http://www.baseballprospectus.com/blog/teams_a_critical_guide/ http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3567 http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3567 Alan Trammell did a good job of mixing parts this year, but employed a few too many one-run strategies, more than this team needed. Over 100 years into the modern game and most managers haven't figured out what John McGraw knew in 1920, that the era of inside baseball is dead, no matter how poor your offense is. Other than in a sudden-death, ninth-inning situation, giving away outs just brings the end of the game closer. The average American Leaguer reached base 34% of the time last year, and grounded into a double-play in .022 of all at-bats. When you bunt, both percentages drop to close to zero. It's not a fair trade off. Sun, 17 Oct 2004 23:00:00 -0700 http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3500 http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3500 Feverish and clogged, Steven plays the role of Roy Hobbs, climbing off the deck for a late-season contribution. Fri, 24 Sep 2004 23:00:00 -0700 http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3489 http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3489 CINCINNATI REDS It's not getting much attention, but Adam Dunn's unwilling quest to shatter Bobby Bonds' single-season record for batter strikeouts of 189 (1970) is going to be close enough that Dave Miley is going to have to think about whether he joins the wussy Jeff Torborgs and Al Pedriques of the world and actively interferes with pursuit of a milestone for no good reason. With 12 games to go, Dunn trails Bonds by 14. It will be tight, but four of the Reds' remaining games come against Cubs flamethrowers. Prior, Wood, do your stuff, lads! GRADE: C- Tue, 21 Sep 2004 23:00:00 -0700 http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3473 http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3473 HOUSTON ASTROS Played an old-school eight games and went 5-3, though it could have been a bigger week; Pittsburgh gave them more trouble than they should have. In the three losses in Steeltown, the offense couldn't get started, though most of the principles did well on the week. The restaurant scene in Pittsburgh is said to be lacking, that could bring a team down... In a reversal of the usual order of things, Brad Ausmus batted .368/.400/.421, but opponents were safe in five of six stolen base attempts. Happy new year, Brad! Life is (a) a bowl of cherries, (b) a beach, (c) none of the above, (d) a mixed bag at the best of times, (e) all of the above. GRADE: B- Thu, 16 Sep 2004 23:00:00 -0700 http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3469 http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3469 Since it's the Yankees, let's play six degrees of Casey Stengel. First test: Casey Stengel to "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson. Casey Stengel went to high school with William Powell. William Powell co-starred with Clark Gable in "Manhattan Melodrama," 1934. Gable headlined "Gone with the Wind" with Vivien Leigh. Leigh was married to Sir Laurence Olivier, who was in "War Requiem" with Sean Bean. Bean was "Boromir" in Jackson's trilogy. Wed, 15 Sep 2004 23:00:00 -0700 http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3441 http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3441 Some teams rage against the dying of the light. Some teams just make you want to rage. Or drink. Steven Goldman covers them all. Wed, 08 Sep 2004 23:00:00 -0700 http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3433 http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3433 The American League and a classic American songwriter. If it gets better than this, Steven Goldman doesn't want to know. Mon, 06 Sep 2004 23:00:00 -0700 http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3407 http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3407 Steven Goldman, angry about being lied to, exposes the truth about Baseball Prospectus Groupies. He also takes some shots at the Diamondbacks, just because. Mon, 30 Aug 2004 23:00:00 -0700 http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3391 http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3391 The Angels and Red Sox had curve-wrecking weeks, balanced out by the latest collapse by the Orioles and a heartbreaking slump by the Indians. Professor Goldman explains his grades inside. Thu, 26 Aug 2004 23:00:00 -0700 http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3319 http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3319 ATLANTA BRAVES Romping and stomping in the patented Bobby Cox second-half manner. This is no last ride of the Magnificent Seven, because there is no seven. Even the Magic Three (which, I will come right out and tell you, is an entirely relevant reference to Chinese castrati) have been scattered, with Greg Maddux hunting #300 and Tom Glavine burning in the circle of Hell reserved for fools and suicides. What there is, again, is a very successful pitching staff, now tied for the league lead in ERA. Last week the team ERA was 2.18. In seven games, they issued eight free passes and gave up just five home runs. The batters hit all of four home runs. J.D. Drew contributed almost nothing--it didn't matter. Where do they find these people? How do they "adjust" them? It's the Stepford Ballplayers, coming to a post-season near you. GRADE: A Fri, 06 Aug 2004 23:00:00 -0700 http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3311 http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3311 The Angels, Twins, A's and Devil Rays all earned top marks for their work last week. Which team showed up on the other end of the curve? Hint: they're in the wild-card chase. Steven Goldman explains all this and much more about the week that was in the AL. Wed, 04 Aug 2004 23:00:00 -0700 http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3279 http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3279 ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS Winless on the week, including a three-game series against the Rockies in which they scored a grand total of six runs. The only two players who actually reported to work were the two most likely to be exiled, Randy Johnson (15 IP, 13 H, 2 R, 1 BB 20 K), and Steve Finley (.934 OPS). The rest of them played as if they were Charlie Bucket's dad, screwing the caps onto toothpaste tubes for a living... One thing that many observers miss about the Yankees is that they are not the only team that can afford to take on salary at the deadline, but may be the only team willing. The difference is that the Yankees' owner, answerable only to himself, may decide in a given year to take home less money by cutting into his own profit margin (and that of the junior partners, who may take home relatively little as a result). Other teams, particularly those that are components of larger corporations, may fix a profit goal for the year and stick to it at the expense of winning. Most execs of public companies are uncomfortable telling the shareholders that they lost money on the sports operation this year because they decided to gamble on winning a World Series. Thus, if the DBs chose to dump salary and other objects of refuse in New York's general direction, there's nothing unfair about it at all. GRADE: F Wed, 28 Jul 2004 23:00:00 -0700