TWIB Notes
Hi everybody, I’m Mel Allen and welcome to This Week in Baseball. For those of you who remember the greatest of all baseball shows and baseball announcers, I have decide to pay my respects by having my own weekly column about what is in the news, This Week in Baseball. Of course we have started many things here at The Wisdom that have disappeared faster than a pile of cocaine at Bobby & Whitney’s house…….. Hi-ooooo!!!!
You’ve gotta know when to hold em, know when to fold em
- Should Kenny Rogers pitch in the All-Star Game? Uhhhh, yeah sure, why not? Really to me this is a relative non issue. The fact is he acted like a moron by shoving the cameramen and he deserves the suspension he received from Bud Selig. The All-Star game is something that he has earned the right to play in.
Right now I just... I just wanna find some *rockets*!
- Who should be the starting pitcher for the NL next week? Well I would have to go with Roger Clemens. Yes Dontrell Willis has more wins, but Clemens is having the better season. Don’t give me that excuse that Clemens has started before and should give someone else a chance, that is bullshit. In fact because he is older, more toward the end of his career, and one of the All-Time greats I would rather see him start. Clemens starting would be a tribute to the marvelous things he has been able to accomplish throughout his career
Yeah, and ya don’t stop, cause it’s 187 on a mutha fuckin cop
- What is wrong with the Baltimore Orioles? They finally remembered that they sucked. Well injuries have been a fairly big part of it, Javy Lopez and Eric Bedard missing extended time. Plus the total lack of production put forth by the $17 million waste of space known as Sammy Sosa. Since returning from the DL on May 24th he is hitting .187 with 30 strikeouts and only 24 hits, that is plain awful.
Tarzan couldn't take this kind of hot
- Who is the hottest hitter out there?
In his last 31 games Hideki Matsui is batting .415 slugging .734 and has 9 HR’s and 29 RBI.
First time All-Star Jason Bay over the last 9 games is hitting .437 with 3 HR’s 8 RBI & 8 runs scored.
Brewers rookie Ricki Weeks has only 3 hits in July but they are all homeruns and he has driven in 7 in 4 games.
But the hottest is the Indians Travis Haffner. Over his last 21 games he is batting .395 with 10 HR’s 33 RBI 25 runs and slugging a ridiculous .848.
On the Mound:
The Indians Jake Westbrook has finally started pitching well, going 4-1 over his last 5 starts. Pitching 34 innings striking out 25 and walking only 7 while lowering his ERA a half run down to 4.51
Since June 1st, the Nationals closer Chad Cordero has been on fire. Over 18 games he has saved 16 of them giving up 2 runs, 2 walks and only 13 hits.
John Smoltz is finally rounding his arm into starters shape. Over his last 5 starts he is 5-0 with 3 complete games, over that time he has struck out 33 in 41 IP while having a WHIP of 0.73 and he now has his ERA down to 2.68
Hey now, you’re an All-Star get your game on, go play
- Congratulations to Scott Podsednik and Roy Oswalt for being elected to the All-Star team. But let’s get to the real problem here folks, and yes some of this is Yankee fan biased so all you Met and Oriole fans who read this can write comments about how the Yankees suck and all that. But Derek Jeter inexplicably is not on the All-Star team. Listen, Michael Young is a nice ballplayer and I do not doubt he should be an All-Star, but Derek Jeter is the face of the game. Everyone who is a casual sports fan knows Derek Jeter for all his accomplishments and the way he plays the game. He is not just an All-Star statistically (leading the league in Runs Scored and 6th in OBP while batting .308) but with all of his action on the field and in the clubhouse. For 3 months while promoting the All-Star Game on Fox MLB has had 2 guys in the commercial, Vlad Guerrero and Derek Jeter, what does that tell you right there. Seriously people let’s wise up put Jeter on the team, screw everybody else!!!
You’ve gotta know when to hold em, know when to fold em
- Should Kenny Rogers pitch in the All-Star Game? Uhhhh, yeah sure, why not? Really to me this is a relative non issue. The fact is he acted like a moron by shoving the cameramen and he deserves the suspension he received from Bud Selig. The All-Star game is something that he has earned the right to play in.
Right now I just... I just wanna find some *rockets*!
- Who should be the starting pitcher for the NL next week? Well I would have to go with Roger Clemens. Yes Dontrell Willis has more wins, but Clemens is having the better season. Don’t give me that excuse that Clemens has started before and should give someone else a chance, that is bullshit. In fact because he is older, more toward the end of his career, and one of the All-Time greats I would rather see him start. Clemens starting would be a tribute to the marvelous things he has been able to accomplish throughout his career
Yeah, and ya don’t stop, cause it’s 187 on a mutha fuckin cop
- What is wrong with the Baltimore Orioles? They finally remembered that they sucked. Well injuries have been a fairly big part of it, Javy Lopez and Eric Bedard missing extended time. Plus the total lack of production put forth by the $17 million waste of space known as Sammy Sosa. Since returning from the DL on May 24th he is hitting .187 with 30 strikeouts and only 24 hits, that is plain awful.
Tarzan couldn't take this kind of hot
- Who is the hottest hitter out there?
In his last 31 games Hideki Matsui is batting .415 slugging .734 and has 9 HR’s and 29 RBI.
First time All-Star Jason Bay over the last 9 games is hitting .437 with 3 HR’s 8 RBI & 8 runs scored.
Brewers rookie Ricki Weeks has only 3 hits in July but they are all homeruns and he has driven in 7 in 4 games.
