tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17673132690615614522012-01-26T11:22:45.178-06:00Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comBlogger3541100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-6994573731103708722012-01-08T01:00:00.000-06:002012-01-10T11:45:21.393-06:00

Today is this blog's third anniversary, and so it seems appropriate to announce that I won't be posting new content anymore.  I started this blog when I was unemployed and had little else to do than bitch spend hours analyzing my favorite baseball team. It was a lot of fun, and I got the opportunity to discuss the team and the sport I love with some pretty awesome fans I probably would not have

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-76534697867441548662011-12-17T19:35:00.001-06:002011-12-26T15:34:02.469-06:00

Now that finals are over, and Christmas is over, and I have pretty much nothing to do all day for the next month or so, I had a ton of stuff I wanted to complain write about, and a ton of terrible MS Paint objects to make.  Unfortunately, my poor ancient macbook may or may not be on its last legs.  While I get my technical difficulties sorted out, I do have to take this opportunity to thank you,

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-34552391213632601342011-12-11T11:14:00.001-06:002011-12-11T12:58:25.305-06:00

Apparently steroids make you dress like an asshole. Ryan Braun, why couldn't you wait until finals week is over before testing positive for a banned substance?  I have no time to cover this, so I'll let the mainstream media do all the work for me.  Take it away, ESPN: "National League MVP Ryan Braun, who last season led the Milwaukee Brewers to their first division title in nearly three

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-77498836395483403002011-12-09T14:50:00.001-06:002011-12-11T01:02:05.260-06:00

We got you a present!  Hope you like it: From: your friends in the front office. XOXO I have four papers due and four finals to study for, so I don't really have time to analyze what went down at the Winter Meetings.  However, I will say this:  the Wild keep winning.  The Twins keep making me mad.  Perhaps I will have a new official favorite team very soon.

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-43568093886498711972011-11-22T12:14:00.001-06:002011-11-26T11:00:04.984-06:00

I won't get to use this image anymore For $7 million a year over the next two years.  I wish Twitchy the best, but geez, if you are going to spend that much on a reliever, you should have at least some assurance that he will be healthy.  Of course, the Rangers inked a tv deal worth $3 billion not too long ago, so I guess they can afford to take a $14.5 million flier on a 37 year-old with

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-88166866883963203032011-11-20T11:07:00.001-06:002011-11-20T11:13:39.619-06:00

The NHL standings are, um, interesting: (click to embiggen) Yes, that is your Minnesota Wild.  In first place.  In the entire league.  As you can see, this is almost entirely due to their surprisingly strong defense and the fantastic goaltending they have gotten out of Niklas Backstrom (1.92 GAA) and Josh Harding (1.79 GAA).  GM Chuck Fletcher spent the offseason shoring up the offense, which

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-78829664515538976392011-11-07T17:00:00.000-06:002011-11-26T11:00:53.364-06:00

In a surprising move, the Twins have announced that Terry Ryan will take over as interim general manager in place of Bill Smith. The move is effective immediately. Link I have to go to work right now, so I'll have more thoughts on this later, but holy crap.  This is a move that was a long time in coming, I just didn't expect the Twins to actually make it.

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-28142805310175529022011-11-06T14:50:00.005-06:002011-11-06T18:35:55.253-06:00

Philadelphia is apparently very interested in signing Michael Cuddyer.  This move actually makes a lot of sense for them, though they already have a lot of pricey contracts to aging players on the books. Ryan Howard may miss opening day after having surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon, and Raul Ibanez will likely depart as a free agent, so Cuddles could fill a couple of major holes.  I

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-58309508435580628842011-10-22T19:20:00.000-05:002011-10-22T19:20:47.764-05:00

I had what I thought was a great idea for a post, but I could never quite flesh it out.  I didn't want this piece of sh--surely very...quality, quality photoshop to go to waste though, so feel free to steal it and caption it however you wish.

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-62672378727385436262011-09-10T10:08:00.001-05:002011-09-10T11:19:55.232-05:00

This would have been more appropriate when the Twins were officially eliminated from playoff contention, but I was busy. This blog will be going on its semi-annual semi-hiatus, which is another way of saying that posting will be pretty infrequent around here until the semester ends.  I am now working almost full-time while going to school full time, and frankly I have neither the time nor the

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-88610251074403848052011-09-06T00:17:00.000-05:002011-09-06T00:17:30.931-05:00

It is a little surprising that Zach Stewart nearly tossed a perfect game against the Twins.  Not so much because he is such a terrible pitcher (he's okay), nor because this is such a powerhouse of an offense; it's because this lineup likes to hack away at the plate.  The Twins swing away at 43.9% of all pitches, including 28.8% of those outside the strike zone, and they are very good at making

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-48146337658107695312011-09-04T23:01:00.000-05:002011-09-04T23:25:05.152-05:00

Joe Mauer has been hurt a lot this season.  Unfortunately, even when he's been healthy his production has still been well below his typical Mauerian standards. He is the highest-paid player on the roster, and he will make bazillions more in endorsements, even though he has been worth only about $6.4 million according to Fangraphs.  People are frustrated and disappointed, and understandably so.

