Around the majors reports--Aug 16

[nyy26wc]

1) Yesterday's results--

AL
Yankees 10, Devil Rays 3
Orioles 5, Royals 4
Mariners 6, Redsox 2
Tigers 5, Angels 1
BlueJays 5, A's 2
Indians 8, Twins 2
Whitesox 6, Rangers 5

NL
Cubs 5, Astros 1
Phillies 8, Brewers 6
Cardinals 8, Reds 4
Braves 7, Rockies 2
Diamondbacks 5, Pirates 2
Padres 2, Mets 1
Dodgers 13, Expos 1
Giants 2, Marlins 1

2) Standings--

AL EAST WON LOST PCT GB HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST STREAK
Yankees 71 49 .592 - 39-23 32-26 35-15 18-12 08-14 WON 2
Redsox 65 53 .551 5 34-27 31-26 32-20 13-11 10-14 LOST 2
BlueJays 57 63 .475 14 30-32 27-31 26-28 08-08 15-17 WON 2
Orioles 51 69 .425 20 26-34 25-35 20-27 16-15 09-15 WON 2
Devil Rays 42 79 .347 29 1/2 24-34 18-45 15-38 10-16 07-17 LOST 2

AL CENTRAL WON LOST PCT GB HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST STREAK
Indians 67 52 .563 - 32-29 35-23 15-09 35-20 10-12 WON 3
Twins 64 56 .533 3 1/2 37-22 27-34 11-14 34-19 10-14 LOST 6
Whitesox 59 59 .500 7 1/2 34-26 25-33 13-10 22-23 12-20 WON 2
Tigers 49 69 .415 17 1/2 29-32 20-37 11-13 15-37 13-11 WON 1
Royals 48 72 .400 19 1/2 25-33 23-39 12-19 20-27 08-16 LOST 2

AL WEST WON LOST PCT GB HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST STREAK
Mariners 87 33 .725 - 40-18 47-15 22-07 26-08 27-12 WON 4
A's 68 52 .567 19 35-24 33-28 19-13 21-10 16-23 LOST 2
Angels 63 57 .525 24 32-26 31-31 21-13 17-12 15-24 LOST 1
Rangers 52 68 .433 35 29-31 23-37 15-16 09-23 20-19 LOST 3

NL EAST WON LOST PCT GB HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST STREAK
Phillies 67 52 .563 - 37-21 30-31 29-21 14-09 17-11 WON 5
Braves 65 54 .546 2 29-30 36-24 29-21 18-12 09-12 WON 1
Marlins 59 60 .496 8 35-21 24-39 22-28 16-14 09-12 LOST 3
Mets 54 66 .450 13 1/2 31-28 23-38 26-25 11-19 07-14 LOST 5
Expos 50 70 .417 17 1/2 27-31 23-39 20-31 12-18 10-11 LOST 1

NL CENTRAL WON LOST PCT GB HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST STREAK
Cubs 68 51 .571 - 35-21 33-30 11-07 33-23 15-15 WON 2
Astros 67 53 .558 1 1/2 32-29 35-24 16-11 29-22 13-14 LOST 2
Cardinals 64 55 .538 4 39-24 25-31 16-11 31-25 09-12 WON 7
Brewers 49 68 .419 18 27-34 22-34 14-15 23-29 07-14 LOST 3
Reds 48 71 .403 20 18-41 30-30 10-08 20-33 14-19 LOST 4
Pirates 45 74 .378 23 27-30 18-44 05-19 23-27 09-21 LOST 3

NL WEST WON LOST PCT GB HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST STREAK
Diamondbacks 69 51 .575 - 34-29 35-22 16-12 15-12 31-19 WON 6
Giants 68 52 .567 1 40-21 28-31 13-08 18-15 27-24 WON 4
Dodgers 66 54 .550 3 37-24 29-30 11-10 20-13 29-22 WON 1
Padres 59 60 .496 9 1/2 27-34 32-26 11-10 23-10 19-31 WON 2
Rockies 50 69 .420 18 1/2 29-32 21-37 09-12 19-17 20-30 LOST 1

