By DjackThe Seattle Mariners have been bit by the injury bug at quite possibly the worst spot on their roster. The entire projected starting pitching staff besides one guy is on the DL, right now. That one guy happens to be the 5th starter, Yovani Gallardo, of course. Hisashi Iwakuma, the #2 starter on the staff was placed on the DL yesterday with shoulder inflammation. He joins Felix Hernandez, who is out with a shoulder, Drew Smyly, who is out with a elbow injury, and James Paxton, who is out with a forearm strain. Those 4 pitchers are all very good starters, imagine how good this Mariners team could be if they were all healthy the entire season. Hopefully, they can start getting each one of these guys back one by one before the all star break.
The Mariners are 17-17 right now, good enough for second place in the AL West. If they can hang around in this position, just staying alive until their rotation is back at full strength, they'll be in a good position to make the playoffs still. Once this rotation is healthy they could make a case for best in baseball if all of them can pitch to their potential. The toughest part is going to be surviving this stretch until they get their starting pitchers back, however long that may be. Hopefully all of them are back before the all star break, giving the Mariners a fair chance to make up some ground. If they don't completely bury themselves over the next few weeks they won't have to worry about that. This Seattle Mariners lineup needs to step and score a lot of runs in may because they're going to need it if they want to remain competitive. This is the year the Mariners finally get back into the playoffs, no more next year bullshit, so hopefully this injury bug situation doesn't totally sabotage that by continually ruining this starting pitching staff. By DjackThe guy who many thought one day would be the best closer ever, has now lost his job as closer for the Detroit Tigers.The difference between being a good player and a great player is how dominate you are in terms of stats. The difference between a great player and a legendary player is their longevity. K-Rod was the most lights out closer for probably 5 years and a top 5 closer for another 5 years. K-Rod had a great heater and his slider was something from a different planet. The most memorable thing about K-Rod was his thunderous follow through on every pitch. Now, he's not even good enough to be a closer in the MLB, just goes to show you how hard it is to put together a hall of fame career.
From 2011-2013 K-Rod was a lost soul, he had just finished his big contract with the Mets, he was battling injuries, and was at a crossroads in his career. He went to the Milwaukee Brewers, found himself, and put together two all star seasons. The Tigers acquired him last offseason via trade, K-Rod wasn't great, but he was a solid closer for the Tigers last year. This year has been a whole different story, K-Rod has blown 4 of 11 save opportunities, so Brad Ausmus gave the closer role to Justin Wilson for now. K-Rod could always get it back I'm sure, but that's not a good sign for the former dominant 35 year old reliever. What a career it has been for K-Rod, 437 saves in 11 years as a closer. The other 6 years he's been in the league he was a setup man, not giving him the opportunity to rack up move saves in the stat column, even though a few of those years it was his fault for just not performing at a high level. Right now, K-Rod is 4th all time on the saves list, he'd need about 2 more seasons to reach 3rd all time. Hoffman and Rivera are way too far ahead for him to ever catch, so the best he can finish at this point is third. I wouldn't even put K-Rod in the same sentence as those guys, though. Rivera's career ERA was .6 lower than K-Rods and he pitched for 3 more seasons than him. Mariano was dominate until the day he retired, even at the age of 43 he had a 2.11ERA. Hoffman pitched to a dominant level until he was 41, sucked in the playoffs, but K-Rod didn't have much of a playoff resume either. Not quite hall of fame caliber and didn't quite live up to the hype in my opinion. He had some great years, didn't quite have the longevity to make it to Cooperstown, though. By DjackThe Orioles bullpen took a huge blow today, Zach Britton, the most dominant closer in the MLB last year, will be out until July. The Orioles losing their closer for what will be about 3 months total if you include the time he's already missed, could turn out to be costly in late September. They're certainly going to blow some games late that'll potential be costly down the road. It hasn't effected them too much yet, but I'm sure it will over the next 6-8 weeks, though.