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-65084702034248664192011-08-31T12:58:00.000-05:002011-08-31T12:58:11.842-05:00

Click to enlarge I have been watching the Twins all season long and yet it never ceases to amaze me how horrible this team really is.  I mean, I knew they were bad, but good lord, the Twins are now 18 games out of first place in a division where the leader is outscoring its opponents by 5 runs.  Seriously, that is pathetic.  The AL Central is the only division in baseball where the leader

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-5872454994815628872011-08-30T00:32:00.000-05:002011-08-30T00:32:01.743-05:00

The Minnesota Twins take pride in their defense The Twins are just half a game out of third place!  The Orioles dropped both games of their double-header against the Yankees, extending their lead to 2.5 games over the fourth-place Twins.  Don't stop now boys, that second overall pick in the 2012 draft is within your reach.

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-28142489186753949532011-08-28T23:04:00.001-05:002011-11-06T18:50:21.351-06:00

A brief race to the bottom update: The Astros beat the Giants 4-3, in extra innings.  Not only does Houston have a commanding lead in the standings, but they have the worst run differential in all of baseball, at -157.  They've scored 511 runs this season, one more than the Twins. The Orioles split a double-header against the Yankees.  They won the first game 2-0, but dropped the night cap 8-3.

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-20972167637747488272011-08-28T00:02:00.000-05:002011-08-28T00:02:58.743-05:00

That is totally a thought bubble.  Shut up, you try to draw with a trackpad. The Twins lost, but so did nearly every other team ahead of them in the standings.  Well, except the Orioles, whose game was postponed thanks to some nasty sh!t going down on the East Coast.  They were going to play the Yankees though, and A.J. Burnett wasn't pitching, so it's probably safe to assume they would

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-38026128432559292082011-08-27T14:12:00.001-05:002011-08-27T23:32:54.712-05:00

A crappy Paint job for a crappy team Because if there is one thing that will salvage this stink bomb of a season, it will be snagging the top pick in the 2012 draft.  I've put a "race to the bottom" in the sidebar to track the Twins' progress in finishing the season with the worst record in baseball; if you would like to see the spreadsheet itself, just click on the image.  I'll try to

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-29447690478526145112011-08-26T16:23:00.000-05:002011-08-27T14:14:03.082-05:00

Will the Twins finish with triple digit losses for the first time since 1982?  With only 32 games to go, I am sure our boys are up to the challenge, especially now: Jim Thome, traded. Welp, there goes the only reason to watch the Twins this season. Just kidding, I'll still watch, but I'm going to think about products I might like to purchase.  Ohh...mmm...oh, I don't have that!  I would

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-78184050712249769842011-08-20T22:12:00.000-05:002011-08-20T22:12:03.678-05:00

In some alternate universe somewhere, the Minnesota Twins beat the New York Yankees 9-4.  Francisco Liriano shut down the Yanks, while the lineup pounded out seven runs on five hits against A.J. Burnett.  In reality, however, it was Burnett who pitched a gem; he stifled the Twins' offense for seven innings, allowing one run on three hits while striking out six and walking three.  Derek Jeter

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-76137406609119252342011-08-18T00:10:00.001-05:002011-08-18T14:45:12.028-05:00

[UPDATE:  Congrats to Andrew of Twins Fan From Afar!  Sorry folks, this contest is now closed, but I will undoubtedly have more giveaways in the future.] Good news if you missed out on the 1991 World Series DVD trivia contest, I have more goodies to give away.  You can win your own copy of this: http://shop.history.com/baseballs-greatest-games-1991-world-series-game-7-dvd/detail.php?p=

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-44661560282863203252011-08-16T14:56:00.000-05:002011-08-16T14:56:45.748-05:00

Even Tigers fans agree Jim Thome hit his 600th career home run last night.  He also hit a 2-run homer for number 599 earlier in the game, marking the 48th multi-home run game of his career.  It's been quite a career for Gentleman Jim, here's a brief look at of all those taters: By team: Cleveland Indians:  334 Philadelphia Phillies:  96 Chicago White Sox: 134 Minnesota Twins:  36 By

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-70049063116763384552011-08-16T12:45:00.000-05:002011-08-16T12:45:52.271-05:00

Here's something I never thought I would write:  the Twins managed to find a taker for Delmon Young.  In a move that came about ten months too late, the Twins shipped Young to Detroit for two warm bodies, one of which will be named later.   I don't know why the Tigers claimed Delmon; their bullpen is quite thin now that Al Alburquerque is out indefinitely with a concussion, and their outfield is

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-67453694388270846092011-08-13T20:07:00.002-05:002011-08-14T20:25:41.020-05:00

Shortstop Tsuyoshi Nishioka made a couple of errors in Friday's game, one of which proved costly when Shin-Soo Choo scored on a booted grounder.  He wasn't the only one to mess up in the field, though, as manager Ron Gardenhire lamented: "We had one error, but it should've been four. Their scorekeeper is really boosting their averages. This is the Major Leagues and those balls are supposed to be

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-8878822296391029612011-08-11T01:08:00.000-05:002011-08-11T01:08:50.445-05:00

Greatest trade in Twins history?  Greatest trade in Twins history.