But the hottest is the Indians Travis Haffner. Over his last 21 games he is batting .395 with 10 HR’s 33 RBI 25 runs and slugging a ridiculous .848.
On the Mound:
The Indians Jake Westbrook has finally started pitching well, going 4-1 over his last 5 starts. Pitching 34 innings striking out 25 and walking only 7 while lowering his ERA a half run down to 4.51
Since June 1st, the Nationals closer Chad Cordero has been on fire. Over 18 games he has saved 16 of them giving up 2 runs, 2 walks and only 13 hits.
John Smoltz is finally rounding his arm into starters shape. Over his last 5 starts he is 5-0 with 3 complete games, over that time he has struck out 33 in 41 IP while having a WHIP of 0.73 and he now has his ERA down to 2.68
Hey now, you’re an All-Star get your game on, go play
- Congratulations to Scott Podsednik and Roy Oswalt for being elected to the All-Star team. But let’s get to the real problem here folks, and yes some of this is Yankee fan biased so all you Met and Oriole fans who read this can write comments about how the Yankees suck and all that. But Derek Jeter inexplicably is not on the All-Star team. Listen, Michael Young is a nice ballplayer and I do not doubt he should be an All-Star, but Derek Jeter is the face of the game. Everyone who is a casual sports fan knows Derek Jeter for all his accomplishments and the way he plays the game. He is not just an All-Star statistically (leading the league in Runs Scored and 6th in OBP while batting .308) but with all of his action on the field and in the clubhouse. For 3 months while promoting the All-Star Game on Fox MLB has had 2 guys in the commercial, Vlad Guerrero and Derek Jeter, what does that tell you right there. Seriously people let’s wise up put Jeter on the team, screw everybody else!!!
8 Comments:
Aahhh, good old Mel Allen. I used to love when Phillies games got rained out because it meant they were gonna show old episodes of this week in baseball.
TF
If Derek Jeter had the same stats but played for KC or Milwaukee no one would know who he is. You're not an All-Star because of who you play for. He is the third best shortstop in his division, and the best is playing third. Podsednik is more deseving of the selection. If anyone should be in the game that isn't, it's Morgan Ensberg. As for the O's, if they don't get some pitching before the deadline, they'll be stuck in 3rd again. I don't care how much offense you have, it's been proven over and over again, pitching wins championships. Who cares if you score 8 runs a game when you're giving up 10? Anyway, screw Jeter, he's a nice player, but he isn't even the best on his team at his position.
Here you go FAT BOY, in the AL NOT ML, but AL, Jeter doesn't rank in the top 50 in RBI, Tejada and Young do, he is tied at 32nd in HR, Tejada and Young rank higher, and he is 11th in AVE, again, Tejada and Young are higher. There you have it, Jeter is the fourth best SS in the AL.
Ok Dingle Berry,
First of all get off the A-Rod train. If Joe Torre felt that A-Rod were a better shortstop he would be playing there and Jeter would have moved to second base and they would have kept Aaron Boone after his injury last year.
Secondly, you are comparing Jeter's offensive numbers against guys who are placed in a different part of the lineup and asked to do different things for their team. Jeter is a leadoff hitter, he is payed to get on base and to score runs. Well again, he leads the AL in runs scored, is 7th in OBP and 11th in Walks with 40, light years ahead of Tejada and Young's 22 & 23 respectively.
Jeter is also a better fielder than them with infinately more range than esepcially Michael Young.
Lastly, Jeter is an All-Star like I stated in every sense of the word. And yes part of it has to do with playing in the pressure cooker of New York. That pressure has chewed up and spit out a few pretty good ball players who could not handle playing there (see Kenny Rogers).
And if he did have the same numbers and played for the Royals it would not be as impressive, it is easy to do things for a last place team, or at least that is the argument most of you jimbroni's would make when it came to awarding Alex Rodriguez the MVP trophy even though he played for a last place team. This is also the same general public that feels it is an outrage for Kenny Rogers to play in the All Star game because of his actions.
Well again Jeter is an All Star in this category as well. He is the consumate professional at all times, a clutch player, and ultimate teammate who is always on the top step of the dugout cheering his team on and congratulating his players when they deserve it.
Again the guy is an All Star any way you slice it. Why else would MLB Productions have ran commercials for 3 months with him in the ad while promoting the All Star game. I notice they did not have Kaz Matsui or Shea Hiilenbrand in the ad or even the great Scott Podesednik.
Anthony Irwin Kornheiser said it best on PTI yesterday:
"Derek Jeter is going to the Hall of Fame and Scott Podsednik is going to the dry cleaners."
So, now the argument is that numbers should be compared by batting order. Well, he isn't the best leadoff hitter in the AL either. Face it, Jeter just isn't an All-Star this year.
Derek Jeter can be on the All Gay team, along with Mike Piazza.
Derek Jeter should be an ALL Star? For what? he plays SS for the Yankees, so does that automatically entitle you to an All Star game selection? And if you and Joe Torre both think Jeter is a better short stop then Arod, then you should both take a look at the trophy case. Last time I checked Arod has 2 gold gloves while Jeter has 1 an dthe only reason he won it last year was because Arod was unable to win it for a 3rd straight time due to Torre putting him at 3rd. Nice try! ANd defensively this year Jeter ranks 4th in the AL among SSS in fielding percentage, behind, oh yeah, Michael Young, who just happens to have made half the amount of errors that Jeter has this season and in 6 more innings!
Sorry Dumpy, this popularity contest does not include Mr November! And rings aside, Jose Reyes will have a better statistical career then Jeter when all is said and done!!!! OWNED!!!!
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