3) Today's schedule--

AL
A's (Cory Lidle 7-5) at BlueJays (Brandon Lyon 1-1), 12:35 PM
Royals (Paul Byrd 5-4) at Orioles (Sidney Ponson 5-8), 12:35 PM
Devil Rays (Ryan Rupe 5-9) at Yankees (Sterling Hitchcock 1-2), 1:05 PM
Angels (Scott Schoeneweis 9-8) at Tigers (Jeff Weaver 10-11), 1:05 PM
Mariners (Aaron Sele 12-3) at Redsox (David Cone 7-2), 7:05 PM
Twins (Adam Johnson 1-1) at Indians (Steve Woodard 1-2), 7:05 PM
Rangers (Doug Davis 6-8) at Whitesox (Jon Garland 4-4), 8:05 PM

NL
Phillies (Nelson Figueroa 4-2) at Brewers (Ruben Quevedo 1-1), 2:05 PM
Marlins (A.J. Burnett 8-8) at Giants (Shawn Estes 8-7), 3:35 PM
Expos (Tomo Ohka 0-2) at Dodgers (Eric Gagne 4-5), 4:10 PM
Mets (Kevin Appier 6-10) at Padres (Brian Tollberg 6-3), 5:05 PM
Pirates (Joe Beimel 5-8) at Astros (Wade Miller 12-6), 8:05 PM
Reds (Jose Acevedo 3-3) at Cardinals (Dustin Hermanson 10-9), 8:10 PM
Braves (Kevin Millwood 2-5) at Rockies (Shawn Chacon 6-6), 9:05 PM

4) Yesterday's HRs--

Jim Thome--#40
Shawn Green--#33, #34 & #35
Alex Rodriguez--#34
Lance Berkman--#31
Chipper Jones--#31
Brian Giles--#28
Bret Boone--#27
Jeromy Burnitz--#25
Rich Aurilia--#25
Andruw Jones--#24
Magglio Ordonez--#23
Edgar Martinez--#19
Jose Hernandez--#19
Brian Jordan--#18
Jim Edmonds--#17
Derek Jeter--#15
Scott Rolen--#15
Ken Griffey Jr.--#14
Ray Durham--#14
Chris Richard--#13
Eric Karros--#13
Cal Ripken--#12
Jeff Conine--#12
Alex Gonzalez (BlueJays)--#12
Matt Williams--#12
Jose Canseco--#11
Scott Spiezio--#9
Kenny Lofton--#8
Joe Randa--#7
Adam Dunn--#6
Brady Clark--#5
Clay Bellinger--#3 & #4
Junior Spivey--#4
Joe Girardi--#3
Peter Bergeron--#3

5) HR leaders--

AL
1) Jim Thome--40*
2) Manny Ramirez--37
T3) Carlos Delgado--34
T3) Alex Rodriguez--34*
5) Troy Glaus--32
T6) Jason Giambi--29
T6) Rafael Palmeiro--29
8) Juan Gonzalez--28
T9) Tino Martinez--27
T9) Bret Boone--27*

NL
1) Barry Bonds--51
2) Luis Gonzalez--45
3) Sammy Sosa--43
4) Todd Helton--36
5) Shawn Green--35***
T6) Jeff Bagwell--31
T6) Phil Nevin--31
T6) Chipper Jones--31*
T6) Lance Berkman--31*
10) Larry Walker--30

***--hit 3 yesterday
*--hit 1 yesterday

6) Ken Griffey Jr. tied Carl Yastrzemski for 23rd place on the all time HR list, with 452.

7) Cal Ripken tied Rafael Palmeiro and Sammy Sosa for 28th place on the all time HR list, with 429.

An inquiry has been sent to David Vincent, SABR's leading HR authority, to see if he can verify that having 3 active players tied with so many HRs is a record and, if so, what was the old record, and if not, what is the record.

