星期一, 8月 22, 2005

What if players remained with their original teams?

剛看到 SI 有一篇文章很有趣 What if players remained with their original teams? 假設 MLB 沒有球員流動的話,各隊排出來的陣容,如果這樣的話 Red Sox 可能是倒數幾名的:

Red Sox
1B: Jeff Bagwell
2B: ???
3B: Shea Hillenbrand, Kevin Youkilis
SS: Nomar Garciaparra
C: John Flaherty
LF: ???
CF: ???
RF: Trot Nixon
SP: Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling, Carl Pavano, Jeff Suppan
RP: Paul Quantrill

看一下隔壁的洋基隊將令我們相形見慚 ~

Yankees
1B: J.T. Snow, Nick Johnson
2B: Alfonso Soriano
3B: Mike Lowell
SS: Derek Jeter
C: Jorge Posada
LF: Hideki Matsui
CF: Bernie Williams
RF: Wily Mo Pena
SP: Andy Pettitte, Eric Milton, Jose Contreras, Orlando Hernandez, Al Leiter, Victor Zambrano, Brad Halsey, Brandon Claussen
RP: Mariano Rivera, Craid Dingman, Chris Spurling, Randy Keisler, Yhency Brazoban, Russ Springer

如果這樣的話 ~
Ortiz, Varitek, Lowe, Mantei 四人將穿上水手服
Foulke, Mueller, Mirabelli, Myers, 四人為 Giants 效力
Wells, Timlin, Olerud, Stern 四人為 Blue Jays 效力

不過這位仁兄對紅襪農場不夠熟悉,我修正一下應該是:

Red Sox
1B: Jeff Bagwell
2B: David Eckstein
3B: Shea Hillenbrand, Kevin Youkilis
SS: Nomar Garciaparra, Adam Everett
C: John Flaherty, Todd Pratt (他退休了嗎?) LF: Matt Murton
CF: Lew Ford
RF: Trot Nixon
SP: Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling, Carl Pavano, Jeff Suppan, Tomo Ohka
RP: Paul Quantrill, Justin Duchscherer, Chris Reitsma, Casey Fossum

星期六, 8月 20, 2005

Bellhorn DFA !



這是用 Google Earth 拍到的 Angels 球場

還有可憐的 Bellhorn 被 DFA !球場就是商場,沒辦法講感情的,Bellhorn 的成績和他的價格比照起來不難找到新東家,球隊敢如此作代表明年 2B 要進入新的時代了。現在 Alex Cora 明年仍有約在身,若要續簽 Graffanino 應該也不難,還有身材瘦小 5'8" 180 lb 的 Dustin Pedroia 表現超乎預期,從 low-A ~ 2A 一直保持 AVG/OBP/SLG 300/400/500 的成績,之前怕他長打率不夠,結果他今年在 2A, 3A 397 AB 打出 27 支 2B 12 HR,加上身材和他相仿的 Brian Roberts 今年表現驚人,Pedroia 明年初或年中就有機會上來接手。

3B 的情況應該和 2B 相仿,Youkilis 去年在 3A 表現奇差,跳上 MLB 卻存活了下來,他在 MLB 先盛後衰的表現也讓人一直質疑 Is he real ? 今年他在 3A 交出 341/462/619 的驚人成績,明年應該順利接任先發,希望令人不捨的 Mueller 能遠離 AL East 這個是非圈,到我喜歡的國聯球隊例如 Cubs, Padres 去。

星期六, 8月 13, 2005

Book Description - Mind Game



今晚在看 Amazon 網站時發現下個月有一本新書要出版 - Mind Game

Savvy, insightful, statistically brilliant, and filled with the thudding sound of the sacred cows of received baseball wisdom biting the dust, Mind Game relives one of modern baseball’s greatest success stories while revolutionizing the fan’s understanding of how baseball games are really won and lost. Created by Steven Goldman and the writers and analysts at Baseball Prospectus—the preeminent annual on the inside game of baseball, with 91,000 copies in print, and Web site, www.baseballprospectus.com, that receives 5 million hits a month— Mind Game explains why the unenlightened Twins gave up on David Ortiz; what led the Sox to understand Johnny Damon’s true value and give him the ideal place in the batting order; how Boston actually gained by having Keith Foulke as a closer vs. Mariano Rivera; and what would likely have happened if the Boston–A-Rod trade went through. And as the suspense ratchets up before the historic seven-game AL playoff, readers will never look at baseball the same way again, learning that leadoff hitters don’t need to be fast and RBIs are not the rocksolid barometer of an offensive player’s contribution. And all that stealing and bunting? Forget it! Just wait for a three-run homer.

作者 Steven Goldman 算是洋基隊的專欄作者,看看敵方是怎麼看 Red Sox 的,嗯 ~ 我有興趣瞎拼

星期二, 8月 02, 2005

New HOFer -- Wade Boggs



Wade Boggs 是我認識的第一個紅襪隊打者,恭喜他正式進入名人堂。

1990 年前後台灣曾經短暫的播過卡通 The Simpson,有一集是「霸子」的老爸和同事們組了一支棒球隊,他們的老闆「老布」找了一支球隊來電他們,這支球隊陣容是 ~

P: Roger Clemens, 1B: Don Mattingly, 2B:Steve Sax, 3B: Wade Boggs, SS: Ozzie Smith, RF: Darryl Strawberry, CF: Ken Griffey, LF: Jose Canseco, C: Mike Scioscia

上面這張就是 Wade Boggs 的卡通劇照,也可以反映出當時 Wade Boggs 算是三壘手的第一人選(Mike Schmidt 退休了),比較奇怪的是二壘手沒有挑今天一起進入名人堂的小熊先生 Ryne Sandberg 而選了紅沒幾年的 Steve Sax。

即使是我這麼老的球迷看他穿紅襪隊的球衣也沒幾次,印象最深的是吳清和負責解說的 1990 ALCS,其餘印象大多來自報紙和雜誌,當國內開始出現 ESPN 和飛梭棒球台時,他已經改穿洋基隊條紋衣了,印象最深的影像檔反而是他騎馬繞洋基球場的那一幕 ..... 坦白說,在 2004 年的奇蹟之前無聊跑來支持 Red Sox 可以用 "自討苦吃" 四個字來形容。

星期一, 8月 01, 2005

Baseball Politics

"It's a beautiful ring, but that was last year," he said. "I'm trying to get one here now. There would really be nothing more satisfying than to get one here right now."

---- Alan Embree July 30.

球員無奈的是有時候要學政治人物說話,以上是我們敬愛的 Alan Embree 最近說的,記得以前 David Cone 加入 Red Sox 也是說了一堆客套話,我最記得的一句是: "....這支球隊讓我想起 98 年的洋基隊...blah..blah.." 結果 2001 那年打出 83-78 的成績,那一年我只記得 Everett, Bichette, Lansing, Offerman 這幾個大嘴巴整天抱怨,甚至砲轟教練,Rod Beck 稱為 "我最不願回憶的一年" ,結果孔先生還是說了一堆客套話

閒話休敘,剛查了一下要到九月才有機會和 Embree 碰面,今年兩隊好像還沒有機會活動筋骨一下,萬一幹架的話?我在想 .... Wells, Enbree 會不會完全投入呢?Randy 跟 Schilling 要不要來一場?

如果不幹架,看一下現有球員對 Embree 的成績:
Olerud 2-18
Mueller 2-6
Renteria 0-4
Ortiz 0-3
Cruz 0-3
Cora 1-3
Damon 1-2
Varitek 0-2
Mirabelli 1-1
Nixon 0-1
Kapler 0-1
Ramirez 0-0
Millar 0-0