04 October 2009
Stats, Cy, and More
10/07/09 19:13 Filed in: Baseball
A few things stick out when perusing the final 2009
stats:
NO pitcher in either league won 20 games. Three American Leaguers won 19, Sabathia, Verlander, and the hottest pitcher down the stretch, though that is tempered by the fact hat he was not in a pennant race, Felix Hernandez. To me, the AL Cy Young award would be a toss-up between Hernandez and Zack Greinke. In the National League, Adam Wainwright was start to finish a model of consistency, leading the league with his 19 wins, two more than any other NL hurler. But, his teammate Chris Carpenter, coming back from yet another carer-threatening injury, and missing the start of the season, deserves the NL award, with his 17-4 record and league-leading 2.24 ERA.
For much of the year, the experts were saying the Albert Pujois had the triple crown locked up. Well, the rest of us fans waited for the season to end before anointing him, and he barely won one-third of a triple crown, hanging on to the home run title by one, over a charging Prince Fielder, and just behind him one more back, Ryan Howard. Those two tied for the RBI title with 141 each, six more than Prince Albert, who also finished third in the batting race.
The best season-long batting fete goes to Joe Mauer, who missed the first month of the season, and then never stopped hitting from his day one, ending with a league-leading .365 average with 28 HR and 96 RBI. Mauer is setting offensive records for a catcher at a greater pace than even Mike Pizza did, now becoming the first catcher ever to lead a league in batting three times. His stats overshadowed the continued sensational numbers that Ichiro continues to put up. Ichiro was second in the batting race at .352, and collected a MLB high 225 hits. In his nine years in the majors, his lowest hit total in a season was 208, and he raised his lifetime .331 B.A. Also in the AL, Carlos Pena missed the last month of the season, but his then-total of 39 home runs was never surpassed, and he ended in a tie for the AL lead with that rich guy from ny.
A striking non-stat is the fact that NO National League pitcher had as many as FIVE complete games.
NO pitcher in either league won 20 games. Three American Leaguers won 19, Sabathia, Verlander, and the hottest pitcher down the stretch, though that is tempered by the fact hat he was not in a pennant race, Felix Hernandez. To me, the AL Cy Young award would be a toss-up between Hernandez and Zack Greinke. In the National League, Adam Wainwright was start to finish a model of consistency, leading the league with his 19 wins, two more than any other NL hurler. But, his teammate Chris Carpenter, coming back from yet another carer-threatening injury, and missing the start of the season, deserves the NL award, with his 17-4 record and league-leading 2.24 ERA.
For much of the year, the experts were saying the Albert Pujois had the triple crown locked up. Well, the rest of us fans waited for the season to end before anointing him, and he barely won one-third of a triple crown, hanging on to the home run title by one, over a charging Prince Fielder, and just behind him one more back, Ryan Howard. Those two tied for the RBI title with 141 each, six more than Prince Albert, who also finished third in the batting race.
The best season-long batting fete goes to Joe Mauer, who missed the first month of the season, and then never stopped hitting from his day one, ending with a league-leading .365 average with 28 HR and 96 RBI. Mauer is setting offensive records for a catcher at a greater pace than even Mike Pizza did, now becoming the first catcher ever to lead a league in batting three times. His stats overshadowed the continued sensational numbers that Ichiro continues to put up. Ichiro was second in the batting race at .352, and collected a MLB high 225 hits. In his nine years in the majors, his lowest hit total in a season was 208, and he raised his lifetime .331 B.A. Also in the AL, Carlos Pena missed the last month of the season, but his then-total of 39 home runs was never surpassed, and he ended in a tie for the AL lead with that rich guy from ny.
A striking non-stat is the fact that NO National League pitcher had as many as FIVE complete games.
theHoundDawg
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Dodgers, Angels, Tigers, and all That
10/07/09 09:11 Filed in: Baseball
Any sane person would have to pick the scumspripes
and Cards to get to the World Series, but I think
there will be more surprises along the Division and
Championship Series route. No expert gives the
floundering Dodgers a chance against the dominant St.
Louis pitching, but that series will decide the NL
title, as the Phillies cannot make it without a
closer and the Rockies will not see a repeat of
history. In the AL, right now the Angles have the
dominant starting staff and a hot-and-cold closer to
compliment their great offense and stellar defense.
The charging Twins may or may not have enough
pitching to continue their run, but that will be an
interesting series. If only Justin Morneau could
play, and where is Francisco Liriano?
I loved the over-rated Tigers' collapse, which came a few weeks later than I anticipated.
Randy Wolf, Clayton Kershaw and Hiroki Kuroda will have a lot to say about who moves on in the NL.
I loved the over-rated Tigers' collapse, which came a few weeks later than I anticipated.
Randy Wolf, Clayton Kershaw and Hiroki Kuroda will have a lot to say about who moves on in the NL.
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theHoundDawg
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