8) Matt Williams tied Yogi Berra for 56th place on the all time HR list, with 358.

9) Jim Thome reached 40 HR for the 2nd time in his career. He previous did it in 1997.

Thome has 40 HR and 0 SB. There have been 24 previous cases of a player hitting 40+ HR in a season without stealing a base.

Thome's 40 HR lead the league, while Manny Ramirez is the runner up with 37, and also 0 SB. There have been 19 previous cases of the HR champion not having a SB.

10) Shawn Green hit 3 HR in a game.

[nyy26wc]

1) Trevor Hoffman recorded his 300th career save.

2) Lance Berkman reached 100 RBI for the 1st time in his career.

3) The Twins placed RF Chad Allen on the 15 day DL and called up OF John Barnes.

Allen has a torn ACL, is out for the season and could need an entire year to recover from the injury. He finishes the season with a .429 SLG, .333 OBA, .762 OPS, -3 RCAA, .452 OWP, 5.32 RC/G, 26 RC in 57 games. It's the 3rd time in his 3 year major league career that he had a negative RCAA.

Barnes, 25, was ranked as the Twins's #12 prospect by Baseball America and was given a C+ grade by the Minor League Scouting Notebook. He was considered the leading candidate to make the team as a backup OF, before suffering a knee injury in spring training. Barnes came into the year with a .815 OPS (.376 OBA, .439 SLG) in 6 minor league seasons and had a .804 OPS (.357 OBA, .447 SLG) in the friendly hitting environment of the PCL this season.

Barnes had a cup of coffee callup last season, posting a .874 OPS (.459 SLG, .415 OBA) and 0 RCAA in 11 games, and was 0 for 4 in a 1 game appearance earlier this year.

4) Braves SS Rey Sanchez was scratched from the lineup yesterday, due to the flu.

No, that's not a typo. It actually happened. Instead of just flu-like symptoms, someone finally actually got the flu.

5) Meanwhile, BlueJays INF Felipe Lopez's status was moved from flu-like symptoms to the flu.

One case of the actual flu was one more than I expected. But, two on one day? I'm amazed at this turn of events.

6) Mariners CF Mike Cameron has struck out in each of the past 25 games. This is the longest streak in the AL since at least 1975, with Elias saying the data before then is not available.

Despite his overrated SO problem (he has 113 in 110 games for the season), Cameron is having a good year, hitting .481 SLG, .348 OBA, .829 OPS, 17 RCAA, .613 OWP, 6.68 RC/G, 76 RC. He's on pace for his 4th year of double digit RCAA in the past 5 years.

7) The Redsox placed 1B Brian Daubach and P Rolando Arrojo on the 15 day DL and called up 1B Morgan Burkhart and P Sun Woo Kim.

Arrojo has a strained right shoulder.

Daubach has a contusion on his left lower shin.

Kim, 23, was ranked as the Redsox's #4 prospect by Baseball America and was given a C grade by the Minor League Scouting Notebook. He came into the season with a 5.22 career ERA in 3 minor league seasons, including 6.03 in AAA in 2000. This year, he improved his AAA ERA, but only got it down to 5.51. Kim also made 11 relief appearances in the majors earlier in the year, posting a 4.80 ERA and 0 RSAA.

Burkhart, 29, was ranked as the Redsox's #16 prospect by Baseball America and was given a C grade by the Minor League Scouting Notebook. He came into the season with a 1.066 career OPS (.444 OBA, .622 OPS) in 6 minor league seasons. And, no that's not a misprint. No, you're eyes aren't deceiving you. Those are really his numbers. In AAA this season, Burkhart has had a .864 OPS (.375 OBA, .489 SLG).

According to John Sickels, in the Scouting Notebook, "Now, Burkhart is no star. But he is a productive offensive player who could help several teams (i.e. the Twins). He is a perfect example of the concept of 'free talent.' There are many useful players laying around the minors. They just need to be liberated."