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-15322175793212439432011-08-10T11:53:00.000-05:002011-08-10T11:53:20.755-05:00

With the bases loaded and one out, Phil Dumatrait somehow fell down while trying to field a swinging bunt by David Ortiz, who otherwise would've been thrown out by a country mile.  The Red Sox scored what would turn out to be the winning run.  Now, in fairness, the winning run would've scored even if Dumatrait had managed to field the ball successfully, but this play kind of sums up everything

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-35447879605669607342011-08-07T20:22:00.002-05:002011-08-07T20:26:36.349-05:00

I should be upset that the Twins got thoroughly embarrassed by a bitter division rival, especially one as inept as the 2011 White Sox, but I just can't muster any emotion other than apathy.  The Twins absolutely deserved to lose every one of these games.  They played like crap; with the exception of Carl Pavano, they pitched like crap; and they couldn't hit worth crap.  They allowed 18 runs to a

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-13144612771436831422011-08-05T13:41:00.001-05:002011-08-06T02:21:52.199-05:00

click to embiggen That's right, the 2011 White Sox have some of the best pitching in all of baseball.  They're allowing an average of just 4.16 runs per game, good for sixth in the AL.  Despite pitching in a hitter-friendly ballpark, Sox pitchers have done a good job limiting home runs, allowing an average of 0.83 HR/9 innings and only 8.7% of their fly balls eventually leave the park.  They

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-88948514741414396812011-07-31T22:25:00.001-05:002011-08-01T00:22:08.447-05:00

You may notice a few changes around here over the next few days.  I am experimenting with ways to clean up the site design and make it look neater, and in the process I hope to improve load time.  I don't think that is a problem for the most part, but I do like to embed video a lot and I want to make this site as accessible for you guys as possible.  Also, there is now a mobile version of this

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-83190053225658751472011-07-31T01:05:00.001-05:002011-07-31T01:10:55.632-05:00

via Fangraphs The Oakland Athletics have a .298 wOBA; second only to the Seattle Mariners' .279 mark for worst in the American League.  They are averaging 3.77 runs per game.  So, naturally they collected eight runs on twelve hits against the Twins, chasing Nick Blackburn after 4.1 innings. Speaking of pitiful offenses, the Twins mustered just three runs on eight hits, drawing just one walk. 

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-10468458038949209542011-07-29T02:08:00.003-05:002011-07-30T11:42:18.063-05:00

 UPDATE:  Congratulations, haasertime!  He was the first person to correctly answer all three questions, and is therefore the winner of The First Ever Picked Off at First Trivia Contest.  Sorry folks, the contest is now closed, but thanks to everyone who participated.  There will undoubtedly be other chances to win around the Twins blogiverse, and I encourage you to enter any and all of these

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-67517101491914058292011-07-27T14:25:00.001-05:002011-07-27T16:19:47.227-05:00

Joe Nathan is now tied with Rick Aguilera for the franchise lead in saves.  It didn't come easy, but Twitchy managed to wriggle out of a runners-on-the-corners-with-one-out jam to put himself in position to become the Twins' next King of Savers.  Actually, Twitchy has Joe Mauer to thank for this milestone.  If it weren't for his RBI double in the ninth inning, he would have had to wait another

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-38820628268669782282011-07-26T00:32:00.001-05:002011-07-26T08:27:50.569-05:00

Michael Cuddyer comes in to pitch, because why not? He was a bit wild, but he wasn't terrible, walking two and giving up a couple of hits, but somehow miraculously not allowing any more runs.  His was the second-best performance of the entire night; the first belonging to Phil Dumatrait, who pitched a couple of batters.  Cuddy was way better than the rest of the professional pitchers the Twins

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-47503554544797813202011-07-23T22:16:00.000-05:002011-07-30T22:05:35.356-05:00

I was going to write a post about Bert and his upcoming induction into the Hall of Fame this weekend, but then I got busy and never got around to it.  Thankfully, other people are not as lazy as I am.  Here are some of my favorite Bert posts from around the blogiverse: Chris Jaffe of The Hardball Times did a retrospective of all of Bert's career highlights from every team he ever pitched for.

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-9131058785672901362011-07-17T01:32:00.000-05:002011-07-17T01:32:56.787-05:00

I am sure Matt Capps is a nice guy and a good father, but he blew his American League-leading seventh save on Friday night, and so he doesn't work the ninth inning anymore. Joe Nathan was tapped to take his place, and he got the job done: Prior to his demotion, Capps allowed seven runs in 5.2 innings in July, with a 0/2 K/BB ratio.  It might seem like a knee-jerk reaction to demote a closer

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-28967391953179947522011-07-16T13:27:00.037-05:002011-07-16T13:49:18.151-05:00

If there is anything good about losing 2/3 of the opening day lineup to injury, it is that the kids get a chance to play.  It's fun to get a glimpse of what the future may hold, especially when the current team has, until about a month ago, played .315 ball.  We've gotten a pretty good look at a couple of former first round picks: Trevor Plouffe (2004, 20th overall) and Ben Revere (2007, 28th

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-24277992529738078362011-07-10T01:49:00.000-05:002011-07-10T01:49:42.365-05:00

graph:  Fangraphs; book cover illustration:  Elizabeth A. Mason Maybe it's just me, or maybe it's just because the Twins have dominated the White Sox over the past couple of years, but this loss doesn't seem as disappointing as it should be.  Brian Duensing pitched well, allowing a pair of runs on five hits over seven innings, but Mark Burly was even better, scattering four hits, striking out

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-46236154645669298272011-07-04T14:04:00.000-05:002011-07-04T14:04:10.481-05:00

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-78026233816029918882011-07-04T02:49:00.000-05:002011-07-04T02:49:34.770-05:00

Zack Greinke has never fared well against the Minnesota Twins.  Coming into yesterday's game, he had a 4.90 ERA in 97.1 innings, with a 71/36 K/BB ratio.  He had given up 102 hits, including 17 doubles, 3 triples, and 7 home runs.  And yesterday was more of the same.  He lasted six innings, giving up four runs on a pair of home runs:  a solo shot to Jim Thome and a three-run bomb to Rene Tosoni.

