ER BB K

22 17 3 3 6

Note: Gura's situation is most analogous to Tejeda's. He was still used largely out of the bullpen, and these numbers come from three spot starts spread over two seasons. In his first full year as a Royals starter, 16-4, 2.72.

1) Steve Busby

(1-0, 1.44)

IP H ER BB K

25 17 4 7 17

American Gloadiators: A fan club turns its broken hearts to you

andrewmiller — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:27:45 -0000

In some quarters, the trade of Ross Gload to the Florida Marlins brought jubilation. But it was devastating news for the locally based Ross Gload fan club American Gloadiators, co-chaired by Joel Prado (me) and Alias To Be Named Later (my boss Rich "Lowtax" Kyanka). We are preparing a Something Awful.com front-page retrospective about Ross Gload, and I wanted to reach out to anyone at Royals Review who might be artistically inclined. Artwork we could really use includes:

* Drawings of Ross Gload that display a "child's rendering of his idol" aesthetic

* Any Photoshop alterings that present Ross Gload in a favorable, heroic light.

* The catch phrase "Gload will explode" presents many possibilities.

The piece is tentatively scheduled to run two weeks from today -- we were waiting to see where Gloadie ended up before starting the writing process. Anyone who's interested, please post your JPEGs in this thread and/or send them to garbageday@somethingawful.com. Not only will you be credited at the bottom of the article, but also you can know you've done your part to educate a befuddled public about Gload's hidden greatness -- the things that "don't show up in the box score".

Royals Fandom > Metallica Fandom

andrewmiller — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:19:32 -0000

Royals Fandom > Metallica Fandom

In the first few paragraphs of my column regarding Metallica's new album, I make reference to Royals fandom. I figured some people here might be able to appreciate the sentiments.

Childhood Statistical Innocence: A Reminiscence

andrewmiller — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:50:46 -0000

When I was about seven years old, I started ranking players based on statistics. I started with the Royals, because their totals were the easiest to come by in the newspaper. Later, I sorted players from other teams based on their back-of-the-baseball-card numbers. I organized the hierarchy by two measures: Batting average and ERA. A baseball board game, which assigned outcomes to dice-roll combinations, influenced this decision: Based on my experiences with this game, Wade Boggs was the best player in history, while Davey Concepcion was a complete disgrace to this ostensible All-Star roster. When I reached the 10-12 range, I started multiplying part-time statistics so that they reached the plate-appearances minimum for batting-title qualifiers, and firmly believed this is what those players could have accomplished had they gotten a chance/stayed healthy. I mourned the star-crossed Kal Daniels, who obviously would've gone 40/40 in 1987 if not for the wrathful fates.

I certainly appreciate the wealth of new statistical measures, and the Internet accessibility of figures both historical (the aforementioned Daniels career overview) and instantaneous (tonight's Game Day box score). However, I miss the silly thrill of believing in prospects who started strong, back before I knew anything about small sample sizes and OPS+. I'm not joining the chorus of baseball writers who advocate a return to the statistical dark ages, but the child in me has been wistful lately that I can't take any joy in Mitch Maier's .345 average. ("He's the best player on the team," that ignorant brat argues shrilly.) The real downside of this phenomenon -- at least during the 2008 season -- is that it has squashed optimism far more than it has encouraged unjustified pessimism (like the nagging kind I felt when David DeJesus was 1-23 going into June 2004). I couldn't take much joy in Bannister's budding stardom or Davies' first few starts, because daunting statistical evidence suggested their numbers were unsustainable. By contrast, this year's players who appear to be terrible in small sample sizes, such as Nomo and Jason Smith, are, in fact, terrible.

Sometimes I wish I had sound statistical basis to sustain my immature faith in illusions like Maier. Rationally, though, I'm just holding out hope that Butler, Gordon, Hosmer and Moustakas will be the kind of players whose actual, meaningful numbers impress without any need for willful deception or selective manipulation.

"How about waiving the rule that every team has to be represented? You've got these relievers from...

andrewmiller — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:56:42 -0000

"How about waiving the rule that every team has to be represented? You've got these relievers from Kansas City, from Baltimore because of that rule."