Britton has been one of the most sure things in the 9th inning the past 3 seasons, without him the O's pitching staff becomes very vulnerable. Britton is ruled out with a forearm strain, doesn't sound good for sure, something like that could alter his career. Once pitchers start feeling pain in their throwing arm it's never good thing, especially when the guy is only throwing one inning a night. If Britton eventual needs surgery if he keeps regressing with the injury then I'd start to be really be concerned if I were an Orioles fan. This is great news for the Yankees who can't seem to create any separation in the AL East between them and Orioles. The Orioles pitching staff has exceeded expectations thus far, although I wouldn't expect that trend to continue. The arms on their roster just aren't that impressive, Dylan Bundy is solid and so is Tillman, other than that they're mediocre at best. The bullpen without Britton is trash, when the Yankees played them we tagged up their bullpen for a ton of runs in the 9-1 comeback game. Hopefully, Orioles will start blowing some late leads and falling off, lord knows they can't keep up this pace all season. I'm sure they're saying about the Yankees, though. Britton being out for 2 months is a big blow, but if he comes back before the all star break, and returns to his star level then it shouldn't be detrimental to the Orioles season. By DjackJust when you think things in New York might not be that bad for the Mets, the Mets reassure that they are. Matt Harvey, star pitcher that was suspended for not showing up to a game due to being out too late the night before, returned to the Mets club house today. The return was quite epic from my understanding, Harvey gave a 15-20 minute speech to all his teammates, apparently many of them were on the verge of tears per Marc Craig. Also, Bartolo Colon texted Matt Harvey to make sure everything was alright, Terry Collins seemed very moved by that when he said it in his press conference today. Obviously this was a lot more serious than Harvey not just showing up for a game because of a "migraine", clubhouse will keep it under wraps, but I think we all know what the real issue with Harvey is. Oh wait, that's right, TMZ comfired the issue when they reported he was out till 4am getting hammered at some club the night before the game. Mature Harvey, real fucking mature.
The dark knight looks to turn the page, Mets need him to become a quality starter again, and if he really changes his work ethic and how he approaches life in general I don't see why he can't do that. Terry Collins said after Matt Harvey's "moving lockeroom speech" that he needs to put the words to actions, which is very true. Maybe this is the turning point in Matt Harvey's career. Maybe not, Matt Harvey is 28 years old, usually if it doesn't click for you by then it never does, although it has happened before. This has got to be his last shot with the Mets, if he fucks up again it's gotta be time to move on from him, right. I'm just excited to see if he files a grievance and tries to get his money back that he lost from the suspension. If that's the case I'll die laughing from how transparent his bullshit apology to the team was today. Mets club house has a lot of growing up to do fast, someone needs to take leadership, isn't that what the captain is supposed to do, I guess it's kinda hard when you haven't really been apart of the team for the last 3 seasons. Somehow the Mets have fared pretty well through all this drama. I still somehow think they'll be just fine and make the playoffs. They managed to do it the last two seasons even though the problems seem to be a little bit worse this season. The injury bug has already gotten to them and now the club house turmoil, maybe this is the early collapse of what many thought would be a young dynasty. The Mets can still stop this ship from sinking, they just better do it soon. By DjackWhen you think of the Colorado Rockies, names like Nolan Arenado, Carlos Gonzalez, and Trevor Story start getting thrown around. That's their core group of guys in the lineup, throw in Charlie Blackmon and D.J. LeMahieu, and this lineup is pretty deadly. The lineup is filthy and at Coors field they're even filthier, yet it's not the reason for their amazing start to the 2017 season like many of you would think. If you remember last year the Rockies had this same lineup essentially, players got hurt here and there, but for the most part the group of guys I listed above were in the lineup. At no point last year were the Rockies considered a real threat, however now they most definitley are.
