Most of us know the great stat lines in baseball history, Gibson's 1.12 ERA, Bonds 73 HR, Cy Young 511 wins, etc. However, there are some lines that have been lost in the mix, whether it was a season that was overshadowed by another player, a college season, or a minor league stat. Here is a look at a few seasons that may be overlooked...
1) Tim Lincecum's career Minor League stats - 6-0 - 1.01 ERA - 7 ER in 62 IP with 104 K's. Not a real surprise because of how dominant he has been at the major league level, but still pretty daggum impressive.
2) Lance Berkman (1997 at Rice University) - .431 with 41 HRs and 134 RBI - Helped turn the corner at Rice in this season playing with Matt Anderson and Jose Cruz. Paved the way for one of the best moments in Rice sports history, the 2003 CWS Title.
3) Charley "Ole Hoss" Radbourn's 1884 season - 59 wins, 12 losses, and 73 complete games. Pitching for the Providence Grays, Radbourn was really a "hoss", starting and finishing the Grays last 29 games down the stretch and a victory in the 1st World Series. Charley's 59 wins are still a record, but according to wikipedia, he may have won 60.
4) Rod Carew in 1977 (.388/14/100) - Rod did win the MVP in '77, but his .388 average is somewhat overlooked since George Brett hit .390 just 3 years later. Carew set career highs with 14 HR and 100 RBI this year as well.
5) Rico Carty in 1970 (.366/25/101) - Probably the most overlooked season in Atlanta Braves history, Rico won the batting title and in only 136 games posted over 100 RBI for the only time in his career.
6) Freddy Garcia 2001 - Freddy went 18-6 with a league best 3.05 ERA in 238 innings. Probably overlooked due to Pedro and Randy being so dominant, but in the steriod era Freddy was pretty darn good in 2001.
7) Rickie Weeks 2002 @ Southern University (.495/20/96) - Rickie backed up this season by hitting .483 in 2003 before becoming a top pick of the Brewers.
Anyone else have any to add?
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Football Schedules...
Lets take a quick look at some college football schedules as we try and determine who will be ranked 1 and 2 in the final BCS rankings. The schedules will be ordered from projected toughest game to projected easiest game to see what schedules look the toughest. Some schools, like Penn State, look like they only need to win 2-3 games to be unbeaten...
Florida--------------------Oklahoma-----------------USC
1. at LSU------------------1. Texas (Dallas)-------1. at Ohio St
2. Georgia (Jax)-----------2. Oklahoma St----------2. at Cal
3. at So Carolina----------3. at Nebraska----------3. at Oregon
4. FSU---------------------4. at Miami-------------4. at Notre Dame
5. UT----------------------5. BYU------------------5. Oregon St
6. Arkansas----------------6. at Texas Tech--------6. UCLA
7. at Kentucky-------------7. at Kansas------------7. Arizona
8. Vandy-------------------8. Tulsa----------------8. Arizona St
9. at Miss St--------------9. Texas A&M------------9. Stanford
10. Troy-------------------10. Kansas St-----------10. San Jose St
11. Fla I'ntl--------------11. Baylor--------------11. Washington
12. Chas Southern----------12. Idaho St------------12. Washington St
Georgia--------------------Penn State-------------Georgia Tech
1. Florida (Jax)-----------1. Ohio St-------------1. VT
2. LSU---------------------2. at Michigan St------2. UGA
3. at Oklahoma St----------3. at Illinois---------3. at FSU
4. at GT-------------------4. at Michigan---------4. at Miami
5. at UT-------------------5. Iowa----------------5. UNC
6. at Arkansas-------------6. Minnesota-----------6. Clemson
7. Auburn------------------7. Temple--------------7. Wake
8. South Carolina----------8. Indiana-------------8. at Vandy
9. Arizona St--------------9. at Northwestern-----9. at Miss St
10. at Vandy---------------10. Syracuse------------10. at Virginia
11. Kentucky---------------11. Akron---------------11. at Duke
12. Tenn Tech--------------12. Eastern Illinois----12. Jax St
Texas---------------------LSU--------------------Alabama
1. Oklahoma (Dallas)------1. Florida-------------1. LSU
2. at Oklahoma St---------2. at Alabama----------2. at Ole Miss
3. at Mizzou--------------3. at UGA--------------3. VT (ATL)
4. Kansas-----------------4. at Ole Miss---------4. at Auburn
5. Texas Tech-------------5. Arkansas------------5. Tennessee
6. Colorado---------------6. Auburn--------------6. Arkansas
7. at Texas A&M-----------7. Vandy---------------7. South Carolina
8. at Wyoming-------------8. at Miss St----------8. at Kentucky
9. at Baylor--------------9. La Tech-------------9. at Miss St
10. UCF-------------------10. at Washington-------10. Fla I'ntl
11. UTEP------------------11. Tulane--------------11. North Texas
12. ULM-------------------12. Louisiana-----------12. Chattanooga
What do we take from this? Well, it gives a little bit of insight into what games teams need to win in order to be undefeated and all but place them in the BCS Title Game. For Florida, if they can get by LSU, they don't have much else to worry about. The only other games on their schedule that may even be close are UGA, at USC, FSU,and UT. Only 1 road game there...