Jay Mariotti, "Around The Horn," 7/16

Implying Soria is an illegitimate All-Star: Just another entry in the Reasons to Hate Mariotti archives.

In Defense of the All-Star Game

andrewmiller — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:43:17 -0000

The All-Star Game takes place tomorrow, and even though the commentators will make it a disgusting Yankees lovefest (more than usual, that is) because it's taking place in New York, I can't wait to watch. For me, the MLB All-Star Game not only surpasses its equivalent in other sports, but also ranks among the best events of the year. However, many journalists and fans dismiss it as a flawed, overblown exhibition. I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity offered by one of this week's tragically sports-free days to champion the much-maligned 'Midsummer Classic.'

Criticism: The All-Star Game, an exhibition, should not determine home-field advantage.

Previously, home-field advantage in the World Series alternated between the leagues, an arbitrarily instituted process that in no way rewarded teams (or leagues) for their performance. By contrast, the All-Star Game plan favors the superior league, with the competition being a reliable indicator of merit. The AL has won the past ten All-Star Games played to a decision, and, not coincidentally, has dominated interleague play and the postseason as well.

Criticism: The All-Star Game outcome, which now carries too much gravity, was previously completely irrelevant.

When the All-Star Game ended in an unsatisfying tie in 2002, Fire Joe Morgan whipping boy Jeffrey Flanagan decried the ensuing uproar in his Star column, challenging readers to name the winning All-Star squad from previous years. As usual, Flanagan missed the point. Let's say you play pickup basketball every Saturday, with the same group of guys. You might not be able to detail the specific won-loss chronology that took place a few weeks earlier, but at the time it damn well mattered that there was a winner and loser. The promise of definitive won/loss closure sustains dramatic tension, and when that sense was stripped away, the 2002 game went from being one of the best All-Star installments (extra innings) to the absolute, definitive worst. Now, due to the home-field advantage arrangement, the All-Star Game carries almost a post-season level of portent.

Criticism: The All-Star Game is not played or managed like a normal game, which is why it should not serve as a home-field measuring stick.

Unlike the All-Star Games in other sports, MLB's is played like a normal game, at least in terms of gameplay dynamics. The central conflict -- pitcher vs. batter -- is completely undiluted. In the NBA, the defender vs. offensive player conflict lacks heft because the best defensive specialists (Bowen, Camby) usually aren't selected. As a result, the match-ups become offensive player vs. offensive player acting in a lackluster defensive capacity. The NFL's Pro Bowl is a complete travesty because injury risks prevent the defense from playing with malice. The MLB's All-Star Game presents pitchers trying their best against batters doing the same, generating meaningful results in a string of compelling confrontations.

While it's undeniable that the All-Star Game isn't managed like a regular game, it's worth considering that managers usually don't have 32-man rosters filled with legitimate contributors. Also, in one-game-takes-all postseason situations, which the All-Star game, with its home-field stakes, replicates, managers have been known to make unorthodox choices, such as placing players out of position and using starting pitchers in relief on two-days rest. Finally, due to measures taken to prevent another tie-game debacle, managers now save some players for late-inning substitutions instead of replacing players willy-nilly after every inning.

Criticism: The mandatory representation from each team cheapens the rosters.

As a Royals fan, I've recognized the ridiculousness of representatives such as Ken Harvey and Mark Redman. However, while I certainly wish superior Royals existed to take their spots, I'm still glad as a viewer that someone was there to wear the KC hat. Royals fans can take legitimate pride in representatives such as Soria, but even the Redmans of the world spark debate, create intrigue (is this guy seriously going to get into the game and face the likes of Pujols with home-field on the line?) and generate an endless supply of running jokes. Besides, I'd take a goofy Royals choice over yet another Red Sox or Yankees player (the likely result if representation were abolished) any day, much as I prefer when March Madness chooses small-conference schools with its at-large bids rather than 8th place BCS squads.