The difference between this year's Rockies team and last year's is the starting pitching. Rockies starting pitching hasn't been stellar, although it has been much better. The Rockies have two rookie pitchers that have taken the league by storm and look like they could be the faces of this pitching staff for years to come. Antonio Senzatela, the 22 year right hander has been phenomenal. No one expected him to come out and pitch this well, but he has, posting a 4-1 record with a 2.84 ERA. That's ace material, especially for Coors field, hopefully now he just maintains this. Also, Kyle Freeland, the 24 year old left handed rookie, has been phenomenal as well. Freeland has posted a 3-1 record with a 2.65 ERA. Great stuff from two very young pitchers, if they can keep this up the Rockies have a brighter future than I could've ever expected. Throw in Tyler Chatwood, who has proven he can give you real quality starts here and there, and Tyler Andersen who has struggled early, but is capable of much more, all the sudden this rotation is stacked. Oh yeah, how could I forget the team's ace Jon Gray will be back any week now. Colorado is brewing something special in the Rockies and it's not a Coors Light. The Rockies lineup can go toe to toe with any lineup in the league, no one will debate that. The pitching staff has always been the concern for this team. Now, it seems like they've finally got a decent staff moving forward, as long as they stay healthy I don't see why they can't be poised for a playoff run. The bullpen still has some question marks, but if the starting pitching is good and the lineup does what they're capable of, the lead at the end of the game shouldn't be in question very often. Rockies went on that run in 2007 out of nowhere when they made it all the way to the World Series, maybe they'll repeat that since it seems to be the formula in Colorado. Come out of nowhere and go for it all, then break the entire team down. Must be tough being a small market fan knowing there's no way they can keep this squad together. Anyways, bright things ahead for the Colorado Rockies, it'd be a mistake to sleep on them with all this proof right before your eyes. By DjackBy far the dumbest conversation I've heard going on throughout the baseball world today is the one about changing the extra innings rule. Classic ESPN broadcast crew having to stir up some bullshit since they can't just call the baseball game like every other station. I swear it's like watching this giant broadway production on ESPN, I didn't ask for that and neither did anybody else, we just wanna watch baseball. Jessica Mendoza, one of the ESPN analyst, then recommends maybe the dumbest idea I've ever heard, let's just call it a tie after 12 innings she says. This isn't soccer, baseball games don't end in ties. The runners on base shit, don't even bring that up, probably the dumbest rule change you could make. Baseball has never ended in ties, it's never put runners on base to start the inning, and it's been just fine for 150 years, why the fuck are we trying to change that now.
ESPN just needs something to chat about, so they make up these dumbass suggestions to fix things that don't need fixing. I stayed up till 2am to watch the finish of the Yankee game last night, along with every other fan that was awake still. I didn't mind, yeah it sucked when I woke up exhausted this morning, but witnessing a classic baseball game that happens once in a blue moon is worth it. That's exactly the thing, it's not like what happened last night happens often, so what's the big deal. Yeah now the Cubs and Yankees bullpen is a little weak for the next couple days, that's baseball baby you gotta work around these things, why do you think these managers get paid the big bucks. I love it actually, makes the 162 game grind that much more interesting. The variables that you can't control is what makes watching sports and talking sports so great. The fact that ESPN is trying to make baseball even more boring by ending the games in ties doesn't surprise me, they're all about that everyone deserves a participation trophy mentality, and that's why their viewership is rapidly finding new vehicles to get their sports information from. Baseball is a game built on tradition and history, we start changing that, we start losing the sports true values, and then you start losing the true fans. Baseball has one of the most loyal followings, don't piss the fans off that you have because you wanna attract the newer generation by fulfilling their instant gratification needs. Baseball should never change the extra inning rule and fuck anyone that says they should. If the teams want to save their pitching and players so badly score a run and win the game, or don't blow a lead to send it to extras, pretty simple. To change the rules because ESPN baseball broadcasting crew said so would be a travesty, especially since they have no credibility among any baseball fans whatsoever. ESPN, do the baseball world a favor, stop covering the sport. By DjackThe Dodgers currently sit 3rd in the NL West standings, after a slow start it seems they have found their groove, and are settling in nicely. Dodgers are favorites to win the NL West crown for the 5th straight year, although the competition in the division is harder this year. The Dodgers still have a better roster than the improved D-Backs and Rockies, so I'm starting to believe with the way things are shaping up that the Dodgers are poised for a record breaking run. With all the young talent they have on their roster meshed with the few veterans they have right now, this Dodgers team has the chance to be really special. When a team is this young, though, potential is all they have, if they can't reach that, then none of this is possible. If they do reach their potential the sky and then some is the limit for this team.
