Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
Jon's other site:
Screen Jam
TV and more ...
1) using profanity or any euphemisms for profanity
2) personally attacking other commenters
3) baiting other commenters
4) arguing for the sake of arguing
5) discussing politics
6) using hyperbole when something less will suffice
7) using sarcasm in a way that can be misinterpreted negatively
8) making the same point over and over again
9) typing "no-hitter" or "perfect game" to describe either in progress
10) being annoyed by the existence of this list
11) commenting under the obvious influence
12) claiming your opinion isn't allowed when it's just being disagreed with
As more people have become aware of Andy LaRoche's preternatural walking ability since arriving in the major leagues, more people have written it off under the assumption that pitchers are working around him to get to the pitcher's spot.
So what's the explanation for LaRoche walking more often than any other No. 8 hitter in the National League?
Not only is LaRoche walking at a far greater rate than any other NL penultimate hitter, he is one walk away from being tied for the league lead in No. 8 walks - regardless of plate appearances.
Take away LaRoche's four intentional walks, and he'd still have five walks in 19 plate appearances at No. 8 - and three walks in nine plate appearances as a No. 6 hitter. The guy's a rookie who was batting .235 in AAA - with 11 walks in a little more than 100 plate appearances. Is there a reason opposing pitchers would be more careful with him than any other No. 8 hitter? Why doesn't Andre Ethier, usually batting No. 7, have more than 10 walks in 138 plate appearances?
It's not as if LaRoche's ability to walk came out of nowhere. LaRoche walked 66 times in about 500 plate appearances in the minor leagues last year. That doesn't make him Ted Williams, but it counts for something.
In addition, the No. 9 hitter isn't always a Dodger pitcher - sometimes, it's Olmedo Saenz or red-hot pinch-hitter Wilson Betemit. Overall, Dodger No. 9 hitters are fifth in the NL in OPS and OBP, so there isn't much more reason to pitch around the team's No. 8 hitters than any other team's.
So let's not be in such a hurry to write off La Roche's walks. Yes, batting slot has played some part, and he won't maintain a .488 on-base percentage for the season, but the walks are something legitimate to tout. After all, he could be chasing bad pitches rather than taking those jogs to first.
With that in mind, I would answer "Yes" to the question: "Is there a reason opposing pitchers would be more careful with him than any other No. 8 hitter?" LaRoche is miscast as a #8 batter. It appears that the only reason he bats 8th is that he's the new guy. It's a seniority thing.
Having to bat LaRoche 8th is a nice problem to have. The usual suspects for batting 8th, cather or shortstop, are obviously not viable #8 batters on this team.
Maybe next year Andy can be #7 and Matt Kemp will get his turn at #8!
I always thought Drew would have been a good #2 hitter last year. Wouldn't it be nice that when Martin can be moved to #2 in the lineup to have 3-4-5 hitters, like Kemp, Ethier, Loney and LaRoche, hitting 20-30 homeruns?
Understand, I believe that Martin should be batting second this year.
Juan Pierre lifts weights. I guess that turns his dribblers in front of the plate into grounders that make it all the way to the outfield, if not stopped first by infielders.
2003: 5.0% of plate appearances
2004: 9.0%
2005: 9.7%
2006: 13.2%
2007: 15.5%
Looks to me like a guy who has been learning plate discipline.
2004: 44.1%
2005: 45.7%
2006: 45.7%
2007: 53.8%
That's a big part of the explanation for why he's even worse this year than he usually is. He's robbing himself of the chance for some infield hits and whatnot.
3.03
2.77
3.15
2.67
2.34
2.46
2.26
2007: 1.64
Yet, if you base the early returns on the standings, the investments are paying off. The Angels are in first place with Matthews, the Dodgers are in first place with Pierre, and isn't that the point?
"Bad news -- I fed that paragraph into the Wrong Machine, (expecting a perfect nine, obviously), and the Wrong Machine just started shaking back and forth and smoke came out and it exploded.
Let us use the logic of this piece of writing to form some other conclusions:
1. In 2003 the Detroit Pistons drafted Darko Milicic instead of Bosh, Carmelo, or D-Wade, and won the 2004 championship, so it was a good idea to draft Darko Milicic.
2. In 2006 four top Italian soccer clubs were investigated for match-fixing in one of the biggest scandals in European sports history, and Italy won the World Cup that year, so it was a good idea to get involved in match fixing.
3. James Dean got into a car wreck and died and he's still really famous, so it's a good idea to get into car wrecks."
I like the 3rd example the best.
Orange = needs a double
Red = needs a single
I see that D4P is not applying for a job with Homeland Security.