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-78286658477886706252011-07-02T13:14:00.000-05:002011-07-02T13:14:04.633-05:00

Somebody is having a little too much fun with the Bayifier (click on images to enlarge): photo credit:  AP screen shot courtesy thisistwinsterritory.com photo credit: Jim Mone, AP image courtesy sportsblink.com image courtesy posters.ws image courtesy bestshoppingcenter.net image courtesy midwestsportsfans.com

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-16212932477785501282011-07-02T10:49:00.000-05:002011-07-02T10:49:17.004-05:00

graph:  fangraphs Yovani Gallardo hung a curveball to Jim Thome in the bottom of the first inning, and the rest, as they say, is history: Jim Thome homers (5) on a fly ball to left center field.  Joe Mauer scores.  Michael Cuddyer scores.  Ah, things are getting back to normal here in the Twinned Cities. I was hoping Thome would hit number 600 sometime before the All-Star break, and I

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-48930667227064163402011-06-29T04:55:00.000-05:002011-06-29T04:55:14.966-05:00

That isn't meant as a slam on Mr. Reusse.  I do enjoy his work for the most part, though I don't often agree with his conclusions.  I find his dismissal of all things sabermetrics extremely irritating, mostly because he comes across as a grumpy old man who hates the new-fangled stats because they're new.  He is a master storyteller though, and occasionally he even provides some insightful

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-15540303077338134852011-06-28T15:36:00.000-05:002011-06-28T15:36:19.937-05:00

graph:  Fangraps, image: dunno source, email me if it's yours I am working on a post about the cause of the Twins' woes this season (spoiler alert:  it's not due to managerial mishaps by Ron Gardenhire or a lack of leadership in the clubhouse), and it's taking me a lot longer than anticipated. This photoshop MS Paint thingy I made of last night's game won't be relevant by the time I get done,

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-54772163320223450492011-06-27T04:26:00.000-05:002011-06-27T04:26:00.262-05:00

Apologies for the lack of posts lately, but I've been super busy at work.  I've had to start working weekends again for the first time in over a year.  Thankfully, I won't have to do it forever, just until the first week of September.  Of course, by then school will have started and I will still be way too busy to do much writing.  Ahh, life.  Anyway, here are a few notes from the recent

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-4682287788185157132011-06-20T02:46:00.000-05:002011-06-20T02:46:11.695-05:00

The Minnesota Twins were 16.5 games out of first place on June 1st.  Even though we were barely a third of the way through the season, that deficit seemed insurmountable at the time.  The Twins -- and I don't think there is any better way to say this -- sucked.  They had allowed nearly 100 more runs than they had scored.  They won all of nine games in April, and eight games in May.  Their 17-37

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-16918766780986470992011-06-13T12:52:00.000-05:002011-06-13T12:52:11.685-05:00

via Fangraphs, with a little help from MS paint Four pitchers in baseball history have thrown two no-hitters in one season, and yesterday Francisco Liriano was six outs away from becoming one of them.  F-bomb actually had a perfect game going into the seventh inning, when Luke Hughes booted a grounder to third.  The play was scored an error, but was it?  SB Nation has the .gif, so you can

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-87208540446530661772011-06-12T02:36:00.000-05:002011-06-12T02:36:51.967-05:00

via Fangraphs You're forgiven this time, Rangers.  The Twins responded in kind to yesterday's 9-3 beat down.  Colby Lewis didn't even make it out of the second inning, surrendering six runs on seven hits to the most fearsome lineup in the Midwest League: Ben Revere:   .264/.293/.278/.571, 75 PA.  Revere went 2-for-5, scoring a pair of runs, and made a couple of spectacular catches in center

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-70540296988901819632011-06-10T01:09:00.000-05:002011-06-10T01:09:10.368-05:00

via Fangraphs Okay, so there wasn't all that much at stake in this game.  If the Twins win, they no longer have the worst record in baseball (thanks, Houston!).  If they lose, well, they are one step closer to getting the first overall pick in the 2012 draft.  Still, it is a lot more fun to watch your favorite team win than lose, especially in such dramatic fashion.  Of course, there would

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-5722285556262054312011-06-07T01:52:00.000-05:002011-06-07T01:52:07.350-05:00

via Fangraphs When the Twins were down 2-0 early in the game, I didn't really expect them to come back.  Scott Baker didn't look like he had anything out there, and scoring more than two runs is a lot to ask of a lineup with a combined .294 wOBA.  Sometimes, I am happy to be wrong. Baker didn't exactly put forth one of his best performances:  allowing nine hits, three runs, two home runs, and

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-61933064111107492652011-06-05T19:12:00.000-05:002011-06-05T19:12:08.397-05:00

The Twins outscored the Royals 26-6 in this series, improving their run differential by 20 runs in just four games. Of course, they still have the worst run differential in baseball by a pretty wide margin, but hey, it's progress. If they can continue outscoring their opponents by an average of five runs per game, it will only take another 15 games to reach a positive run differential. Look

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-77181441478199030302011-06-04T23:35:00.000-05:002011-06-04T23:35:37.896-05:00

via Fangraphs It's never-ending, never-ending, same old story:  injuries once again forced Ron Gardenhire to cobble together a lineup out of Rochester's finest. Justin Morneau was out with a pinched nerve in his neck and a sore wrist, and Denard Span was a last-minute scratch due to a sore neck. This what Gardy came up with: Ben Revere, CF Alexi Casilla, SS Michael Cuddyer, 1B Danny Valencia,