The lineup for the Dodgers is filled with young talent, nearly every position they have a player that could be there for next 5-10 years. Corey Seager, star shortstop is the face of the franchise, as a matter of fact besides for Kershaw, he is the franchise. The kid does it all and will be the everyday superstar for this team for the next decade. Recently, they called up this outfielder by the name of Cody Bellinger. He was the one that sparked this whole blog with his outstanding play in his limited amount of time. Bellinger is only 21 years old, in 11 big league games he's hitting .350 with 5 home runs and 14 RBI's. Small sample size, however you can just tell this kid is something special with the way he's swinging the bat. If he can keep producing 75% of what he is now, then he's another big bat in this lineup to be feared by opposing pitchers. Throw in Enrique Hernandez, Joc Pederson, Andrew Toles, and Yasiel Puig, all the sudden that's 6 position players that can all ball out. Hernandez needs to cut down on strike outs and work on his pitch selection at the plate, other than that he's extremely valuable. He's a Swiss army knife, he can play any position, he's extremely athletic, and he's a pain in the ass on the bases. Always nice to have a player like that on your team. Toles has really broke on to the scene out of nowhere. He's a solid leadoff hitter and is fast, adding that much needed speed element to the lineup. Pederson is a power threat, he's just got to cut down on strikeouts, and try to get his average up. Yasiel Puig, is starting to look like the player he was in 2013 when he took the league by storm. If he continues to work hard and consistently works at his swing then we're looking at another potential superstar player. There's a lot of room for improvement in their young players, but there's always room for improvement with anyone. They still have a ways to go before reaching full potential, with Justin Turner and Adrian Gonzalez still raking that'll help them win games in the meantime. Important thing is getting these young guys as many AB's as possible because that's obviously how they'll get better. If they can develop each of these kids to their fullest potential or anything near it this team will be a force to reckon with in the NL West for the next decade. High expectations for this group of kid, but there's way too much talent to not have high hopes for them. The pitching staff isn't flawless by any means, Kershaw, Urias, Maeda do make up a good top end of the rotation, though. Julio Urias, the teenager who is already dominating in the MLB is going to be an ace for this staff for years to come. I'm sure Kershaw will continue to dominate for another 3-5 years, so he can help bridge the gap between now and the next wave of pitching prospects to come up. The Dodgers even have a dominate pitcher to close out the back end of games with Kenley Jansen, so the foundation of the pitching staff is already laid. The foundation for a historic run has been laid. They already have 4 straight division titles under their belt, now they only need 10 more to tie the Atlanta Braves record for most consecutive division titles. Seager, Urias, Kershaw, Jensen, Puig, Bellinger, Pederson, Hernandez, and Toles will have the responsibility of leading the future of this franchise. Will they be able to live up to legendary expectations, or will they crumble beneath the pressure of them. Division titles are nice, but World Series titles are better, so we'll see how much success they really have. By DjackThe Mets starting rotation couldn't afford anymore losses, then today Sandy Alderson announces Matt Harvey will miss his start. Not because of injury, but by suspension, from the team no less. I don't know what happened, besides for the obvious fact that Harvey did something stupid, although it must've been pretty bad for the Mets to suspend him with the starting rotation being in shambles already. It's just one start it'd be no big deal usually, however it's a much deeper rooted issue with Harvey.