8) On Tuesday, Royals owner David Glass said MGR Tony Muser will return in 2002.

9) Orioles P Pat Hentgen had Tommy John surgery last Thursday and AP's notes say his status for 2002 is currently uncertain. But, when you have that surgery this late in a year, it's usually a sign that you're not going to pitch at all the next year.

10) The Mets claimed minor league INF Luis Figueroa off waivers from the Pirates and assigned him to their AAA team.

[nyy26wc]

1) Yankees P Roger Clemens raised his record to 16-1. Since 1900, the only other pitchers to start a season with that record were Rube Marquard (1912), Guy Bush (1929), Don Newcombe (1955), Elroy Face (1959) and Dave McNally (1969).

2) Mark McGwire's streak of having 11 consecutive hits be HRs ended. According to Elias, the previous record for the past 25 years, was 8, by Albert Belle, in 1995, but the data isn't available for previous years.

3) Twins P LaTroy Hawkins missed yesterday's game, to be with his wife, who went into labor.

4) The Expos activated P Carl Pavano from the DL and sent INF Henry Mateo to the minors.

5) The Cubs recalled top OF prospect Corey Patterson and sent P Joe Borowski to the minors.

6) The Reds placed 3B Aaron Boone on the 15 day DL.

Boone has a fractured right wrist and is expected to miss 2-4 weeks.

7) Tommy Lasorda was hospitalized in Pennsylvania, after having dizzy spells at his brothers' restaurant, and is listed in stable condition.

8) A's OF Billy McMillon had season ending shoulder surgery.

9) Shawn Green's 3 HR game made him the first Dodger to do it in Dodger Stadium.

10) Giants P Shawn Estes has a sprained ankle, but he is not currently expected to have to miss any starts.

11) While it is illegal in Seattle to scalp tickets, the Mariners are promoting ticket scalping on their website. The team is receiving a 25% cut of the transaction, with 15% coming from the seller and 10% from the buyer.

Over 3000 tickets have already been sold this way, with some tickets going for around $100 over face value.

Now, I am not currently practicing law. I have never played an attorney on TV. But, I have played the role in a criminal courtroom. And I have to say that I don't really understand what good ticket scalping laws do.

On the one hand, I understand the constitutional power to pass such laws. Scalping is illegal because the legislature says it's illegal and the legislature's prohibition does not violate any federal constitutional or statutory standards. While legislatures do lots of stuff I don't agree with, I am forced to concede that they are the ones who have the power to pass the laws, not me.

The purpose of the statute to I understand the purpose of the laws, to some extent. The purpose is to prevent price gauging. But, what ever happened to the idea that each citizen has the right to spend his/her money however one wants to? Meanwhile, the only reason why people can resell tickets at an inflated price is because there obviously is a market for the tickets at the price. So, what ever happened to the idea that the market should set the price?

Furthermore, once someone buys something, it belongs to them. One can either use their property for their purposes, or find someone to sell it to. Why should tickets be any different from the rest of American commerce? Why should it be illegal to resell a ticket at a higher price when it is perfectly legal to go to a bookstore, buy whatever I want and then resell at whatever price I see that the market will bare?

The constitutional standard, at least on paper, is one of rationality. Is the government's actions rationally related to a legitimate governmental purpose. I say this is irrational form of discrimination between the resale of one particular type of item, as opposed to other forms of commerce, and find a legitimate governmental purpose to be lacking. But, in the manner in which the courts apply that standard in the real world, the standard is pretty much let the government do whatever they want. After all, the last I heard, the US Supreme Court hasn't struck down a statute based using that standard in close to 20 years. So, I have little expectation that we're about to see courts start to declare scalping statutes unconstitutional.

I know this is a baseball forum, not a legal one, but I just have to get this off my chest.

12) According to several reports, from the NY press, the Yankees and Mets have discussed a trade that would send 3B Robin Ventura to the Yankees.

