SB Nation User Blog: comedian

We've got them right where we want them...

comedian — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 16:41:47 -0000

Oh how I wish that were true!

I was at last nights game (section 325) and there were a few great moments- Holliday's home run, Matsui in general, Herges in the 7th, the general atmosphere...

And some not so great moments- Fogg in the third inning, Fuentes in general...

But this one hurts. BAD. I Keep waiting for that team that went on the tear to end the regular season and who handled the NL playoffs like grizzled vetyerans to show up.

I'll take some satisfaction in knowing that the Rockies aren't as bad as they're showing this series.

Boston is the better team all around. No doubt in my mind. They've got some fantastic hitters and like the Rockies of September and part of October- they can do virtually nothing wrong. They're keyed in. Francona is making mostly the right decesions (save for last nights 6th and 7th, although one could argue his decesions were right, his pitchers just didn't perform). Their starting pitching has been great. a 1 hitter through five last night! Even Schilling, whose doing it with guile, spit, and duct tape at this point.

It really freaked me out that after Herges looked so good in the 7th they took him out in the 8th. Why bring in the setup man when you're still down a run? Plus, Herges looked like he was dialed in and he can go 2 innings. I mean, Lowell has been a pretty decent hitter this whole series and Herges had him swinging away and missing. We haven't seen a lot of that in the series.

But that's all second guessing I suppose. Had Herges been left in and screwed the pooch, I'd probably be complaining that they should have went with their one/two punch, Fuentes and Corpas! :)

Anyway, I'm happy that this team has provided me some great baseball memories. It's been a hell of a ride, a wonderful season beyond my expectations, and though it more than likely ends tonight, it's a season that a lot of us won't soon forget, (my son who was at last nights game, for instance), and hopefully we'll be back here next year, up 3-0.

Next year. Saying that hurts.

Two other rambling points in my head- congratulations to the Red Sox fans. That's a damn fine team you have there, as much as it pains me to admit it. I'll never ever ever root for the team, but they've earned a boat load of respect from me at least.

The other being, it's been nice having some of the visitors at this site, particularly the Arizona fans. 99% of you have been fun to read, and supportive even after we advanced. That's pretty cool I think, because on of the things I bitch about with regards to sports is that fans of opposite teams can't seem to get along. Well, you guys proved that false. It's been nice having your support.

Good news/Bad News

comedian — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 14:39:36 -0000

Just some statistical diggin':

Since 1960, 31 teams who won game 1 have gone on to win the series. 15 WS winners did not win game 1.

A handful did not win game 2. The previously mentioned 1996 Yanks. The 1986 Mets. The 1978 Yanks.

In 1982 the Brewers clobbered St Louis 10-0 in game 1. The Cardinals came back to win game 2.

Since 1960, there have been 9 sweeps, 9 5 game series, 9 6 game series and 19 7 game series.

Why Draw the line at 1960? No reason. I didn't want to count further :).

Plus keep in mind I was an English major, so what do I know about statistics!

Double Wow!

comedian — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:47:48 -0000

Caught the Friday and (end of) Sunday game.

Frankly, many of my concerns from earlier in the year were either somewhat unfounded, off base or worked on by the team. That's the Nice to Be Wrong catagory of wrong, to me!

It's nice to see. Without getting too much into what they need to do next year (since this year is still playing out), I have to say it's nice to see the players playing the way they are- a lot of confidence and they seem to be enjoying the run.

Which brings me to the main point of all this- the problems I have with the team per se are not with the players but with management and the owners. I mean, how can you not like a guy like Tulo, for example? Without rehashing or going into detail, I think they (ownership) could do better.

But, BUT...give em props at least for doing some of what they said they would (though the team probably isn't quite as good as they thought/portrayed, it's not quite as bad as many like myself thought it would be).

I'm hopeful (and much more confident than I was early in the season) the team can continue to build on the success thus far, this year and into the future.

Wow!

comedian — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 14:01:14 -0000

Between a new job, kids starting school and other stuff I haven't got to watch many games in the last couple months.

Last night was wonderful though. I don't know if the team has enough pitching to make the wild card, much less do anything if they do get there, but it was exciting to see that kind of ending.

In particular, how all the hitters in the 9th seemed to not be rattled by the need to get a hit and on base, or let any pressure the situation might hold get to them. Say what you will about Hurdle's managing, and there is room for healthy debate on that, he at least seems to have helped shape a good attitude for the team, one where they don't give up, and even look like they expect to win!

Finally some life!

comedian — Mon, 28 May 2007 16:39:28 -0000

Since the criticism thrown my way is I never post anything good (which is a BS argument from an appologist who wants this franchise to fail anyway) here it is-

Wow! What a week. I haven't had a chance to watch all 6 games of the trip in their entirety, but what I have seen is great.

There IS a little life after all on this team, and Tulo has come around (as noted much more accurately by others). Matsui also helps them quite a bit too. The hitting is coming around, and the pitching hasn't been bad I don't think.

Sure, the Rockies benefited from a Giants club that made mistakes at times, but one mark of good teams is that they take advantage of mistakes, not let them slip away.

