Looking at the Game of Baseball from all ends of the Spectrum
Now that the Big Ten season is over, some Illini players have plans for the summer. Some beginning as early as today, fifteen Illinois baseball players will be busy this summer playing in collegiate summer leagues. Four will play for the Fayetteville (NC) Swampdogs. In addition, seven will play for teams in the Northwoods League … Continue reading “Summer Plans”
Now that the Big Ten season is over, some Illini players have plans for the summer. Some beginning as early as today, fifteen Illinois baseball players will be busy this summer playing in collegiate summer leagues. Four will play for the Fayetteville (NC) Swampdogs. In addition, seven will play for teams in the Northwoods League in the Wisconsin Minnesota area.
Check out the Illini’s web site for the complete listing of where the Illini will be playing this summer.
When I first began listening to MLB.com Fantasy 411, I was a bit skeptical. Coming from MLB, I suspected something over-polished, toeing the company line. You see, that’s what I like about listening to baseball podcasts. I get the sense that, for the most part, the hosts are baseball fans foremost. Unlike many of the … Continue reading “Podcast Review: MLB.com Fantasy 411”
When I first began listening to MLB.com Fantasy 411, I was a bit skeptical. Coming from MLB, I suspected something over-polished, toeing the company line.
You see, that’s what I like about listening to baseball podcasts. I get the sense that, for the most part, the hosts are baseball fans foremost. Unlike many of the TV or radio sports personalities who seem to be either entertainers or former athletes. As a result, ‘casters tend to put out a more intelligent show with better, more in-depth analysis.
Well, my skepticism is not warranted. It’s almost as if MLB went out, found two guys who are really into fantasy baseball and hired them to do a show. Who knows? Maybe that’s what they did.
Hosts Cory Scharwtz and Mike Siano are involved in fantasy baseball leagues and readily talk about their experiences. More importantly, they take calls an emails (mostly asking about trade advice). They always do a quick summary of the majors and end their show with “Pitch or Ditch”, a rundown of the pitching probables of the next day.
As the name implies, their focus is fantasy baseball so if that is not your thing, the show may not appeal to you. If it is though, you’ll get some useful info.
No, Jerry Hairston Jr isn’t high fiving his Cub teammates on being traded to the first place Texas Rangers for Phil Nevin. What does this trade mean? Does it mean DLee might not be coming back anytime too soon? Does it mean the Cubs may not need four secondbasemen after all? Phil Nevin will fill … Continue reading “IS DLEE COMING BACK???”
No, Jerry Hairston Jr isn’t high fiving his Cub teammates on being traded to the first place Texas Rangers for Phil Nevin. What does this trade mean? Does it mean DLee might not be coming back anytime too soon? Does it mean the Cubs may not need four secondbasemen after all?
Phil Nevin will fill in at firstbase for the injured DLee, interesting this deal was made after DLee’s cast came off. Nevin drove in more than 100 runs three times in his career, all for the Padres, his best season coming in 2001 when he launched 41 homers and drove in 126. Phil hit a game winning home run off Huston Street on May 25th.
Don’t really know where Hairston fits in with Texas. Ian Kinsler is the Rangers everyday secondbaseman and Gary Matthews Jr plays CF, with Brad Wilkerson in LF, and Kevin Mench in RF.
In the last fifty years there have been three major leaguers to bat .300 or better for ten straight years. Right now Vladimir Guerrero has done it nine consecutive years and is well on his way to number ten. He’ll be the first righthanded hitter to accomplish this task. Can you name the lefthanded hitters … Continue reading “.300 TEN YEARS IN A ROW”
In the last fifty years there have been three major leaguers to bat .300 or better for ten straight years. Right now Vladimir Guerrero has done it nine consecutive years and is well on his way to number ten. He’ll be the first righthanded hitter to accomplish this task. Can you name the lefthanded hitters who have done it?
Jose “Chico” Castillo is the best fielding secondbaseman in baseball today. I may be a little prejudice as he plays for my APBA team in addition to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Soon the rest of the baseball world will catch up with Teddy Ballgame and my opinion will become an accepted fact. Castillo is a Venezuelan … Continue reading “5/30/06 Linescore of the Day: Jose Castillo”
Jose “Chico” Castillo is the best fielding secondbaseman in baseball today. I may be a little prejudice as he plays for my APBA team in addition to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Soon the rest of the baseball world will catch up with Teddy Ballgame and my opinion will become an accepted fact. Castillo is a Venezuelan who played SS his whole life before the Bucs switched him to the keystone spot because they had a slick fielding shortstop in Jack Wilson. Jose is a little thicker than his fellow countrymen who’ve come to define the shortstop position: Chico Carrasquel, Luis Aparicio, Dave Concepcion, Ozzie Guillen, & Omar Vizquel. As a result of his build Jose has alot more pop in his bat. I dubbed Castillo, Chico, when Carrasquel passed away, and the nickname stuck. Chico has been watching teammate Jason Bay and has picked up right where Bay left off. Jason had a six game homer streak snapped on Monday. Castillo has homered in his last four games, but last night was the topper. Jose hit a solo shot in the 2nd, a three run 441 foot blast in the 3rd, and a double high off the centerfield wall in the 7th.