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-69720572531148686752011-06-04T11:39:00.000-05:002011-06-04T11:39:46.826-05:00

graph: Fangraphs; Butters Show poster:  dunno source, email me if it's yours Carl Pavano won his 100th game last night.  That isn't a lot, especially for someone with 13 major league seasons under his belt, but it is kind of remarkable given that Pavano looked all but finished after his stint with the Yankees.  After pitching just 145 innings with a 5.00 ERA in New York, Pavano, not

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-52149171225736373792011-06-02T11:00:00.000-05:002011-06-02T11:00:37.510-05:00

Ricky Rubio is coming, you guys! Sure, hasn't shown much progression while playing with Regal Barcelona the past two years, though his performance this season was likely hindered by a foot injury. But the current crop of point guards makes me weep, and I don't think he could be worse than Jonny Flynn. Flynn, taken in the first round of the 2009 draft, recently lost his starting job to Luke

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-47025892804809129292011-06-02T00:19:00.000-05:002011-06-02T00:19:33.598-05:00

Graph:  Fangraphs; Awesome Twins coffin I am totally getting buried in someday: eternalimage.net The Twins are now 20 games under .500?  The Twins are now 20 games under .500.  I can't remember the last time the Twins were 20 games under .500.  I should look it up, but, eh, why put more effort into my work than the Twins do in theirs?  For once, the starting pitcher lost the game all by

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-89553943124136331842011-05-29T14:23:00.000-05:002011-05-29T14:23:18.395-05:00

via Fangraphs Jered Weaver vs. Anthony Swarzak:  if you told me one of these guys would be taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning, I would have assumed it would be Weaver.  After all, Weaver has emerged as one of the best pitchers in the American League, while Swarzak didn't even make the team out of spring training.  Swarzak wasn't even scheduled to start last night, but was slotted in

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-43921189183141802692011-05-28T15:37:00.000-05:002011-11-27T22:29:30.246-06:00

Your 2011 Minnesota Twins are bad; this is not news.  They are currently the only team in major-league baseball more than 14 games out of first place, and they are on pace to lose more than 100 games for the first time since 1982.  I thought it might be fun to compare this team with some of the worst in franchise history, to see how it stacks up.  To help separate the suckiest sucks from those

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-43846902611024633172011-05-28T00:45:00.000-05:002011-05-28T00:45:28.979-05:00

via Fangraphs We got a 'pen full of them so-called friends:  Alex Burnett, -.037 WPA:  Burnett relieved Scott Baker in the eighth inning.  He gave up a single to Peter Bourjos, then he walked Maicer Izturis.  He was yanked without retiring a single batter. Dusty Hughes, -.146 WPA:  Hughes came in to relieve Burnett and promptly gave up a 3-run home run to Erick Aybar.  He was lifted after

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-36164949579166339852011-05-26T15:10:00.000-05:002011-05-26T15:10:28.989-05:00

I don't know what happened between Kevin Slowey and Ron Gardenhire.  I hadn't heard of any problems between the two, at least up until spring training, though there may have been all kinds of behind-the-scenes stuff going on that we aren't privy to.  Frankly, Slowey is the last person I would think the organization would ever have a problem with.  He's been hurt a lot but, at least as far as I

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-27668094104825580002011-05-22T22:33:00.001-05:002011-05-23T00:29:34.639-05:00

I did it, I finally got around to creating a Facebook page for the ol' blog, though it is still kind of a work in progress. It took me awhile because 1) up until Friday, I was swamped with homework and finals and stuff, and 2)  I couldn't decide if I wanted to update the blog's URL or not.  It appears there has been some confusion among new visitors as to what the blog's actual name is, since it

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-43708050715500845132011-05-22T19:40:00.000-05:002011-05-22T19:40:22.490-05:00

image credit: graph- fangraphs, snake pic- flickr user Charles & Clint At least the bullpen gave up fewer than six runs this time, so there's that.  Francisco Liriano wasn't exactly dominant, walking as many batters as he struck out, but he allowed just two runs on six hits over six innings.  He also collected a hit and helped his own case by driving in a run on a groundout to second, making

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-85735379492380965572011-05-22T12:54:00.000-05:002011-05-22T12:54:48.161-05:00

(it's Tool, so, language) No, not for us. Judgment Day came and went with nary a whimper.  Apparently Armageddon has been postponed until next year, as it has been for, oh as long as people have been misinterpreting the Bible.  I am not a theologian; my knowledge of the Bible and the Christian tradition is limited to stuff I vaguely remember from Sunday school, so I am in no place to judge

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-35297267553357137432011-05-15T18:12:00.000-05:002011-05-15T18:12:00.956-05:00

via Fangraphs  Jose Bautista - 11, Twins - 3 The summer soldier Vikings fan looking for something to do during the off-season and the sunshine fan will, in this crisis, shrink from the overall suckage of this baseball team; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman when Kyle Gibson and Miguel Sano lead the Twins to the 2014 World Series.   "What we obtain too

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-58777406168379072022011-05-15T13:09:00.000-05:002011-05-15T13:09:09.505-05:00