With St Louis and Houston coming in, It looks like if they continue we will start making up some ground on the Padres.

Losing 2 out of 3

comedian — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:52:47 -0000

Is getting old.

I know. I'm not supposed to panic. The sample size is still small. It's only 30 games (roughly) into the season. Our catching/shortstop/centerfield/pitching situations have to come around (the numbers never lie).

Who do I blame for the poor start? Sure, you could pick 13 (13!) of the 25 players on the roster at one time or another, or you could realize that ANY time that many players underperform it's the managments fault- either they picked the wrong guys for the job or missed entirely on the skill level of the employee.

Or put another way, if at your workplace of roughly 30 people you could ID 13 who were screwing up regularly, you'd wonder about the mutt that put the crew together.

Some probably meaningless numbers:

11-17. 3rd worst in the NL, 5th worst in baseball. Same as it ever was. We're not even the best at sucking.

5-10 on the road. Small sample size not withstanding, that's a 28-54 season road record at this pace. And I see nothing in the recent history of the team to indicate why it wouldn't be.

Worse, 6-7 at home.

Offense is averiging 4.29 runs a game (120 runs divided by 28 games), giving up 5.64 runs a game (158 runs divided by 28 games).

3 runs or less scored: 12 games (.428)
5 runs or more scored by opponents: 15 games (.535)
7 runs or more scored by opponents: 8 games (.285)
7 or more runs scored: 7 games (.250)

Losses by 4 or more runs: 5 (.178, Hey! Not bad!)
Losses by 2 runs or less: 10 (.357)

Positives?
Ianetta does look better. Tulo too.

Just in time to see the pitching not perform and still not enough production from our big hitters.

Well, for a long time the Monforts/Rockies employees would say to us "Wait till 2006, we'll be out from under some contracts!", then the refrain came to be "Wait until 2007, these kids just need some experience!".

So what's the over under on the first time "Wait until 2008, when it will all will jell!" is uttered by the Rockies?

This season is NOT fun so far.

The frustration is valid and warranted

comedian — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 15:22:02 -0000

My post, moved from the game thread from last night.

MY bad on posting it in the thread, though some of the logic on what is allowed in thread is confusing, but it ain't my site nor my buck, soooo...

Heck, I'm glad some folks can keep a glass half full view, but I just don't see anything yet that indicates the negatives will stop.

People keep saying things like "when Ianetta/Tulo start hitting..." "when Willy starts getting on base..." etc, but I'm not seeing why that will occur. Is it something in their swing? Their fouling off of balls? I guess I don't see it, which makes me think that in the long run it's not much more than hopeful thinking. These guys the last few years are becoming interchangable. Where's our Brandon Webb, Dontrell Willis,Jimmy Rollins, for example? We have some nice players, but I'm sorry-none are great. Do we really have enough great players coming in our system to be contenders? Are these the guys who can make us contenders?

The thing that frustrates me is MLB has had 4 expansion teams since what, 1977? Two of them have won world series, and rebuilt their team from the ground up once or more. Granted, they (Flordia and Arizona obviously) have also had some horrible seasons too. But ultimately they have remained competitive in general. Hell, I'd take either franchise's overall record and world series wind versus a franchise that is holding on to a weak Wild Card round appearance over a decade ago like it's trying to avoid grim death.

When you look at Colorado and Tampa, though it's not even close. The Rockies out class Tampa, but that's kind of like saying you beat up the no armed kid- not much of a challenge. Neither has really been a success nor shown much of a tendecy to become successful.

I don't see, even just 14 games in, how this season ends up much different than the last two. We'll have some bright spots, some nice players, some hope for the future and overall not enough to be in it to win it. We're just good enough to not be the laughing stock and no where good enough to compete. We're the Post 1985 Kansas City Royals- essentially irrelevant.

I've watched nearly every game this year, and I don't see how this team is fundamentally better than last years team.

I have gotten to the point that I don't see it changing until we get a total change of ownership and management. Look at the long term losers- often the attitudes, philosophies, and metrics mean a perpetual stagnation.

I hope I'm wrong, but I'd be willing to put money down on it, because so far, I don't see many reasons why I will be.

As a follow on- I didn't get to see the end of the game last night, which appears by reading this mornings papers, to have been a nice comeback.

Rox Girl has a nice point this morning on the high level of pitching we've faced this year. Good points on why the team is treading water at below .500 and extrapolating out that several of those folks won't live up to their career numbers. Probably true, but if some exceed and some dip below, you've got an average. How does that average stackup? Without that I can't really tell anything other than what those pitchers were before this year.

I'd be curious on their stats for this year so far versus lifetime, and how those rank versus other divisions pitchers (since we've faced all division foes).

I guess what I am driving at is what if their stats for this year say that they as pitchers are weak, versus the rest of the NL? That would tell me that there might not be the relief in sight that some are saying there will be.

Of course the reverse might be true too- that we as a team have faced a torturous road thus far and that statistics say it shoudl get easier.

It'd be an interesting exerices to me.