Friday, August 05, 2005
Read this only if you like Bitchin' about the yankees
Then Bob Wickman had to go and blow it for me. Why did they pull Millwood? I know managers like to pull the starter when they have a good closer, but Bob Wickman is NOT a good closer. Yes, I'm aware that Bob is the league leader in saves. I think that ranking closers by the number of saves they've accumulated is pure idiocy. I decided to take a quick look at the numbers to see how he compares to the other leaders in saves for both leagues. I really, really wish I had time to do the BpB charts on all these guys. I meant to do that before the trading deadline, but of course a variety of things have prevented that. But way back when I did Bob Wickman's BpB, I was shocked at how often this guy was really terrible. While I can't demonstrate why as specifically without the BpB, I think I can get my point across with other, more readily available numbers.
Here are the top five in saves for both leagues, ranked according to ERA:
1. Mariano Rivera, NYY, .95
2. Chad Cordero, Was, 1.11
3. Jason Isringhausen, StL, 1.66
4. Dustin Hermanson, CWS, 1.75
5. Brad Lidge, Hou, 2.40
6. Joe Nathan, Min, 2.96
7. Trevor Hoffman, SD 3.00
8. Bob Wickman, Cle, 3.16
9. Francisco Cordero, Tex 3.47
10. Jose Mesa, Pit, 3.76
Now in save percentage, or SV/(SV+BlSV)
1. Dustin Hermanson, CWS, 26/27, .963
2. Mariano Rivera, NYY, 27/29, .931
Trevor Hoffman, SD, 27/29, .931
4. Jason Isringhausen, StL, 29/32, .906
5. Joe Nathan, Min, 28/31, .903
6. Chad Cordero, Was, 36/40, .900
Brad Lidge, Hou, 27/30, .900
8. Jose Mesa, Pit, 26/29, .897
9. Bob Wickman, Cle, 29/34, .853
10. Francisco Cordero, Tex, 26/32, .813
To put this in perspective, our own 2005 pre-surgery Keith Foulke, whom I think even Beth would admit was pretty terrible with his 6.23 ERA, closed out 78.9% of his opportunities.
What I'm trying to say is that BOB SUCKS. So he logged his 700th appearance on Wednesday. Good for him. There was no need to put Bob in for his 701st, not with a one-run lead over the yanks, at least not when your starter has a pitch count of just 94 and most likely his best stuff of the year.
Our old friend Alan was brought in with a runner on first, no outs in the 7th. He threw 9 pitches, 3 of them strikes, got a gound out and then walked a runner on a 3-2 count. At this point he was pulled for our old friend flash, who immediately gave up a bases-clearing double, the go-ahead run charged to Embree. This should have been it, but NO... Cleveland manager Eric Wedge, who ought to know better, allowed Wickman to face 4 batters in the ninth. He gave up two hits; with the second batter, he blew the save with a solo bomb by Prince purple-lips, then lost the game with the fourth batter, another solo bomb by block-head Giambi.
Yes, I wrote all this to bitch about the yanks winning yet another game simply by luck and the stupidity of another team. Wrote it twice, in fact, as blogger was nasty enough to eat most of it when I tried to post. I just hate it when the yanks win games that they ought to have lost. I'm not worried about them, since they truly do suck this year, but if they were to pull off the Houdini of being an actual threat to us at the end of the season, it would only be because of the many, many games that they have won undeservedly.
Incidently, that was the second block-head bomb of the evening. "Giambi's back on the juice, eh?" said my father, the rare breed of sox fan too lackluster to be pissed off by Jason & king georgie's cheatin' ways. "Yep," replied my bro-in-law, happily, because he knows his team sucks donkey balls and will take a win any back-door way he can.
Of note: I don't think he's cheating, but did y'all notice Mo's numbers up there? Without looking, how many saves do you think he has blown this year? Hint: add up the ones you specifically remember seeing. That's right, closer-robot has not blown a save since the first week of the season. Also since then, he has given up just three earned runs.
When all is said and done this year, we may be witnessing two of the greatest pitching seasons of all-time in Clemens and - though I am loathe to admit it, Mariano. Truly amazing, the both of them.
: 8:26 PM I have one yankee fan bro-in-law, one Met fan bro-in-law, and the boyfriend of said youngest sister is a sox fan. And my boyfriend seems to be well on his way to fenway worship as well, tuning in on many nights to root for the sox scoring points.
LOL.
And hey, go easy on my Foulkie (since when am I the only Foulke fan? for shame).
: 9:50 PM : 10:03 PM oh my god, your mother's not a baseball fan, Andrew? For shame! My mom couldn't care less, but she'd be pleased with the score tonight; she's from minneapolis. last winter, my mom found a winter hat in the closet and was wearing it... it was a yank hat. So I say to her "you know the yanks are commonly referred to as 'the evil empire'." She's quite religious; I knew this would make an impact. So she takes the hat off, turns it inside out and puts it on backwards. I shake my head, laughing as I explain to her that this is commonly done by fans hoping for a rally... so next I'm explaining what a 'rally' is...
Mo Rivera (at least in his closer role) is to baseball what the Beatles were and are to music.
At least you know there are too many others that get so exasperated when the Yanks are handed a victory.
Have a tremendous weekend.
: 10:24 AM Wicky isn't the worst thing ever, but I do agree that saying how awesome he is using the 'save' stat is stupid. It's like wins for starting pitchers... I HATE using it to tell much of anything about how they're actually doing.
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