Graph:  fangraphs, implosion pic:  flickr user fdecomite Just think, if Justin Morneau's double off of Jon Rauch in the bottom of the ninth were just a few inches higher, if Denard Span could've ranged a few more steps to the right, we would be talking about a thoroughly satisfying Twins' win instead of their seventh straight loss.  The 2011 Twins have been bad for sure, they rank dead last

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-67869018874702492372011-05-14T09:59:00.001-05:002011-05-14T12:29:14.777-05:00

I'm not talking about the game last night, either.  I am not superstitious, so I don't believe in this Friday-the-13th mumbo jumbo, but what an ugly set of coincidences. The Minnesota sports scene was hit hard with some terrible news about two of its favorite players, and the nicest people to ever walk the planet:  Harmon Killebrew and Derek Boogaard.  Killebrew, as you know, has been battling

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-82112607396058342022011-05-08T22:03:00.000-05:002011-05-08T22:03:44.968-05:00

via Fangraphs My mom is OK with that; she doesn't like them either.  She hates baseball, and all sports in general for that matter, so I had to spend the day doing something other than watching the Twins lose. We took my Grandma* out to brunch, then we spent the rest of the afternoon over at her house, drinking wine** and shooting the bull.  It was nice, which is more than can be said about

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-24996267563433958092011-05-07T20:47:00.000-05:002011-05-07T20:47:46.193-05:00

via Fangraphs Clay Buchholz had an ERA of 4.81 coming in to today's game, and though he may be one of the more overrated pitchers in the American League, he is certainly better than that, and at least for today he certainly looked like it.  The Twins' AAA lineup was simply no match for the other Buchholz, who was filthy.  A two-hour rain delay after the second inning proved a minor

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-15672210421244067462011-05-07T02:34:00.001-05:002011-05-07T02:44:58.575-05:00

via Fangraphs What's almost as good as no-hitting the White Sox at the Cell, sweeping the White Sox in Sheee-cago, beating the White Sox in general, and one of those once-a-decade wins against the Yankees? Thumping the Red Sox in Boston, of course.  Yes, that's right; the same Twins team that got pounded by the Royals not two weeks ago outscored the Crimson Hosers 9-2 at Fenway Park.  Of

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-53329752384744445392011-05-04T14:13:00.001-05:002011-07-01T12:36:14.355-05:00

I have never made a .gif before, but a no-hitter seemed like a good reason to waste an afternoon learning how to make one.  Here's Adam Dunn making the final out: created using the animated gifs maker at MakeAGif I am also planning to make a longer one that includes F-bomb's teammates mobbing him on the mound afterwards, and perhaps the blown call that preserved the no-no, just for the

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-76351966437573162132011-05-04T00:51:00.000-05:002011-05-04T00:51:09.987-05:00

via Fangraphs This has to be the unlikeliest no-hitter I have ever seen.  Francisco Liriano wasn't sharp at all, walking six batters while striking out just two.  He struggled with his command all night, throwing about half of his 123 pitches for strikes.  And yet the Sox couldn't manage to make solid contact on anything, grounding into three double plays and hitting seven balls out of the

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-32043772689154470472011-05-01T17:10:00.000-05:002011-05-01T17:10:30.709-05:00

WPA graph courtesy Fangraphs.  Click to embiggen. Congratulations, Minnesota Twins.  You are now the proud owners of the worst record in baseball.  Is it bad that I am kind of hoping you continue to suck all season long so that you can get the number one pick in the draft next year?  I have no idea who will be available, or how deep the draft will be, or anything like that, but I noticed that

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-87607146059394179642011-05-01T12:46:00.001-05:002011-05-01T18:47:17.880-05:00

Every so often, I like to check Google's search queries just to see what brings people to my little corner of the internets.  Frankly, I'm surprised I get any hits at all anymore, given how badly I've neglected this poor blog over the past year, but nevertheless, people looking for stuff on David Ortiz, Chuck Knoblauch, Rick Aguilera, Scott Stahoviak, A. J. Pierzynski, plunking, or some

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-7696668194009626362011-05-01T00:58:00.000-05:002011-05-01T00:58:15.777-05:00

Brian Duensing should kick the following people square in the balls: Joe Nathan:  -0.009 WPA.   Twitchy was awful.  A leadoff double to Billy Butler, an intentional walk and a hit batter later, Nathan's night was done.  He left the game with runners on the corners and two outs.  Jose Mijares: -0.057 WPA.  Mijares faced just one batter, Chris Getz, and gave up an RBI single.   Jim Hoey: -

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-49572327439015770522011-04-30T10:39:00.000-05:002011-04-30T10:39:52.678-05:00

The Twins are not the worst team in the league; they are just playing like it right now.   Since this team is not going to entertain me, I guess I'll have to entertain myself.  Usually I like to write 10,000 word essays breaking down the teams' strengths and struggles, looking for any sign of hope, however faint, but with finals coming up and all that, I don't really have time.  Besides,

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-16829131970462304112011-04-24T20:47:00.000-05:002011-04-24T20:47:30.338-05:00

via Fangraphs Sweep! I decided to give up drinking for Lent.  I am nothing more than a social drinker, but I do enjoy beer a lot.  Probably a lot more than I should.  And I don't really eat the best diet, so I figured my poor liver could use a bit of a break.  Frankly, I didn't even miss it all that much, at least not until baseball season started.  This team has not been very much

