The View From The Other Side
Sometimes it’s interesting to see the spin from other markets after games, or, in this case, a series.
It seems Tom Glavine feels that — apart from Richie Sexson’s home run — the Mariner offense just plain got lucky off of him yesterday.
[“]The rest of the stuff, ground balls in the hole or bloop line drives falling in front of guys. If you get a break here or there, it’s a ground ball at somebody or it’s a fly-ball out.”
Without irony, I can say that I admire confidence. It’s a necessary stock in trade for any high-pressure industry, professional sports perhaps the best example. But Tom, you’re giving up 11.8 hits per nine this year. Crash Davis’ “ground ball with eyes” speech aside, not all of those are bleeders.
Besides, it seemed to me that command was the real issue for Glavine yesterday. In over 80 innings, he’s walked just 34 men so far this year — but issued two free passes in two-and-a-third yesterday.
Perhaps he was just frustrated at giving up so many runs against the heretofore anemic Mariner attack. Hopefully, the bats have woken up just in time for another offensively-challenged ball club, the A’s, to roll into town.
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7 Responses to “The View From The Other Side”
This is one time that I have to agree with the view from “the other side.” I was at the starts of both Pedro and Glavine on Saturday and Sunday and I was simply amazed at how many balls hit by the Mariners just barely managed to find a hole or sneak under someone’s glove. Granted, a pitcher like Glavine who allows so many balls in play will see more than a few of them find holes or gaps, but in general I have to agree with his sentiment that the Mariners just plain got lucky with their hits over the weekend. I remember thinking after each single or seeing-eye double, “Wow, the M’s are lucky.” Or should I say: “Wow, the M’s are sure flashing their non-repeatable skill set this weekend.”
It’s times like this that using BB/PA is more descriptive and accurate than using BB/9. 2 BBs in 2.1 IP is a rate of 7.7BB/9, which doesn’t compare well with Glavine’s yearly rate of 3.6BB/9. The 7.7 figure is 115% higher.
However, if you look at the two BB/PA rates, Glavine’s game last night was at .12BB/PA while yearly rate is .09BB/PA. That’s only 35% higher.
If you take Glavine’s yearly BB/9 rate and pump it up 35%, it’s “only” 4.8BB/9. Not good, but not the reason he gave up 6 runs in 2 innings. It was mostly the hits (including a homerun). And all those hits racked up the PAs against Glavine without crediting him with additional innings pitched and mostly unfairly inflating his BB/9 rate.
Tee Hee. Well, maybe it’s time for Glavine to recognize (as we are having to do with Boonie) that he’s not with the Braves no more and it ain’t the 90s either. I’d make a similar comment regarding Pedro but I’m soooooo estatic that we finally beat him that I don’t care if he was out ther eon the mound with in a wheelchair with an oxygen tank and IV.
Sometimes “their balls were just finding holes all day” really means “jeez, our defense can’t get to anything”. The Mets do not look like an outstanding defensive club, Beltran aside. Especially on ground balls (and anything hit near Floyd).
Yes, absent Cameron and the Mets are not outstanding with their gloves. Actually, that they’re playing Beltran in Center and putting Cameron in right upsets me nearly as much as the Yankees playing Jeter at short while A-Rod plays third.
Granted, Beltran is an above average CF, and in no way compares to Jeter as a shortstop. But then A-Rod is a decent SS and in no way compares to Mike Cameron as a centerfielder.
I’ve just got a thing for Mike and I’d like to see him playing centerfield again when he’s healthy.
Truly, the only thing the Mets have going defensively are Cameron, Beltran, and Mientkiewicz. A guy like Pedro can get by with a high amount of K’s but it doesn’t look good for much anybody else in their rotation.
Speaking of Jeter, he commited his 8th error today…