Hugging Haren, Reynolds: Diamondbacks In The Rough
by Eric Stephen on Aug 14, 2009 6:00 AM PDT
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PrintWhat the hell happened to the Diamondbacks? Coming into the season, they were supposed to contend with the Dodgers in the National League West. However, not much has gone right for them this year. Brandon Webb has been out almost the entire year, and his return for 2010 is uncertain at this point. Short Chris Young tangoed with the Mendoza Line and tripped, hitting .197/.297/.359 before being optioned to Triple A on Monday. Manager Bob Melvin was dispatched in May. However, there have been some bright spots for Arizona, currently 17 games out heading into this weekend's three game series with the Dodgers.
Justin Upton made a compelling case for best young player in the division, as the 21-year old has hit .301/.374/.541 this season, with a 131 OPS+ and a .396 wOBA. Luckily for the Dodgers, they won't have to face Upton this weekend, as he is on the disabled list with a strained right oblique.
The Diamonback currently having the most surprising breakout season is third baseman Mark Reynolds. The first thing that usually comes to mind regarding Reynolds is the strikeout. No doubt, you will hear Vin Scully talking about Reynolds "paying the price" quite often over the three game series. Reynolds already has the MLB record with 204 strikeouts, set last season. He is on pace to shatter that record this season, with 155 punchouts already. However, even with all those Ks, Reynolds has had an awesome season. He is hitting .284/.374/.600 with 36 home runs and a .414 wOBA. He even has 21 steals this season.
Dan Haren has quietly put together an outstanding season. He has the lowest WHIP in baseball at 0.888, and is sixth in the National League in Fielding Independent Pitching with a 3.04 FIP. That his record is only 11-7 seems criminal. However, did you know how many home runs he gave up in 2005? 26.
With Haren scheduled to pitch tonight, and Chris Carpenter of the Cardinals set to pitch at Dodger Stadium Monday, the Dodgers will have faced four of the top six NL FIP leaders over an eight-game stretch: Javier Vazquez last Sunday (2.63 FIP, 2nd), Tim Lincecum Wednesday (1.96, 1st), Haren (3.04, 6th), and Carpenter (2.85, 3rd).
Doug Davis is scheduled to pitch on Saturday, unless of course he is no longer on the Diamondbacks. Davis was claimed on waivers by the Brewers on Wednesday, according to Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman, meaning the clubs have 48 hours to work out a deal. However, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reported that a deal is unlikely between the two clubs.
When Chris Young was optioned to Triple A, Arizona called up Trent Oeltjen, who is essentially the Australian Mitch Jones. He spent nine years down under in the minor leagues, but the 26-year old has finally hit the big time. The early results have been fantastic, as Oeltjen has three home runs in six games, hitting .414/.414/.862 so far. Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic profiled Oeltjen, who seems like a fan favorite:
People who know him say his attitude never changed. The smile never went away. In Reno, where Oeltjen hit .300 with 51 extra-base hits and became known for signing autographs nonstop, he was hugely popular.
"He is, without a doubt, the most popular minor league player I have ever seen," said Reno radio announcer Ryan Radtke, in his seventh season in baseball. "People absolutely love him."
Despite their struggles, Arizona has played well over the last month or so, winning 21 of their last 35 games. After July 3, Arizona is tied with Colorado for the best record in the division.
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AZ Snake Pit is the excellent Diamondbacks blog on SB Nation. Here are some recent insights from their point of view:
- Jim McLennan takes a look at the 2010 outfield situation in Arizona
- In a FanPost by Wimb, D-Back fans look forward to 2010 and post their preferred Opening Day lineup and starting rotation
- McLennan takes on umpire Jerry Crawford and (rightfully, in my opinion) calls for his suspension
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The Dodgers have won six of the eight contests with Arizona this season, including taking two of three games in Arizona during the season's opening weekend:
April 10: @Diamondbacks 9, Dodgers 4
April 11: Dodgers 11, @Diamondbacks 2
April 12: Dodgers 3, @Diamondbacks 1
May 4: @Dodgers 7, Diamondbacks 2
May 5: @Dodgers 3, Diamondbacks 1
June 1: Diamondbacks 3, @Dodgers 2
June 2: @Dodgers 6, Diamondbacks 5
June 3: @Dodgers 1, Diamondbacks 0
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| 2009 Diamondbacks | |
| Record | 52-63, 4th NL West, 17 GB |
| Pythag Record |
54-61 (10th in NL) |
| Runs Scored | 4.55/gm (6th in NL) |
| wOBA | .330 (6th in NL) |
| Runs Allowed | 4.76/gm (12th in NL) |
| FIP | 4.03 (6th in NL) |
| Defensive Efficiency | .685 (14th in NL) |
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Pitching Probables (assuming Doug Davis doesn't become a Brewer):
Friday @ 6:40pm: Clayton Kershaw (8-6, 3.22 FIP) vs. Dan Haren (11-7, 3.04 FIP)
Saturday @ 5:10pm: Hiroki Kuroda (5-5, 3.49 FIP) vs. Doug Davis (7-10, 4.54 FIP)
Sunday @ 1:10pm: Randy Wolf (6-6, 4.07 FIP) vs. Yusmeiro Petit (2-6, 5.35 FIP)
All three games are on KCAL this weekend, so I apologize to every Dodger fan out of the area who has to listen to Daron Sutton to get their Dodger fix.
