MLB - 2010 Spring Training!

[Imran Siddiqui]

Truth (Elvis Andrus at SS instead Michael Young is a massive upgrade), but I think it's a bit of both, as the young pitchers are starting to pitch well (their walk rates dropping and K rates rising being a couple indicators).

[Imran Siddiqui]

And the Yankees win their 100th win of the season and clinch home field in the AL playoffs. The interesting thing is the turnaround in the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry this season. While the Yankees couldn't buy a win against the Red Sox early on, it now seems the Red Sox are the ones who can't get over the Yankee hump (as has been historically the case). A sweep by the Yanks got them to 100 and home field.

What interests me greatly is how the Yankees seemed a little bit lost in the first month of the season and what a jolt A-Rod gave the team. Right now, he has a 142 OPS+ which isn't as good as last season (150), but very good (4th in the AL). He's quitely having another great season (a bit overshadowed by Texiera, who is having a slightly better season - and who most likely will win the AL MVP unfortunately, because Joe Mauer is having one absolutely amazing season, especially for a Catcher).

Also Zack Greinke keeps making his case. With his 16th win, the voters can't ignore him, can they? He's 16-8 only because his team sucks, but he's got a 2.06 ERA, a 213 ERA+, a 1.066 WHIP (all league leading), he's 3rd in the AL in K/9 (with 9.55), and 2nd in K/BB (with 4.84)

[Guynemer]

Greinke has to win the Cy Young. Absolutely has to.

Critical series starts in Detroit tonight.

[Imran Siddiqui]

He had to even when he had 14 wins, but sometimes sportswriters are idiots that look mostly at Wins and Losses and determine someone had too few wins, even if their ERA is eye poppingly good.

[-Jrabbit]

"Only" 16-8? That's the equivalent of about 22-4 for a playoff team.

When he was stalled at 14, I kept hearing people trying to make a case for others -- always carefully ignoring the ERA stat. Even hear a suggestion (Van pelt show on ESPN radio) that maybe this is a good year to give it to Mariano as a sort of lifetime achievement award, specifically because there was no standout starter.

If Greinke doesn't win the Cy, something is seriously wrong.

[Imran Siddiqui]

"Only" 16-8?

Ask 2005 Roger Clemens if wins don't matter in sportswriters eyes . In 2005, Clemens had a BETTER season than Greinke is having this year. Clemens that season was 13-8 with 211 innings pitched. He had a 1.87 ERA, and a 226 ERA+, and finished 3rd in the Cy Young voting. Chris Carpenter, the winner, was 77 points lower in ERA+ than Clemens, but had 21 wins.

So worse has happened.

[Flatlander Fox]

I am quietly concerned that the Cardinals bullpen will **** things up badly once we get to the playoffs.

The offense will be fine, but it's going to be a scary ride with Ryan Franklin as our closer...

[-Jrabbit]

At least there are no 20-game winners in the AL. I'm pretty confident that justice will be done this time.

[Ben Kenobi]

I'm all for Halliday winning it. He gets no run support.

[Imran Siddiqui]

At least there are no 20-game winners in the AL. I'm pretty confident that justice will be done this time.

I'm hopeful that it will. Greinke most assuredly deserves it. His ERA+ is 39 points above the next contender (Felix Hernandez).

Oh, and there may be one 20 game winner in the AL by the time the season is over (Sabathia has one more shot), but he doesn't have the ERA to wrench it from Greinke, I'd imagine (though he is 5th in the AL in ERA and ERA+)

[Guynemer]

I take no joy whatsoever in pointing out that, just as I predicted here a few months ago (and was roundly mocked for it), my beloved Tigers are, indeed, in the midst of gagging away a division title to the Twins for the second time in four years.

[-Jrabbit]

One game lead now. The Tigers had the weakest division in baseball handed to them on a silver platter. I'm kind of rooting for them -- but mostly to see them humiliated in the first round.

[Guynemer]

I'm not making any predictions, but were they actually to hang on (and Verlander has pitched them to a 5-2 lead at the end of the sixth tonight), they could give the Yankees some trouble. They beat them in the playoffs last time, and the Tigers' top three starters are better than before.

[Guynemer]

Tigers eke out a 6-5 win. Lead is back to two games, with five to play.

Unfortunately, in the next two games against the Twins, the Tigers are going with their 4th and 5th starters.

[-Jrabbit]

Hey, nothing I'd like more than to see the Yankees stumble. OTOH, it would be much harder to root for the Twinkies. Uh, go Tigers!