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-77270533582817955342011-04-24T02:24:00.000-05:002011-04-24T02:24:39.923-05:00

via Fangraphs Look out first-place Cleveland Indians, here come the Twins!  Rumors of the Twins' demise may have been a tad premature.  Blah, blah, it's April, blah, blah, blah, small sample size, blah, blah, blah, it ain't over 'til it's over, blah blah, remember 2006 and 2009, blah, blah, blah. I think we all knew going into the season that this was going to be a deeply flawed team in

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-18818659538876054342011-04-13T23:27:00.000-05:002011-04-13T23:27:11.709-05:00

The season is mercifully over for the Timberwolves. I thought about doing a more throrough analysis of the current state of the team, but why go to all that trouble bother when a 3-second video sums it up nicely: At 17-65, the Woofs beat out the hapless Cavs for the worst record in the league. Think about that: the Cavs lost 26 games in a row, setting a new NBA record for the worst losing

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-70098796098333489732011-04-05T23:05:00.000-05:002011-04-05T23:05:52.623-05:00

I am way too busy to be posting much of anything.  I have a test in one of my finance classes that I should probably be studying for right now.  However, a win in Yankee Stadium is such a rare event for our hometown nine that I felt the need to capture it for posterity.  You know, in case it never happens again.

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-90829136634303064632011-03-20T19:15:00.001-05:002011-03-20T19:16:06.323-05:00

This is a topic I've been reluctant to discuss, mostly because I don't like to make an issue of something that should really be a non-issue. I think Justine Siegal, who got a lot of press for being the first woman to throw live batting practice to a major-league baseball team, proves why the whole thing should be a non-issue.  As the first base coach for the Brockton Rox, she seems a consummate

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-85546617029470500552011-02-21T11:31:00.001-06:002011-02-22T09:56:27.716-06:00

Further proof, as if any were needed, that traumatic brain injuries are nothing to take lightly: Before he shot himself fatally in the chest Thursday, the former Chicago Bears defensive back Dave Duerson sent family members text messages requesting that his brain tissue be examined for the same damage recently found in other retired players, two people aware of the messages said Saturday night.

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-82312652028358603642011-02-13T19:44:00.003-06:002011-02-13T20:59:28.592-06:00

It's kind of old news, but I also have a weekly, general baseball column for Fansided's Call to the Pen site, alongside site lead Nathaniel Stoltz and columnists Steve Engbloom, Justin Klugh, Alex Brown, and Michael Engel.  I have actually been writing there for over a month, but I wanted to see how things would go before making any official announcements here.  I am, after all, a full-time

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-48891852241744486572011-02-12T15:45:00.000-06:002011-02-12T15:45:04.991-06:00

Sometimes a game breaks out. The Islanders and Penguins combined for 65 penalties; including 15 fighting majors and 20 misconducts; 346 penalty minutes, and 10 ejections. That is the most since the 2000-2001 season; things were a little different prior to the era of the kinder, gentler NHL. And because I enjoy a good goalie fight as much as the next girl, here is what started the mele:

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-21148558522295512472011-02-06T21:09:00.001-06:002011-02-13T20:35:19.629-06:00

Minnesota Vikings Super Bowl Championships: 0 Green Bay Packers Super Bowl Championships: 4 The NFL is dead to me.

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-82285041447891238812011-02-06T12:04:00.000-06:002011-02-06T12:04:30.801-06:00

Yes, they will. Okay, maybe not this year; given how tight the standings are in the Western Conference, they may not even make the playoffs. I was actually going to do some research on the team and their playoff chances, but I have neither the time nor the inclination to do so now. It seems to my relatively uneducated brain that the Wild will need a ton of things to go right if they want to

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-7133207592629434112011-01-22T16:58:00.000-06:002011-01-22T16:58:58.727-06:00

Vernon Wells for Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera? And the Jays aren't picking up any of Wells' contract, or sending any cash the Angels' way (unless they were sending $80 million the Angels' way, it probably wouldn't make much of a difference, though)?  And here people thought the Twins were having a terrible off-season! I would love this trade, if I were a fan of the Mariners, Athletics, Rangers, or

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-62369646511068337992011-01-01T15:09:00.000-06:002011-01-01T15:09:00.330-06:00

image courtesy seacrestwolfpreserve.org I have to admit that I haven't been following the Timberwolves all that closely this season.  I've been far too busy with school, and work, and the other blogs I write for (which have weekly posting requirements) to focus too much of my attention on an 8-25 basketball team.  I work nights, so I don't get to see the games very often, and for some reason,

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-60493076406823781502010-12-23T14:41:00.001-06:002010-12-24T15:35:02.883-06:00

In the spirit of Festivus, I aired some Twins-related grievances over at Twinkie Talk.  But I'm not done whining, here are the rest: The Minnesota Timberwolves:  You do realize that basketball games are longer than three quarters, right?  I would like the following people to stop sucking, right now:  Luke Ridnour, Sebastian Telfair, aw hell, everybody except Kevin Love, and maybe Michael Beasley

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-49590475473171801722010-12-19T14:35:00.000-06:002010-12-19T14:35:21.792-06:00

image courtesy homeruncards.com Milwaukee just completed a trade for my favorite pitcher ever, non-Twins division, sending outfielder Lorenzo Cain, shortstop Alcides Escobar and pitching prospects Jake Odorizzi and Jeremy Jeffress/PTBNL to the Royals.  Obviously, I am excited about this trade because 1) Zack Greinke is no longer in the AL Central and 2) Whenever I go to Brewers' games, I will

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-353833739089385182010-12-12T11:04:00.001-06:002010-12-12T16:12:18.680-06:00

[UPDATE: OK, actual video of the roof collapsing is a more perfect metaphor for the Vikes' season] This is like an early Christmas present for Zygi Wilf. New stadium, anyone?