[nyy26wc]

40+ HR, SEASON, 0 SB

1 Mark McGwire 1999 65
2 Roger Maris 1961 61
3 Mark McGwire 1996 52
4 Cecil Fielder 1990 51
T5 Ted Kluszewski 1954 49
T5 Harmon Killebrew 1964 49
7 Willie Stargell 1971 48
T8 Harmon Killebrew 1963 45
T8 Willie McCovey 1969 45
T10 Jay Buhner 1996 44
T10 Frank Howard 1968 44
T10 Willie Stargell 1973 44
T10 Cecil Fielder 1991 44
14 Juan Gonzalez 1992 43
T15 Mark McGwire 1992 42
T15 Dick Stuart 1963 42
T15 Juan Gonzalez 1997 42
T18 Rocky Colavito 1958 41
T18 Harmon Killebrew 1970 41
T18 Carlos Delgado 2000 41
T21 Jay Buhner 1997 40
T21 Jay Buhner 1995 40
T21 Mo Vaughn 1998 40
T21 Darrell Evans 1985 40
T21 Jim Thome 2001 40 (so far)

[nyy26wc]

HR CHAMPIONS WHO DIDN'T HAVE A SB

YEAR LG HR
Cy Williams* 1927 NL 30
Mel Ott* 1934 NL 35
Johnny Mize 1939 NL 28
Ted Williams 1947 AL 32
Ted Kluszewski 1954 NL 49
Roger Maris 1961 AL 61
Harmon Killebrew 1963 AL 45
Harmon Killebrew 1964 AL 49
Frank Howard 1968 AL 44
Willie McCovey 1969 NL 45
Willie Stargell 1971 NL 48
Willie Stargell 1973 NL 44
Jim Rice 1983 AL 39
Darrell Evans 1985 NL 40
Cecil Fielder 1990 AL 51
Cecil Fielder* 1991 AL 44
Juan Gonzalez 1992 AL 43
Mark McGwire 1996 AL 52
Mark McGwire 1999 NL 65

*--tied for the lead

[NetShrine]

On Tuesday, Royals owner David Glass said MGR Tony Muser will return in 2002.

Earlier this week, Bill James stated in a guest column that he would be gone for sure. Wonder if that's why Glass came out with this statement?

[Duque]

Originally posted by nyy26wc
3) The Twins placed RF Chad Allen on the 15 day DL and called up OF John Barnes.

Allen has a torn ACL, is out for the season and could need an entire year to recover from the injury. He finishes the season with a .429 SLG, .333 OBA, .762 OPS, -3 RCAA, .452 OWP, 5.32 RC/G, 26 RC in 57 games. It's the 3rd time in his 3 year major league career that he had a negative RCAA.

Barnes, 25, was ranked as the Twins's #12 prospect by Baseball America and was given a C+ grade by the Minor League Scouting Notebook. He was considered the leading candidate to make the team as a backup OF, before suffering a knee injury in spring training. Barnes came into the year with a .815 OPS (.376 OBA, .439 SLG) in 6 minor league seasons and had a .804 OPS (.357 OBA, .447 SLG) in the friendly hitting environment of the PCL this season.

Barnes had a cup of coffee callup last season, posting a .874 OPS (.459 SLG, .415 OBA) and 0 RCAA in 11 games, and was 0 for 4 in a 1 game appearance earlier this year.


The Twins are really struggling on offense, and Rick Reed's been so-so since the trade. I wonder if they underestimated Matt Lawton's on-base skills.

In a chat session over at ESPN.com, a Baseball Prospectus editor mentioned what the Twins could really use was a corner outfielder who knew how to get on base. Chuck Knoblauch? :confuse2:

[NetShrine]

Originally posted by Duque
In a chat session over at ESPN.com, a Baseball Prospectus editor mentioned what the Twins could really use was a corner outfielder who knew how to get on base. Chuck Knoblauch? :confuse2:

The only base that Ewok knows how to get on lately is free base, or at least he's playing like he's on the pipe. :D