Matt Harvey is a diva, I think everybody already knew that, though. Diva's do diva things, for instance put themselves before the team and end up getting suspended for it. Whatever it is that he did, and it's nothing dildo related, it must be a major concern to management that they felt the need to punish him for it this drastically. Hopefully, Harvey learned his lesson and can move forward from this and return to being the dark knight that we all knew and loved. Unfortunately, I believe the dark knight days might be behind Matt Harvey. The fact he's getting suspended for some bullshit proves to me that he doesn't care as much about his craft as he should if he wants to be an ace. Just look at the numbers, ever since the Mets went to the World Series and Harvey pitched that gem, he just hasn't been the same. His numbers were terrible to start last season, maybe it was just the injury, although he's healthy this year and struggling even more. The problem with Harvey runs deeper than what is showing on the surface, something isn't right with him, and it's only a matter of time before it comes out. Then, we'll get some real answers for the dark knight's demise. By DjackWhat a great day to be a Yankees fan, the man, the myth, the legend returns today for the Yankees, El Gary, is back. I loved how the Yankees played without him this season, but without him playing it felt like a piece of the fun was still missing. Now, we have our full lineup for the first time this season, now we get to see what we can really do. The future is bright, without Didi and Sanchez we manage to hold the AL East division lead. With both them back in the lineup hopefully we can keep that lead by scoring a shit ton of runs covering up the struggles of our starting rotation.
People seem to not care as much about Gary's return since we have Aaron Judge hitting moonshots into the stands every night. Let's not forget that Gary Sanchez was doing all this before Judge was even a thought in your mind. People are so infatuated with Judge that they are forgetting we have a player that already did what Judge is doing. Gary is back and he is going to make sure you know it. That's why today at Wrigley, El Gary is going deep. I'm happy Judge stole the spotlight from Gary because now there's no pressure whatsoever on the young catcher. All the expectations kinda just slid there way over to Judge and now Sanchez can come back onto the scene just doing his thing. Also, Gary was the face of the franchise moving forward, with his absence the first month of the season and Judge's outbreak that kinda changed. I think he liked being the face of the franchise, which is only going to drive him more to perform at a higher level. Friendly competition is exactly what these young players need to keep themselves driven to perform at a high level, which in turn will help the Yankees win games. You thought this team was fun before, well we just added another fucking stud back into our lineup, so shit is really about to pop off. Get ready Yankee fans, this is going to be the beginning of what should be an all-time sports dynasty. 5/4/2017 Steven Wright Will Miss the Rest of the 2017 Season as the Red Sox Great Rotation Is Starting to UnravelRead NowBy DjackThe Boston Red Sox came into the season with one of if not the best starting rotations in all of baseball. Early on in spring training, David Price, ace pitcher for the Red Sox, was diagnosed with some elbow discomfort, and he's been out ever since. Recently, it was reported if his rehab assignments don't go well he will have to undergo Tommy John surgery, putting him out for at least 12 months. Huge blow to the Red Sox rotation losing a top ace like that, and believe me those rehab starts are bullshit, they're just delaying the inevitable, which is fine with me. Red Sox are only hurting themselves by delaying Price's surgery, now he'll miss a majority of next season too, like I said totally fine with me. If that wasn't a big enough blow to the Red Sox, now their knuckleball pitcher Steven Wright is out for the season with a knee injury. Wright had been off to rough start this season, however with him gone the Red Sox starting pitching depth is gone. Last year, Wright was phenomenal, going 13-6 with a 3.33 ERA, so the potential for another solid season was there. Kyle Kendrick is the favorite to replace him. This guy is the definition of average, 81-81 in his career with a 4.63 ERA.
Are the Red Sox in trouble? If Price really can't comeback, I'd say so. This rotation besides for sale is nothing but average. Porcello isn't a real Cy Young pitcher, I think anyone with a brain for baseball knows that. The guy took advantage of a weak year for pitchers in the AL by racking up a ton of wins because his team was really good. Pomeranz has been absolute trash since getting to Boston. He's good for allowing at least one home run a game and only going 6 innings maximum. E-Rod is really hit or miss, sometimes the kid looks great, and other times he looks completely lost. The rotation isn't quite as reliable and impressive as we all thought it'd be coming into the season. The Red Sox still have a great lineup, although they've been lacking as well recently. The last thing I'm going to do is rule the Red Sox out of it before we even reach the all star break, however I am enjoying the slow collapse of their 2017 season. Can the Red Sox fight through the injuries to their pitching staff or are they going to fold under the added adversity? |
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AuthorDjack- Chief editor Archives
April 2018
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