Lowell singled in his fifth at bat in the seventh and likely won't bat, but I have not given the order to stand down yet.
I've never understood why the terror alert would ever go up in color intensity if it were true (as we've been told) that we're "safer" now than we used to be.
But don't mind me.
ANAHEIM -- The Internet message boards are buzzing about the Dodgers stepping up efforts to trade for a third baseman like Troy Glaus or Mike Lowell or Scott Rolen or everybody's favorite choice, Miguel Cabrera.
Miguel Cabrera...Yay my favorite sexay fatty slugger!
One of the names on that list only needs a trip for the cycle. THE CYCLE!
Hey, it's more than five years now since the last attack, you liberal North Carolina Hollywood elite.!
"You know how they drag (rake) the infield between innings?" Dodgers third base coach Rich Donnelly said, joking. "One day when we were in Florida, they dragged the infield whilewe were hitting."
So, with no base runners visiting, things can get a little lonely in that coaching box?
"There have been days," Donnelly said, "when they could have put a pile of rocks out there."
~feel free to draw your own conclusions as to whether or not a pile of rocks > Rich Donnelly
"Are you looking at my bum? You bum looker! You cheeky monkey!"
Thought that question was worth repeating.
Sorry, I had taken a nap.
Come on, G: don't you like to do drawrings?
So had my feet.
The history of human evolution is rife with cases of certain groups being able to adapt because they could do the little things, like kill the bear behind the runner.
I believe one of the finches that Darwin studied on the Galapagos took over its niche in its ecosystem because, as Darwin said, "that finch just wanted it more."
For me, too many times he misses big when he swings and misses.
I'd have to say that in the case of the Angels they have greatly benefited from Matthews. He has hit 6 homers and played great defense. He may not be worth $10M a year, but he is playing more like he did last year than he did for the 7 years before that.
As for Pierre, there is no way you can make the argument the Dodgers are in first place because of him.
I am wondering what I have a better chance of seeing in my lifetime. Kemp return to starting in Center Field or the organ music return to Dodger Stadium.
Juan Pierre is far less likely to be suspended for flunking a drug test than Gary Matthews. Or be indicted by a grand jury.
You can judge for yourself if that's a good or bad thing.
Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel: Just introducing good institutions to poor countries and expect those countries to achieve the per capita GNP similar to first world countries ignores history. Good institutions have appeared in countries with geographic advantages and not randomly. We must understand the role geography has played if we hope now to produce good institutions quickly in countries lacking them.
Today's first world countries are ones that were powerful centers thousands of years ago or were repopulated by peoples from those centers and food production was at the heart of their success.
Ergo no players are hurting their respective teams, and neither team could theoretically be any better.
Cue: "Hearts and Flowers"
I'm just saying you can't judge the fossil record on stats alone. You have to look at intangibles. For example, some groups were good influences in the cave and would always get up early to do extra hunting and gathering. They wore their animal hides right and didn't try to show up the other caves.
Thank you for your patience and support.
I rather doubt that you will. However, it's your expectation that Ned will trade him this summer after handing him a five year $44 million contract that doesn't make sense to me. That's just not going to happen. My own expectation is that we will have to suffer through at least two years of The Player.
I don't have the full results chart yet:
But the top four were: Curlin, Street Sense, Hard Spun, and CP West
He basicly says that promoting him right now would be a good idea and wouldn't really be that hard to do.
cough Saenez Cough
SS- Furcal
C- Martin
2b- Kent
RF- Kemp
1b- Nomar
CF- Ethier
3b- LaRoche
LF- Gonzo
Of course, Little would never bat Gonzo 8th and I doubt Ethier will be allowed to play CF.
And Pierre will never get injured.
Furcal, SS
Pierre, CF
Nomar, 1B
Kent, 2B
Gonzalez, LF
Martin, DH
Betemit, 3B
Ethier, RF
Lieberthal, C
Today has to be better than yesterday.
Of course, the tortoise is the heart and soul of the Galapagos.
Loney is on pace to hit less than 4 homeruns, in a hitter's park, in a hitter's league, in AAA.
Nomar's impatience may actually be helping the team in one area. His lack of taking pitches doesn't allow Pierre to run as often, which is a good thing, since his success rates are below what would help the team, right?
Nice move on the part of management to give Martin the DH role today, as somebody on Inside The Dodgers mentioned half rest day for Martin.
Just guessing here, but to save one run a game over Nomar, Loney would have to be the best fielding 1B ever. That might not even do it. Anyone have any stats that show this comparison?
Game Thread Open Up Top?
Have A Nice Day?
Comment status: comments have been closed. Baseball Toaster is now out of business.