No worries about Gordon, its been four games.

 

The rotation has been kind of surprising...

 

Chen: 5 innings, 3 hits, 4 strikeouts

Hochevar: 6.1 innnings, 2 runs, 2 hits, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts

Sanchez: 5 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs, 3 hits, 4 strikeouts

Mendoza: 5.2 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 4 walks, 2 strikeouts

Duffy: 5 innings, 1 hit, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts

Alex Gordon starting the season 0 for 16, must be the pressure of that new contract.

 

He belongs on the White Sox, with how fragile he seems mentally. Obviously, it's early and he can still turn things around quite quickly, but not a good sign for Royals fans.

 

Danny Duffy with a great opening start, although it's hard to extrapolate when you face the A's in a huge ballpark in April and what he'll do against the rest of the league.

 

 

 

As far as Austin Jackson goes, I pulled up his minor league numbers and he's always been in the 700's, except for one big anomaly/outlier (964) in Tampa in about half a season of High A ball.

 

He put up 691 last year and 745 in his rookie season, so you'd have to guess with that line-up behind him and much less pressure to produce, he'll be in that 750-775 range. He's never going to be a power type hitter in that stadium or replicate Curtis Granderson, but very few in the majors do.

 

Combined with the fact that he's one of the 3 best CFers in the AL defensively and perfectly suited for that outfield, it's saying something that he's a complimentary player on that team.

Jackson has drawn multiple walks in two of the first four games. He did that last year in only 9 games.

 

He also hit a homer off Matt Moore yesterday, so J4L will probably come around soon on Jackson.

 

I really think he's going to breakout.

Verlander blows his own save. Guess Leyland gave him the rope.

Edited April 11, 201213 yr by flavum

Rays win. Cabrera/Fielder/Peralta mowed down by the ever powerful closer Fernando Rodney.

Verlander blows his own save. Guess Leyland gave him the rope.

 

Yea, Verlander completely fell apart in that one. He was dominating, and then beat himself . . . That was a fun one to watch, gotta love the Rays. They are one pesky team.

f*** Detroit

f*** Detroit

says Kid Rock?

Scott Baker out for the year.

Scott Baker out for the year.

 

Is it too soon to claim a curse of the Metrodome?

And there's the awful Jon Broxton we all saw for his last year and half in LA.

Did the A's just get a walk-off HBP?

Did the A's just get a walk-off HBP?

 

Not just a walk-off HBP. He hit batters on back-to-back pitches to end the game.

Broxton looked like he was pitching in pain, or something. Just awful.

 

First time a game has ended on back-to-back HBP's since the Sox beat the O's in 1966...

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CH...196609020.shtml

Edited April 12, 201213 yr by flavum

Willingham seems to be about the only good move the Terry Ryan made this past off-season.

 

At first, that looked like one of those so-so at best contracts, but he's been the only power source for the Twinkies.

pee-ew the twinkies look BAAD

pee-ew the twinkies look BAAD

 

 

That huge stadium just doesn't play to their strengths.

 

Not to mention the fact that Mauer/Morneau both went south from a power/health standpoint at the same time.

 

Basically, they ended up replacing Cuddyer/Kubel/D.Young with Willingham. That's never going to have a happy ending, not even at a Thai massage parlor.

 

 

Meanwhile, 2 miracles today in the AL Central. Rays rally against Verlander, Twins against Jared Weaver, will take at least a one run lead into the 9th. Big blow a Chris Parmalee triple scoring two.

Edited April 12, 201213 yr by caulfield12

That huge stadium just doesn't play to their strengths.

 

Not to mention the fact that Mauer/Morneau both went south from a power/health standpoint at the same time.

 

Basically, they ended up replacing Cuddyer/Kubel/D.Young with Willingham. That's never going to have a happy ending, not even at a Thai massage parlor.

 

 

Meanwhile, 2 miracles today in the AL Central. Rays rally against Verlander, Twins against Jared Weaver, will take at least a one run lead into the 9th. Big blow a Chris Parmalee triple scoring two.

I just want to know what their excuse was for not signing Cuddyer...

From what I remember Cuddyer didnt not want to sign, and the Twins wanted draft picks.

 

Jamey Carroll seems like a decent signing so far. He can field and takes pitches, which is a lot more than what the Twins were putting out there last year.

Edited April 12, 201213 yr by Benchwarmerjim

From what I remember Cuddyer didnt not want to sign, and the Twins wanted draft picks.

 

Jamey Carroll seems like a decent signing so far. He can field and takes pitches, which is a lot more than what the Twins were putting out there last year.

 

 

Nishioka, Casilla, Tolbert, Plouffe, etc.

 

Valencia's expected to get a strong challenge for his position this year, yes?

 

And Carroll's 38 I think, must be one of the oldest infield starters in baseball.

Indians to sign Johnny Damon:

 

https://twitter.com/#!/Ken_Rosenthal/st...286485310816256

JIM BOWDEN ‏ @JimBowdenESPNxm

Source "the Indians and Johnny Damon are in the early stages of conversations on a possible deal so the reports are premature &surprising"

I just want to know what their excuse was for not signing Cuddyer...

3 years, $30 million for a 33 year old who in his best years generates $10 million or so in value.

 

The Twins might want to put a happy face on it and try to compete, but honestly...they're only competing if Mauer and Morneau turn things around immediately and other stuff goes right. That's as deep of a rebuilding process as the Sox would be in if Dunn and Rios continued being .200 hitters and Konerko retired.

Tom Withers ‏ @twithersAP

Received text from outfielder Johnny Damon on possible deal with #Indians: "It should be done soon."

3 years, $30 million for a 33 year old who in his best years generates $10 million or so in value.

 

The Twins might want to put a happy face on it and try to compete, but honestly...they're only competing if Mauer and Morneau turn things around immediately and other stuff goes right. That's as deep of a rebuilding process as the Sox would be in if Dunn and Rios continued being .200 hitters and Konerko retired.

I don't know that letting him walk to sign Josh Willingham and the $10 million savings over 3 years is really worth it though, considering the roots Cuddyer had with them.

Twins had a miracle comeback against the Angels again.

 

All is not happiness in LaLa Land for now. That Pujols deal will be a noose around Moreno's neck, although they have the attendance and broadcast deals and the Dodgers' sale to inflate the value of that franchise into the stratosphere.