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-35079582244618768702010-12-07T23:41:00.001-06:002010-12-12T12:18:36.290-06:00

Naturally, with the recent passing of Ron Santo, there has been a recent of re-examination of his Hall-of-Fame case.  It seems likely that he will be inducted posthumously; he is, after all, considered one of the best players not in the Hall.  I am not going to debate the merits of Santo's case here because, well, there isn't much point in doing so.  Most readers have already made up their minds

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-37122076952368278542010-11-26T11:50:00.000-06:002010-11-26T11:50:18.276-06:00

I was going to write a post comparing the Vikings to the Mets because I could not think of another sports franchise that treats its devoted fanbase with more contempt, but you know what?  The Mets are making a serious attempt to improve their organization.  Apparently the Wilpons got tired of being a laughingstock and cleaned house, firing GM and noted doofus Omar Minaya and bringing in smart

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-6081401292437201462010-11-09T00:53:00.000-06:002010-11-09T00:53:59.370-06:00

I'm just really busy trying to not fail my classes, with varying degrees of success.  Thankfully, the semester will be over in a little over a month. 

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-54606996485282169202010-10-24T20:14:00.000-05:002010-10-24T20:14:27.010-05:00

I hate to count the Giants out, I really do.  I don't think anyone expected them to get past the Phillies, and yet they handled Philly pretty easily in the NLCS.  And if this postseason has shown us anything, it's that the best team doesn't always win and that baseball is unpredictable and all that.  But, after digging deeper into the numbers, I just don't see how the Giants are going to win.

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-56457599300816215832010-10-23T00:49:00.000-05:002010-10-23T00:49:14.453-05:00

via Fangraphs This series has been both frustrating and enormously entertaining to watch, because the Yankees have looked vulnerable almost the entire time (save for game 5, and maybe game 1).  They didn't look vulnerable at all in the ALDS, sweeping a Twins team that was better (at least on paper) in almost every single way.  Texas made beating the Yankees look easy, and that was extremely

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-17569980352394284902010-10-19T10:41:00.001-05:002010-10-19T10:46:44.525-05:00

via Fangraphs We might as well enjoy it now, because a Sabathia/Lee/Pettitte rotation won't be any fun in the postseason.

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-92027629030884254862010-10-17T23:16:00.000-05:002010-10-17T23:16:09.367-05:00

While I am tempted to just give it to Cody Ross, sadly, postseason stats don't count in awards voting.  Here's a quick rundown of the best players in the National League this season, and who I would vote for if, you know, I actually had a vote. Albert Pujols:  7.2 rWAR, 7.3 fWAR, .312/.414/.596/1.011  The greatest player of his generation, and perhaps of all-time, had sort of a down season by

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-89796620404595712962010-10-10T19:47:00.002-05:002010-10-11T08:09:19.685-05:00

If you're like me, your team was just eliminated from the postseason.  Or maybe your team never made it in the first place.  At any rate, if you still haven't settled on a team to cheer for in the playoffs, I have developed this handy (and hopefully helpful) guide: The American League: The Yankees:  Hahahahaha, yeah right.  Well, it's tempting for me to want to cheer for the Yanks simply

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-39873595667496963152010-10-02T21:58:00.003-05:002010-10-10T22:18:14.118-05:00

Did I mention that I was going to do these in whatever order I felt like?  Cuz I am.  And since I felt like researching the MVPs, that's what I decided to write about.  Here are the most valuable players in the American League this year; I'll get to the National League whenever I feel like it.  That's just how I roll, baby. Oh dear, we have a dilly of a pickle in the AL MVP race.  Here are the

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-15969488384728709812010-09-19T17:43:00.000-05:002010-09-19T17:43:59.378-05:00

As I did for the AL Cy Young candidates, here are the NL leaders by ERA, followed by a much deeper look into their stats: Josh Johnson:  183.2 IP, 2.30 ERA, 2.43 FIP, 186 SO, 48 BB, 3.88 K/BB,  2.78 tERA  Josh Johnson has been very good this season.  If you favor traditional stats, he's leading the league in ERA and in home runs given up (just seven), though he's only won 11 games.  He's held

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-53583489648586719942010-09-11T23:17:00.002-05:002010-09-12T11:43:34.671-05:00

I'm going to do this much like I did the All-Star Game selections: going through the list of viable Cy Young, MVP, ROY, and MOY candidates in each league, and then picking who I think deserves to win and who probably will actually win. I'm going to try to crank out one of these per week, with separate posts devoted to both the AL and NL candidates, but I'm really busy with school and my other

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-13948910230849373452010-09-01T12:59:00.000-05:002010-09-01T12:59:02.245-05:00

Fun Fact: Ndamukong means "house of spears" in ethnic Ngemba (his father is originally from Cameroon).  Brett Favre will see him twice this year.  That should be fun. I don't write much about the Vikings because I'm not really much of a football fan.  I don't really know much about it, and to be honest, it isn't really one of my favorite sports.  For me, football is a distant third behind

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1767313269061561452.post-76218842608576866442010-08-22T12:53:00.000-05:002010-08-22T12:53:14.498-05:00

If you don't love Vin Scully, then I don't think we can be friends: (h/t to Deadspin)

Erin Moorenoreply@blogger.com