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He really has been on fire recently…over his last 25 games, Reynolds is hitting .371/.455/.804 with 12 HR
by Eric Stephen on Aug 14, 2009 8:02 AM PDT up reply actions
I can't even imagine his BABIP
It’s got to be incredible.
"Andre Dawson has a bruised knee and is listed as day-to-day.... Aren't we all?"
by Mr. LA Sports Fan on Aug 14, 2009 10:04 AM PDT up reply actions
Don't forget
There wouldn’t be a big difference between his average and his BABIP since he makes contact a lot.
"Andre Dawson has a bruised knee and is listed as day-to-day.... Aren't we all?"
by Mr. LA Sports Fan on Aug 14, 2009 10:33 AM PDT up reply actions
I didn’t forget. I was going to make a joke about how easy it is to calculate JP’s BABIP :) . No homeruns or strikeouts. Though if memory serves his stike out percentage is up a bit this year.
by Michael White on Aug 14, 2009 10:50 AM PDT up reply actions
Could be a busy homestand for the 50-walk club. Martin & Ethier have already made it, and here are their walk totals on the season:
Loney 48
Blake 47
Furcal 46
Hudson 45
Manny 43
Kemp 40
There’s a decent chance all but Kemp will get 50 walks by the end of the homestand (11 games from now).
There have only been two NL teams ever to have eight 50-walk players: the 2000 Giants and 1956 Dodgers
Never mind the 204 strikeout record from last year. Anyone care to name the other four players to hit at least 50 HRs, .270 BA, and whiff at least 150 times?
Howard has to be one, and I’ll go with both Fielders as well…and Sosa?
by Eric Stephen on Aug 14, 2009 8:58 AM PDT up reply actions
Howard, Cecil, Sosa, and McGwire. Prince whiffed 120 times his 50 HR season.
Pretty good group of power hitters if Reynolds ends up hitting 50 HRs. He’s already projected to 200+ K’s again, and he should be able to keep that AVG above .270.
Sosa did it four times. Including all three of his 60+ HR seasons.
by thinkbluecrew on Aug 14, 2009 9:01 AM PDT up reply actions
Amazing how bad the Diamondbacks have been when you consider that Haren, Upton, and Reynolds all might be having better seasons then anyone on the Dodgers. Depth and balance is nice. The only good thing about Upton is that he will probably have his best years before free agency while the Diamondbacks are retooling. Thank you very much for bringing him up at age 19. No way he will resign with the Diamondbacks.
Dodgers Ticket Truck locations today:
TICKET TRUCK ALERT: Today @Carls Jr, 3770 Cahuenga, NoHo 1130-1P; La Curacao-8618 Garfield, 4-5; Truck Special-Buy 1 Get 1 Aug 18/19 v STL
Wow, this really snuck up on me. Magic Johnson turns 50 today.
On November 7, 1991, I didn’t think he would make it to 35. Amazing.
Isn't it amazing
I was pretty young at the time (about to turn 8 years old) so I didn’t really understand too much of the medicine. I just knew it was this new disease spreading around the country and it was fatal. I also didn’t think he would survive much longer either. Pretty incredible.
by Michael White on Aug 14, 2009 10:23 AM PDT up reply actions
Police charged a 21-year-old man with two misdemeanor counts Thursday in connection with a beer-throwing incident that showered Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino.
that:
reminded me of this incident:
when someone tossed a beer at milton bradley
I thought it was a water bottle tossed at Bradley
by Eric Stephen on Aug 14, 2009 10:30 AM PDT up reply actions
I thought it was a water bottle too, but of course was just going by media accounts. I would be shocked if even back then, they allowed beer bottles in stadiums. I thought it was a plastic bottle, and I’ve never seen beer served in plastic bottles.
vr, Xei
They have a lot of plastic beer bottles at stadiums these days, although in 2004 I’m not sure how prevalent they were.
by Eric Stephen on Aug 14, 2009 11:12 AM PDT up reply actions
From Keith Law chat:
Q: Kershaw = top 5 pitcher within three years? Better than that Hanson dude in Atlanta, right?
A: Yes, and yes. That’s no knock on Hanson.
I'd say more likely top 3 pitcher in 4 years.
control is the issue and that tends to improve greatly around 25, if you look at Koufax and Ryan. Of course, we’re dealing with freaks of nature here, so ????
Hopefully the rule will hold for Bills also.