________________________________________________________________

Some of my favorite sports memories -- Bo Jackson's home run at the height of his "Bo Knows" advertising campaign, Hank Blalock's game-clincher off Eric "Game Over" Gagne at the height of his steroid-aided invincibility -- came from MLB's All-Star Game. Apparently I'm pretty much alone in treasuring these moments, as neither provided any YouTube hits to which I could link. Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to seeing Soria preserve the American League's dynasty; to heckling A-Rod, Jeter and the rest of McCarver's lovebirds; and to watching some relatively underrated small-market player steal the spotlight. I'd even enjoy it if Varitek ended up as the star, as Unworthy Selectee Makes Good always makes for an intriguing storyline. Who can forget when Terry Steinbach shrugged off his below-average stats en route to becoming the 1988 game's MVP? *Crickets* Oh well, trust me, it was kinda cool.

Weezer: The Worst Song That Ever Lived

andrewmiller — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:44:27 -0000

Weezer: The Worst Song That Ever Lived

During Monday's day game, when everyone present at the game thread started sharing what they were working on while watching the Royals, I mentioned I was working on a Weezer story. RR asked me to post a link upon completion, so here it is. It's my first column at my first job, and while feedback has been reasonable and positive so far, I know that's just because it hasn't ended up on Weezer fan sites yet.

Baseball Mogul

andrewmiller — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 19:36:21 -0000

I'm wondering if anyone else at Royals Review plays Baseball Mogul or other statistically based computer baseball simulators. Just in case anyone else shares this nerdish leaning (people who've walked in while I was playing the game have speculated that I was preparing taxes), I wanted to start a thread for people to discuss their experiences with these games, strategies, what they've learned about general managing, etc. I've found the game very educational regarding payroll, arbitration and the amateur draft, but as I quickly learned that few non-players want to hear me discuss the awe-inspiring 102-60 2015 Royals, I figured this might be the place to find like-minded enthusiasts.

2007's Best Music

andrewmiller — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 15:37:44 -0000

I haven't contributed any diaries lately, mostly because I've been preparing year-end lists for the various publications to which I contribute. I get an average of roughly 25 albums in the mail each week, and I set the best ones aside in stacks. I tend to those stacks throughout December, listening to all the contenders to make the final Top Ten cuts. Given that we occasionally discuss music on here, I wanted to list the best of what I heard this year, in hopes that people might find something they like. "Recommended if you like" comparisons are provided below the relatively obscure artists (defined as musicians who have not appeared on the cover of a major music magazine.)

Between the Buried and Me "Colors"
Recommended if you like: King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Iron Maiden, guitar harmonies

Amy Winehouse "Back to Black"

Jens Lekman "Night Falls Over Kortedala"
RIYL: Smiths, Squeeze

Horse The Band "A Natural Death"
RIYL: 8-bit Nintendo music, Mr. Bungle

Blonde Redhead "23"
RIYL: Sonic Youth, Portishead

Shearwater "Palo Alto"
RIYL: Bowie's old slow songs, Neil Young

Shannon Wright "Let in the Light"
RIYL: PJ Harvey, Regina Spektor

PJ Harvey "White Chalk"

Electrelane "No Shouts No Calls"
RIYL: Elastica, Sleater-Kinney, Blondie

Nine Inch Nails "Year Zero"

James "Blood" Ulmer "Bad Blood in the City"
RIYL: Gritty blues about New Orleans, with Living Colour's Vernon Reid supplying extra guitar heat

Vic Chesnutt "North Star Deserter"
RIYL: Bob Dylan, Fugazi (on this album, the venerable paraplegic singer/songwriter hangs with some indie-rock backing musicians; it's a little louder than his usual fare, but by not abrasive)

Chris Knight "The Trailer Tapes"
RIYL: Merle, Waylon

Elliott Smith "New Moon"

Bright Eyes "Cassadaga"

Wilco "Sky Blue Sky"

Tiny Vipers "Hands Across The Void"
RIYL: Cat Power, Fiona Apple

Bat for Lashes "Fur and Gold"
RIYL: PJ Harvey

Figurines "When The Deer Wore Blue"
RIYL: Flaming Lips, Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds"

The following are subdivided into categories. I turned these in for a Pitch assignment; I'll add the RIYL's where applicable.