If Penn State can beat Ohio State, they should be undefeated headed into East Lansing in the final week. The USC/Ohio State winner will probably only need 1 or 2 other big wins to run the table. LSU's schedule is very top heavy, with 3 brutal road games plus Florida. The VT/Bama winner should be in pretty good shape as well.
Another brutal schedule for UGA. Only 1 of their top 6 toughest games is at home. However, they seem to play well in other teams stadiums...
The Oklahoma/Texas winner will be a strong player in the final BCS standings as long as they can get by Oklahoma St. Georgia Tech's schedule is not bad either, with 2 only 2 of their 7 toughest games away from home. USC's 4 toughest games are on the road, and with a new QB, I don't see them running the table.
Early prediction? Florida vs Texas
Sneaky Title Game Teams? Penn State, Cal, Bama
Also an interesting note, if Colt McCoy wins the Heisman, there could be 3 Heisman winners selected in the 1st round of next years NFL draft...
Florida--------------------Oklahoma-----------------USC
1. at LSU------------------1. Texas (Dallas)-------1. at Ohio St
2. Georgia (Jax)-----------2. Oklahoma St----------2. at Cal
3. at So Carolina----------3. at Nebraska----------3. at Oregon
4. FSU---------------------4. at Miami-------------4. at Notre Dame
5. UT----------------------5. BYU------------------5. Oregon St
6. Arkansas----------------6. at Texas Tech--------6. UCLA
7. at Kentucky-------------7. at Kansas------------7. Arizona
8. Vandy-------------------8. Tulsa----------------8. Arizona St
9. at Miss St--------------9. Texas A&M------------9. Stanford
10. Troy-------------------10. Kansas St-----------10. San Jose St
11. Fla I'ntl--------------11. Baylor--------------11. Washington
12. Chas Southern----------12. Idaho St------------12. Washington St
Georgia--------------------Penn State-------------Georgia Tech
1. Florida (Jax)-----------1. Ohio St-------------1. VT
2. LSU---------------------2. at Michigan St------2. UGA
3. at Oklahoma St----------3. at Illinois---------3. at FSU
4. at GT-------------------4. at Michigan---------4. at Miami
5. at UT-------------------5. Iowa----------------5. UNC
6. at Arkansas-------------6. Minnesota-----------6. Clemson
7. Auburn------------------7. Temple--------------7. Wake
8. South Carolina----------8. Indiana-------------8. at Vandy
9. Arizona St--------------9. at Northwestern-----9. at Miss St
10. at Vandy---------------10. Syracuse------------10. at Virginia
11. Kentucky---------------11. Akron---------------11. at Duke
12. Tenn Tech--------------12. Eastern Illinois----12. Jax St
Texas---------------------LSU--------------------Alabama
1. Oklahoma (Dallas)------1. Florida-------------1. LSU
2. at Oklahoma St---------2. at Alabama----------2. at Ole Miss
3. at Mizzou--------------3. at UGA--------------3. VT (ATL)
4. Kansas-----------------4. at Ole Miss---------4. at Auburn
5. Texas Tech-------------5. Arkansas------------5. Tennessee
6. Colorado---------------6. Auburn--------------6. Arkansas
7. at Texas A&M-----------7. Vandy---------------7. South Carolina
8. at Wyoming-------------8. at Miss St----------8. at Kentucky
9. at Baylor--------------9. La Tech-------------9. at Miss St
10. UCF-------------------10. at Washington-------10. Fla I'ntl
11. UTEP------------------11. Tulane--------------11. North Texas
12. ULM-------------------12. Louisiana-----------12. Chattanooga
What do we take from this? Well, it gives a little bit of insight into what games teams need to win in order to be undefeated and all but place them in the BCS Title Game. For Florida, if they can get by LSU, they don't have much else to worry about. The only other games on their schedule that may even be close are UGA, at USC, FSU,and UT. Only 1 road game there...
