The next stretch
The next three games against the Yankees are as important to the Wild Card race as the series against the Angels was. The M’s have to take some games out of New York here. If they’re swept and five games down in the race against the Yankees with just over three weeks in the schedule, that’s over. And then they face Detroit, where they’re likely to face much the same situation: if they come out of the Detroit series behind the Tigers and the Yankees by two games, that’s it too.
On the other hand — winning cures all. Beating up on New York and then Detroit would put them right back into this, and the difference in schedules wouldn’t make that big a difference over such a short period of time. They’d have a chance at it.
But look at the matchups. Super-commenter msb laid them out in the game thread, and it’s uphill.
Yankees:
Felix against “TBA” (Clemens may still make this start, though roughed up)
Ramirez against Wang
Washburn against Hughes
It’s hard not to look at that three-game matchup without dread. Do our playoff hopes really rest on Horacio stealing one in Yankee Stadium against Wang? Yeagh.
And then against Detroit, we’re likely going to see
Batista against Robertson
Weaver against Bonderman
Felix against who knows.
Better, but still.
Six big games. I’d feel a lot better about the team’s chance of climbing back into contention if I hadn’t seen all the (televised) losses (and listened to the radio-only).
I suspect teams/players that swing at lots of pitches and don’t take BB’s are “streaky” – whatever that means. Combine M’s singles with Boston/NYY walks and you probably have the best offense in MLB.
Interesting to note that of the top 10-11 teams in XBH
#38 – It would fit this club to give Dusty Baker another look.
they didn’t give him a first look, why would they give him another one?
I suspect teams/players that swing at lots of pitches and don’t take BB’s are “streaky†– whatever that means. Combine M’s singles with Boston/NYY walks and you probably have the best offense in MLB.
Interesting to note that of the top 10-11 teams in XBH’s maybe 1-2 will make the playoffs.
1/2 the teams with the highest SLG are more or less out of contention. The top 10 in BA are all in contention.
I agree with 32; pitching, plate discipline, speed are what limits “streakyness”. Hitting for average/OBP is a better indicator of success than hitting for power.
so, Clay Bucholtz is what, 10? A really tall 10?
There is noooooooooo way Dusty Baker should be in charge of the M’s.
Ah, good ole’ Rusty Staub…the pre-Edgar Edgar.
Please no Dusty Baker. I do not want to see Felix throw 140 pitches a game.
58: Felix throwing 140/game is certainly not desirable, but if it saves us from anymore Gas Can sightings…
I’d rather have 5 Rick Whites in the bullpen than see Felix end up like Prior.
52:
Do not wish for Baker. He will screw up our pitchers. He is notorious for being bad with pitchers.
That’s as succinct a reason for not getting Baker as I can think of.
How much longer does it need to be?
If you’re talking to me, I was giving you a compliment.
41–what I said is that teams with good offenses AND BAD PITCHING (especially in the rotation) are streaky, because the offense has to carry the team, and offenses are by their very nature streaky.
I’m with the others on the subject of Baker. He destroys pitchers; getting him would guarantee a short career for Felix. (By the way, the sainted Jim Leyland has been known to do this also.) I’ve never been convinced that he’s a good manager in general; I think he’s a shameless self-promoter that’s very good at working the media.
Is Sparky Anderson still alive? Maybe we can get him out of retirement to manage the M’s.
Remember when it was really important that the Angels lost.
Rangers FINALLY “help us out” by beating the Angies — now that we’re BEYOND help, that is. >:(
#67– I dunno, I think Sparky is a little busy these days
How about Jack McKeon? Id rather have him than McLaren.
70: That Sparky link is terribly frightening.. he’s hawking baseball-themed urns and caskets??
Come to think of it, not a bad parallel to our September..
That’s 1-888-6-CASKET
Heh.
Msb: Wow! Thanks for that link…a bit spooky, but nonetheless, interesting to say the least!
Ward: I agree — define irony!
For what it’s worth here’s my short list for the Ms during their “make a splash” marketing, er, I mean “doing what’s best for their franchise” managerial search (in no particular order):
1. Gene Mauch (resurrecting Christ created a splash, imagine the anticipation for Mauch’s first game back, especially when he bats Johjima leadoff, WFB 2nd and Ichiro 9th as a tablesettor to set up Jo…
2. Dusty Baker….just rolling the name off my tongue makes me giddy… imagine the family friendly moments at homeplate as Dusty’s grandson has to be swooped up and out of the way of the runner at every big play at the plate.
3. Bob Boone: he’s a baseball guy from a baseball family. Enuff said. Besides, he truly does have the guts to play two shortstops…don’t expect him to be bullied by the umpire into changing his lineup card.
4. Tony Larussa. He’s really a dark horse because well, being a witch doctor, he’s a tough fit when considering branding and he basically comes as a package deal with Walt Jockety. Could Bavasi’s big splash include firing himself? I’ll go on record and say that if Bavasi fires himself, i’ll buy him a large two topping pizza of his choice, a pitcher of beer (or pop) and i’ll give him a zeroxed copy of “The Sinister Firstbaseman” (the originals are going for $200 on ebay!).
5. Larry Bowa (really my personal favorite): This team has basically lacked hustle and effort all season with the results finally culminating in their last 8 games. Really the ’07 Ms were most likely just Larry Bowa away from the world series. You know it, I know it, everybody knows it therefore, it’s the right thing to do. Think of the children who come to Safeco! They deserve to see a winner with hustle and effort. Do it for the children.
Honorable mentions: Bob Brenly, Mike Hargrove (he’s family now you know), Clint Hurdle, Ken Macha
Most likely choice: Dusty Baker or Frank Robinson.
um, son. Dusty did that late 2nd family thing.
on the other hand, it could be a good job for Willie B.
I would rather have a totally unknown manager come in who demonstrated some guts in not always playing by the normal baseball axioms, which include:
Never bench a veteran player slumping earlier in the season who is now on some sort of a hitting streak.
Never bench a veteran player in the midst of a slump.
Don’t tinker with starting pitcher rotation.
Veterans are always to be preferred over rookies.
Use a pitcher based on statistics, not on circumstance (I think Sherrill’s relegation to a single batter per appearance hastened his decline and limited his versatility).
‘Head cases’ (#4 no matter how noble a reason such as a family death) will work through their problems.
Little ball has no place in the AL.
The ONE AXIOM I WILL swear by is based on decades of watching players (albeit on TV): good pitching will usually beat good hitting. In order to be considered a ‘good’ pitcher, his record should be around 2 wins for every loss. In other words, a .667 average. On the other hand, a good hitter (timing of hits notwithstanding) is someone who is out 2 out of every three appearances: a .333 average. It seems so simple that in order to get the optimum results, a team should devote its resources to developing its pitchers, or investing in someone who might have the stuff in a year or so.
I think it was Colin Cowherd on ESPN who pointed out that most recent FA pitchers have turned out to be pretty lackluster. All one has to do is look at Detroit and Minnesota to see where their arms came from.
The funny part of all this is that of all the teams vying for WC with Seattle, the one with the screwiest pitching have to be the Yankees. Can anyone imagine what their record would be like if they had the same five starters now as they did at the start of the season? How many contenders have the same five starters now as they did when the season started?