Wir müssen wissen — wir werden wissen!
by seesdifferent on Aug 14, 2009 2:24 PM PDT up reply actions
Gould in the fold
From Jon Weisman at Dodger Thoughts:
Since I’m pretty adamant with my skepticism toward unsourced reports, feel free to apply the same standard to this one. But although I can’t offer on-the-record confirmation, I have gotten reliable indications that the Dodgers plan to announce the signing of second-round draft pick Garrett Gould today
Also, Monday’s game is on ESPN, meaning more Steve Phillips in your life. :(
But, its also on Prime Ticket so if you have Extra Innings you are good.
by Eric Stephen on Aug 14, 2009 11:59 AM PDT up reply actions
I am in the a weird tv zone
on DTV I get FSW and Prime Ticket, but my locals are from Reno. Extra innings blacks out all Dodger telecasts for me same with MLB.com. The inlaws in LA area just got FIOS installed and have a room in the back that they hardly ever watch tv in, so my thought is to put a sling box there so I can get LA locals for Dodger, Laker, Kings, Angel, Ducks and whatever that other pro hoops team is called…
PS I hate Steve Phillips, but it always brings back nice memories to see Orel, even though his announcing cries out for him to become a pitching coach.
by MammothDodger on Aug 14, 2009 12:27 PM PDT up reply actions
a rare -105 split in vegas tonight
which shows the relative esteem vegas has for haren, i guess.
aren’t the d-backs only a dozen losses from the big E?
Pinnacle had it at -105 -103 in favor of the DBacks when I left the house this morning. Simulator has it at nearly the same thing 50.49%, but expects a much higher scoring game than Vegas does.
vr, Xei
that's a generous bookie
how sweet of them to trim their dime by a couple of pennies
by stillnotah8er on Aug 14, 2009 12:39 PM PDT up reply actions
Pinnacle always has it at 8 cents as opposed to 10. Only a fool would use 10 cent lines. Matchbook has “no juice”, the market sets the lines (similar to a stock market) and it’s even possible to get “reverse” juice, or get paid to make a bet. Not that I use these services, but they are out there for those inclined.
vr, Xei
matchline says
Monyelines and Runlines: 0.6% accept side…
So, 6 cents from the buy side. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, though. Hopefully this stuff becomes totally legal in the near future for gringos.
Back slightly more on-topic: pecota says the nl card will need 91 runs. So, 8 losses from effective Eing for the snakes.
by stillnotah8er on Aug 14, 2009 12:52 PM PDT up reply actions
Off topic but I was reading a list of the worst contracts in baseball and have realized that Jason Schmidt was totally worth his contract because the deal always earns a high rank on a worst contract list. :)
It's always darkest just before it goes pitch black.
the #1 guy on that list
is pitching tonight, in another clean betting split.
by stillnotah8er on Aug 14, 2009 1:00 PM PDT up reply actions
That's brave
the kid starting for the mets is a relative unknown, while Zito’s jekyll/hyde routine is truly odd.
by stillnotah8er on Aug 14, 2009 1:50 PM PDT up reply actions
Zito is 16.4 RAR over 137IP this season and regressed Parnell to around a 1.5 WAR pitcher. Zito’s numbers get boosted more than Parnell’s due to park factors (going from hitters to pitchers park). Both Giants and Mets offenses get docked for park factors, the Giants offense a little more. Both offenses rate evenly weak. Giants have a rather large edge in starting pitching, bullpen and defense. Mets get the HFA boost. Baseball’s a funny game though, anything can happen in one game. Need hundreds or thousands of games for things to even out the way they should.
vr, Xei
left handed curveball pitchers are not often real successful as starters
because most hitters are right handed. You just don’t throw frequent curves to opposite side hitters and expect to not get mashed. It’s hard to think of any real lefty curveballers who were great or even much above average. The great lefties pretty much depended on fast balls, changing speeds, screwballs, knuckle balls: Koufax, Spahn, Carlton, Kaat, Ruth, Hubbell, Randy Johnson, Grove, Fernando, etc. Sure, some had good or even great curves, but Koufax, for example, was by no means a primary curveballer.
A few more successful righties could be called curveballers: Blyleven, Camilo Pascual, etc. But for most on either side, the curve is a secondary pitch.
I would say Zito has done much better than most lefties who have tried to make the curve a primary pitch. His first couple years really were way outside the box. What was he doing then? I guess his fastball was just good enough.
All that said, I don’t think he’s Jekyll and Hyde as much as he is a tightrope walker.
Wir müssen wissen — wir werden wissen!
getting real tired of the umpire baiting
do umpires make mistakes? sure. do they get to use instant replay? no. Suspension? for what? a mistake? do players get suspended for mistakes? do broadcasters? Geez broadcasters make 2-3 mistakes an inning. The fact is that the players decide the outcome in 99.9% of games.
I can see players getting frustrated by a wrong call. But things are getting out of hand. I don’t know how many of you watched the McCovey blog, but those people were going really nuts, and the Giants announcers were really irresponsibly feeding the frenzy.
Ump baiting is for losers, imo.
Wir müssen wissen — wir werden wissen!
McLennan was calling for Crawford to be suspended for his actions after the call, when he was openly baiting A.J. Hinch and pretty much doing the opposite of everything an umpire should do.
by Eric Stephen on Aug 14, 2009 3:18 PM PDT up reply actions
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