If Penn State can beat Ohio State, they should be undefeated headed into East Lansing in the final week. The USC/Ohio State winner will probably only need 1 or 2 other big wins to run the table. LSU's schedule is very top heavy, with 3 brutal road games plus Florida. The VT/Bama winner should be in pretty good shape as well.
Another brutal schedule for UGA. Only 1 of their top 6 toughest games is at home. However, they seem to play well in other teams stadiums...
The Oklahoma/Texas winner will be a strong player in the final BCS standings as long as they can get by Oklahoma St. Georgia Tech's schedule is not bad either, with 2 only 2 of their 7 toughest games away from home. USC's 4 toughest games are on the road, and with a new QB, I don't see them running the table.
Early prediction? Florida vs Texas
Sneaky Title Game Teams? Penn State, Cal, Bama
Also an interesting note, if Colt McCoy wins the Heisman, there could be 3 Heisman winners selected in the 1st round of next years NFL draft...
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Premier League thoughts...
A look at the top 4...
With Christiano Ronaldo leaving Manchester United without a solid replacement, the Reds are certainly vulnerable in the 09/10 Premier League table. Scholes, Carrick, and Giggs are still solid in midfield, but there is not a gamechanger anymore. Berbatov was good last year at striker, but he will need a fit Rooney and Owen to be the force he needs to be for ManU to retain their title.
Chelsea took a step backwords last year, even though they won the FA. They still have the best midfield in the world (Deco, Essien, Ballack, Lampard) and a good backline, but are not overwhelming at the forward spot. Anelka was good last year but Drogba battled lots of injuries. The youngster Scott Sinclair looked good yesterday, but at 20 is probably not ready to be a focal point of the club.
Liverpool look pretty solid and if they add Ashley Young they will be my pick to win the league this season. If not, they are still good enough to stay in the top 4 without much pressure. Gerrard is still in top form, and he has plenty of help up front with Kuyt and Torres.
Arsenal look the most vulnerable in the top 4, especially after losing Adebayor to Man City. They will be really young and need a strong season from veteran Robin Van Persie.
Look for Man City to be the biggest threat to the top 4 this season. While the clubs mentioned have some issues at the striker spot, City has plenty of great options. After adding Adebayor to join Robinho and Carlos Tevez, the top 3 strikers for City are better than any club. Steven Ireland really came on as a creative midfielder last season, and he played well alongside Wright-Phillips. If they add John Terry, City may even be a favorite to win a spot in the Champions League next season.
Tottenham are in the running for Ashley Young as well and could be in the mix after the dissapointment of last season. Pavlyuchenko is going to be a star and should be more comfortable in year 2.
Everton will again be very good but have some of the same fitness issues at forward as some of the top clubs. Saha, Vaughan, Yakubu all had injury issues last season as did midfielders Arteta and Cahill. When fit, this club is as good as any. But, with limited funds do not have the depth of some of the other top clubs. Look for them to battle for the top 4 early, then finish 5th or 6th.
Complete table predictions will be up in a few weeks, until then, GO ON USA!!
With Christiano Ronaldo leaving Manchester United without a solid replacement, the Reds are certainly vulnerable in the 09/10 Premier League table. Scholes, Carrick, and Giggs are still solid in midfield, but there is not a gamechanger anymore. Berbatov was good last year at striker, but he will need a fit Rooney and Owen to be the force he needs to be for ManU to retain their title.