Jose Castillo 4 for 4, 2 HR, 1 2B, 6 RBI, 3 runs, 1 BB
6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (Win) 2 for 2, 2B, rbi Wood’s first win since July last year can only mean good things for the Cubs. Things can’t really get much worse anyway after this weekend’s series with Atlanta. Long term, I still think Wood belongs in the … Continue reading “5/29/06 Linescore of the Day: Kerry Wood”
6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (Win)
2 for 2, 2B, rbi
Wood’s first win since July last year can only mean good things for the Cubs. Things can’t really get much worse anyway after this weekend’s series with Atlanta.
Long term, I still think Wood belongs in the pen but that won’t work until the Cubs have a solid staff.
Followup: Just after I was done with this post, I ran across Dusty Baker and Pitch Counts on The Hardball Times which claims that Dusty for the part, does not overuse his pitchers. Cub fans will be skeptical, I’m sure.
Update: Cubs up 4-1 in the fifth in tonight’s game thanks in part to a 3-run double by Jacque Jones. Nobody giving Jacque’s mom any crap tonight. He did make an error helping the Reds score their only run, though.
This came out last week but it’s important enough to mention. Three Illinois players were chosen to the All-Big Ten team. One made the second team and two made the third team. Here is the full list of the All-Big Ten teams Ryan Snowden Outfielder Ryan Snowden, who led the Illini in hitting (.352), runs (53) … Continue reading “Illini Win Big Ten Honors”
This came out last week but it’s important enough to mention. Three Illinois players were chosen to the All-Big Ten team. One made the second team and two made the third team.
Here is the full list of the All-Big Ten teams
Ryan Snowden
Outfielder Ryan Snowden, who led the Illini in hitting (.352), runs (53) and doubles (20) was chosen to the second team. Snowden hails from nearby Matoon, IL.
Ryan Hastings
Secondbaseman Ryan Hastings, who also hails from Matoon, was chosen to the third team. Hastings hit .327 with 33 rbis.
Shawn Roof
Also chosen to the third team was shortstop Shawn Roof. He hit .337 with a .429 OBP.
This is the first award for all three players. More important for the Illini, Roof and Snowden are Juniors and Hastings is a Sophomore so we can expect them back next year for more.
Yep, the Michigan Wolverines won the Big Ten Tournament. The Illini can take heart in the fact that the team they lost to, Minnesota, lasted till the very end. The Gophers were defeated in the championship game by the Wolverines. Not only that, Minnesota actually defeated Michigan in the second round to force them to the loser’s bracket. … Continue reading “Big Ten Tourney Wrap-up”
Yep, the Michigan Wolverines won the Big Ten Tournament. The Illini can take heart in the fact that the team they lost to, Minnesota, lasted till the very end. The Gophers were defeated in the championship game by the Wolverines.
Not only that, Minnesota actually defeated Michigan in the second round to force them to the loser’s bracket. Unfortunately, Michigan was able to fight back and win two games against the Gophers to win the tourney championship.
HR: ATL: E. Renteria (4, 5), B. Pena (1), R. Langerhans (4), A. Jones (12), A. LaRoche (7, 8), M. Giles (2) It was batting practice yesterday against Cub pitching with 8 homeruns, a club record which was set in Milwaukee again, against the Cubs. Edgar Renteria and Adam LaRoche knocked out two each. The Cubs did finally put some offense together, scoring … Continue reading “5/28/06 Linescore of the Day Atlanta Brave lineup”
HR: ATL: E. Renteria (4, 5), B. Pena (1), R. Langerhans (4), A. Jones (12), A. LaRoche (7, 8), M. Giles (2)
It was batting practice yesterday against Cub pitching with 8 homeruns, a club record which was set in Milwaukee again, against the Cubs.
Edgar Renteria and Adam LaRoche knocked out two each.
The Cubs did finally put some offense together, scoring 12. Their timing was off as Atlanta’s homerun spree put 13 runs on the boards during the 11 inning contest.
Reliever Oscar Villarreal got the win. With only 22 innings, Vill already has seven wins, good for third for in the NL.
Shane Costa Detroit Tigers starter Mike Maroth was almost perfect in Thursday’s game against the Kansas City Royals. Shane Costa was the only man who stood between Maroth and perfection, perfectly awful that is. The lefty pitcher didn’t even have to take a post game shower as he wasn’t around long enough to work up … Continue reading “WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS GUY?”
Shane Costa
Detroit Tigers starter Mike Maroth was almost perfect in Thursday’s game against the Kansas City Royals. Shane Costa was the only man who stood between Maroth and perfection, perfectly awful that is. The lefty pitcher didn’t even have to take a post game shower as he wasn’t around long enough to work up a sweat. Royal fans probably thought their hitters were still taking batting practice as the Striped Cats spotted KC six runs in the 1st before coming back to beat the hopeless Kansas City club 13-8. Esteban German got a leadoff single to left, Shane Costa popped to short, Reggie Sanders doubled German to third, Emil Brown’s double to center plated two, Tony Graffanino hit a two run homer to left, Angel Berroa hit a solo shot to left, Doug Mientkiewicz went yard to right-center, and Maroth was mercifully removed from the game. Ivan Rodriguez wasn’t supposed to start for Detroit, but backup catcher Vance Wilson stepped on a baseball before the contest and couldn’t answer the bell. IRod sealed KC’s fate driving in five runs in the last two innings with a two run triple and a three run homer.