Metal-Only Bin

10. Dillinger Escape Plan, Ire Works (Relapse)
RIYL: Faith No More, spastic metal/jazz fusion

9. Death Breath, Let It Stink (Relapse)
RIYL: Motorhead

8. Pig Destroyer, Phantom Limb (Relapse)
RIYL: Bands with names like "Pig Destroyer" (it's pretty much as brutal as it sounds)

7. Xasthur, Defective Epitaph (Hydra Head)
RIYL: Harrowing pain (it's darkly ambient synths and guitar paired with extremely scary screams)

6. Machine Head, The Blackening (Roadrunner)
RIYL: Early Metallica (this band tarnished its name with some radio-metal albums in the late '90s, but this album is filled with 6-9 minute classic metal epics)

5. Baroness, Red Album (Relapse)
RIYL: Queens of the Stone Age, Iron Maiden

4. Yakuza, Transmutations (Prosthetic)
RIYL: See Dillinger Escape Plan

3. Wolves in the Throne Room, Two Hunters (Southern Lord)
RIYL: See Xasthur

Horse The Band, A Natural Death (Koch)
Between the Buried and Me, Colors (Victory)

Fresh Female Voices

10. Arch Enemy, Rise of the Tyrant (Century Media)
RIYL: Slayer, with an attractive female singer

Feist, The Reminder (Cherry Tree)
Dri, Smoke Rings (Range Life)

RIYL: Lauryn Hill

7. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, 100 Days, 100 Nights (Daptone)
RIYL: '70s dancehall soul

6. Charlotte Gainsbourg, 5:55 (Vice)
RIYL: Air, seductive chanteuses

Tiny Vipers, Hands Across the Void (Sub Pop)
Bat for Lashes, Fur and Gold (Caroline)
Electrelane, No Shouts, No Calls (Too Pure/Beggars)
Shannon Wright, Let in the Light (Quarter Stick)
Amy Winehouse, Back to Black (Republic)

`Head Explodes' Albums (Prog, Experimental, Noise, Instrumental, Epic, etc.)
10. Jesu, Conqueror (Hydra Head)
RIYL: Long, mesmerizing waves of ebbing and flowing instrumental sound

9. Sigur Ros, Hvarf/Heim (XL)
RIYL: Jesu description + indecipherable vocals

8. Isis, In the Absence of Truth (Ipecac)
RIYL: Jesu description + sporadic growly vocals

7. Gonzales, Solo Piano (Sunny Side)
RIYL: Contemporary jazz/classical

6. Grails, Burning Off Impurities (Temporary Residence)
RIYL: Jesu description + tribal percussion

5. Battles, Mirrored (Warp)
RIYL: King Crimson, Talking Heads, techno

4. Black Dice, Load Blown (Paw Tracks)
RIYL: noise.

3. Explosions in the Sky, All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone (Temporary Residence)
RIYL: Jesu description

2. Minsk, The Ritual Fires of Abandonment (Relapse)
RIYL: Isis + Grails descriptions

1. Hrsta, Ghosts Will Come and Kiss Our Eyes (Constellation)
RIYL: Godspeed! You Black Emperor, really creepy Bee Gees covers

Captain Clutch: John Buck in September

andrewmiller — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 14:15:40 -0000

So far in September, John Buck is batting .275/.318/.450. In his Royals career, he's never hit below .275 in September (.275 in '04, .321 in '05, .300 in '06). His composite total, in 248 AB, is .290/.327/.512, with 13 HR and 40 RBI. If he were a Yankee, we'd have heard Tim McCarver shout "Buck rhymes with clutch!" or some such nonsense.

Applying the nebulous standards of the word "clutch," this could be used as evidence for both Buck supporters and Buck bashers.

Pro side: He saves a little bit in his tank throughout the year to ensure enhanced performance during the stretch drive. The fact that the pennant race fails to materialize isn't his fault.

Anti side: Buck is actually anti-clutch, which is why he only produces when his team has been officially eliminated, making the games pressure-free and essentially meaningless.

In a more tangible corridor of the goofy "clutch" realm, here are some 2007 numbers that disprove the assertion, occasionally voiced on this site, that Buck only produces during blowouts:

Late and Close (PA in the 7th or later with the batting team tied, ahead by one, or the tying run at least on deck): .309/.356/.709

PA in games with margin >4: .196/.324/.339