Chelsea took a step backwords last year, even though they won the FA. They still have the best midfield in the world (Deco, Essien, Ballack, Lampard) and a good backline, but are not overwhelming at the forward spot. Anelka was good last year but Drogba battled lots of injuries. The youngster Scott Sinclair looked good yesterday, but at 20 is probably not ready to be a focal point of the club.
Liverpool look pretty solid and if they add Ashley Young they will be my pick to win the league this season. If not, they are still good enough to stay in the top 4 without much pressure. Gerrard is still in top form, and he has plenty of help up front with Kuyt and Torres.
Arsenal look the most vulnerable in the top 4, especially after losing Adebayor to Man City. They will be really young and need a strong season from veteran Robin Van Persie.
Look for Man City to be the biggest threat to the top 4 this season. While the clubs mentioned have some issues at the striker spot, City has plenty of great options. After adding Adebayor to join Robinho and Carlos Tevez, the top 3 strikers for City are better than any club. Steven Ireland really came on as a creative midfielder last season, and he played well alongside Wright-Phillips. If they add John Terry, City may even be a favorite to win a spot in the Champions League next season.
Tottenham are in the running for Ashley Young as well and could be in the mix after the dissapointment of last season. Pavlyuchenko is going to be a star and should be more comfortable in year 2.
Everton will again be very good but have some of the same fitness issues at forward as some of the top clubs. Saha, Vaughan, Yakubu all had injury issues last season as did midfielders Arteta and Cahill. When fit, this club is as good as any. But, with limited funds do not have the depth of some of the other top clubs. Look for them to battle for the top 4 early, then finish 5th or 6th.
Complete table predictions will be up in a few weeks, until then, GO ON USA!!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
As Chuck Barkley would say, "Turreble"
Most of you know that OPS is the new era standard for excellence at the plate. Just look at the leaders in the majors and you will see all-stars all over the top 10 (Pujols, Mauer, Ibanez, Fielder, etc). It calculates OBP (how often you get on base) and SLG (how many total bases you produce). What is interesting, though, is looking at the bottom 20 and seeing how many big-time names are there (top 10 round fantasy type players).
We all know the woes of Jeff Francoeur (4th worst at .626 or almost half of Pujols), but what about Jimmy Rollins at .642? Jimmy is well under .100 points of his career OPS, and that includes the 1st 2-3 years of his career where he was below average at the plate. In the bottom tier, you usually see 1 trick pony's like base stealers, catchers, or defensive wizards. But to see what were considered top-tier shortstops like Rollins, Furcal, Cabrera, Hardy, and Eckstein all in the bottom 20 is pretty wild. Also included are all-or-nothing hitters like Chris Davis, Adrien Beltre, Chris Young, and Kevin Kouzmanoff. Former all-stars Magglio Ordonez and Russell Martin are also in the bottom 20.
Number 1 (or last) on the list? Willy Tavares with a .579 OPS and a .031 point lead over Jason Kendall. Turreble.
We all know the woes of Jeff Francoeur (4th worst at .626 or almost half of Pujols), but what about Jimmy Rollins at .642? Jimmy is well under .100 points of his career OPS, and that includes the 1st 2-3 years of his career where he was below average at the plate. In the bottom tier, you usually see 1 trick pony's like base stealers, catchers, or defensive wizards. But to see what were considered top-tier shortstops like Rollins, Furcal, Cabrera, Hardy, and Eckstein all in the bottom 20 is pretty wild. Also included are all-or-nothing hitters like Chris Davis, Adrien Beltre, Chris Young, and Kevin Kouzmanoff. Former all-stars Magglio Ordonez and Russell Martin are also in the bottom 20.
Number 1 (or last) on the list? Willy Tavares with a .579 OPS and a .031 point lead over Jason Kendall. Turreble.
Thoughts on Prado...
What a season so far for Martin Prado. It is just a shame it took Bobby this long to realize he had an ideal #2 hitter on his bench. Prado has been outstanding since taking over for Kelly Johnson and established himself as the 2-hole hitter. Only 3 players in the majors this season have 200+ plate appearances and fewer than 20 strikeouts (Prado, L.Castillo, Y.Betancourt). Prado is the only one of these 3 with a batting average over .285 (.330 thru Friday). He puts the ball in play, doesn't swing at bad pitches, and has some pop. He reminds me of Placido Polanco of about 4 years ago with more power. If eligible (Prado is currently 61 AB's shy) for the batting average lead, he would be 5th in the NL.
The key to this season may be the emergence of a solid all-around hitter at the top of the Braves order. How many times in the first 2 months of the season did the Braves lose a close game because of an ill-timed strikeout or bad at bat (cough, Francoeur, cough, KJ)? The pitching has been consistent all year (for my money, Jurrjens has been the best) and 1/2 to 1 run more per game would really make this a pretty good team.
I just hope it isn't too late...
The key to this season may be the emergence of a solid all-around hitter at the top of the Braves order. How many times in the first 2 months of the season did the Braves lose a close game because of an ill-timed strikeout or bad at bat (cough, Francoeur, cough, KJ)? The pitching has been consistent all year (for my money, Jurrjens has been the best) and 1/2 to 1 run more per game would really make this a pretty good team.
I just hope it isn't too late...
Friday, July 17, 2009
Weekend Stuff...
As I watch Tiger's meltdown...
The Phillis are pretty hot right now, if they get Halladay it is game over in the NL East...
With every top-tier team in the East improving, the Heat are looking to upgrade as well at the frontcourt spots. With their already being talks of Boozer headed to Miami as well, they could have a pretty good first 5 (if healthy, big if) - Chalmers/Wade/Odom/Boozer/O'Neal
Finally, a video of Pacman Jones "Makin it Rain"
Thomas Brown being healthy in Falcons camp could lead to their already good special teams becoming even better...
According to basketball-reference.com, Antoine Walker made $99,287,540 in his career - how bad of gambling problem do you have if you are almost a million down in the casinos after making that kind of money over a 14 year NBA career?
Speaking of gambling problems, Charles Barkley isn't the only person with a bad swing. Take a look at some of the swings on this site..
Sekou Smith of the AJC tweeted about the Hawks and says they are in the mix for some veteran bigs...can't say the names yet, but good to know they are looking...
It will be interesting to see how the Dolphins use Pat White this year, considering they took him much earlier than most people expected (44th)...
We are a month away from the deadline for MLB draft picks to sign or enroll in school. Stephen Strasburg is getting most of the pub, but lots of top picks have yet to sign, including the Braves top pick Mike Minor. For a list of all picks in the top 10 rounds and who has signed and for how much, click here...
In case you missed, Baseball America released their midseason top 25 prospects in all of the minor leagues. Number 1 on the list? The recently promoted Jason Heyward. Jason is hitting .417 at Mississippi his 1st 10 games there and is .316/11/41 with a .942 OPS this season. Teammate Freddie Freeman checks in at number 11 on the list. Maybe this inept offense won't last too long after all. Pretty good offensive core the next 5-7 years with Heyward, Freeman, Escobar, McLouth, McCann, Prado...
The Phillis are pretty hot right now, if they get Halladay it is game over in the NL East...
With every top-tier team in the East improving, the Heat are looking to upgrade as well at the frontcourt spots. With their already being talks of Boozer headed to Miami as well, they could have a pretty good first 5 (if healthy, big if) - Chalmers/Wade/Odom/Boozer/O'Neal
Finally, a video of Pacman Jones "Makin it Rain"
Thomas Brown being healthy in Falcons camp could lead to their already good special teams becoming even better...
According to basketball-reference.com, Antoine Walker made $99,287,540 in his career - how bad of gambling problem do you have if you are almost a million down in the casinos after making that kind of money over a 14 year NBA career?
Speaking of gambling problems, Charles Barkley isn't the only person with a bad swing. Take a look at some of the swings on this site..
Sekou Smith of the AJC tweeted about the Hawks and says they are in the mix for some veteran bigs...can't say the names yet, but good to know they are looking...
It will be interesting to see how the Dolphins use Pat White this year, considering they took him much earlier than most people expected (44th)...
We are a month away from the deadline for MLB draft picks to sign or enroll in school. Stephen Strasburg is getting most of the pub, but lots of top picks have yet to sign, including the Braves top pick Mike Minor. For a list of all picks in the top 10 rounds and who has signed and for how much, click here...
In case you missed, Baseball America released their midseason top 25 prospects in all of the minor leagues. Number 1 on the list? The recently promoted Jason Heyward. Jason is hitting .417 at Mississippi his 1st 10 games there and is .316/11/41 with a .942 OPS this season. Teammate Freddie Freeman checks in at number 11 on the list. Maybe this inept offense won't last too long after all. Pretty good offensive core the next 5-7 years with Heyward, Freeman, Escobar, McLouth, McCann, Prado...
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
College Football Talk...
Looks like the concensus is that Florida will win their 3rd title in 4 years. Hard to believe that just 2 years ago, no team had won 2 BCS titles and now UF may be looking at 3. Their schedule sure works out, with them only MSU, ARK, and LSU from the West and avoiding Bama and Auburn. The LSU game is on the road and their most likely loss. I would like to think UGA has a shot in Jax, but it will take a '97 type performance to knock off the powerful Gators.
Just take a quick look at the talent UF has. Now, I think the Percy Harvin loss will hurt more than people think. However, with 3 potential top 15 players on defense (Dunlap, Spikes, Haden), Tebow, the speedsters in the backfield (Demps, Rainey), and depth/experience, UF looks like a clear favorite. The only thing that could potentially derail UF, just like the past 2 years, is a Tebow injury. When he was hurt in 2007, the Gators went 9-4. When healthy, they look pretty dang unstoppable. Tebow's backup is John Brantley, who has little experience, and the 3rd stringer is punter Chas Henry.
The most likely contenders besides UF are the Red-River Shootout winner, USC, and the Ohio St/Penn St winner. Virginia Tech may be a sleeper pick if Taylor becomes a better all-around QB and another team I like is Cal. If they can beat USC, Cal has a chance to be in the mix in December. They have the best QB in the Pac-10 (Riley), the best RB in the Pac-10 (Best), and a solid D with playmakers (Mike Mohamed and Syd'Quan Thompson).
The weekly top 25 polls will start September 6th, but as for pre-season polls, the 1st edition will be on here by August 15. As for now, an early look at who I like to win Conference Championships.
ACC - VT
SEC - UF
Big 12 - Texas
Big 10 - Penn St
Big East - USF
Pac-10 - Cal
C-USA - USM
WAC - Boise St
MW - TCU
MAC - Akron
Sun Belt - Troy
British Open pick - Ian Poulter
Just take a quick look at the talent UF has. Now, I think the Percy Harvin loss will hurt more than people think. However, with 3 potential top 15 players on defense (Dunlap, Spikes, Haden), Tebow, the speedsters in the backfield (Demps, Rainey), and depth/experience, UF looks like a clear favorite. The only thing that could potentially derail UF, just like the past 2 years, is a Tebow injury. When he was hurt in 2007, the Gators went 9-4. When healthy, they look pretty dang unstoppable. Tebow's backup is John Brantley, who has little experience, and the 3rd stringer is punter Chas Henry.
The most likely contenders besides UF are the Red-River Shootout winner, USC, and the Ohio St/Penn St winner. Virginia Tech may be a sleeper pick if Taylor becomes a better all-around QB and another team I like is Cal. If they can beat USC, Cal has a chance to be in the mix in December. They have the best QB in the Pac-10 (Riley), the best RB in the Pac-10 (Best), and a solid D with playmakers (Mike Mohamed and Syd'Quan Thompson).
The weekly top 25 polls will start September 6th, but as for pre-season polls, the 1st edition will be on here by August 15. As for now, an early look at who I like to win Conference Championships.
ACC - VT
SEC - UF
Big 12 - Texas
Big 10 - Penn St
Big East - USF
Pac-10 - Cal
C-USA - USM
WAC - Boise St
MW - TCU
MAC - Akron
Sun Belt - Troy
British Open pick - Ian Poulter
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