I moved to Western Maryland a couple of weeks ago and this is part of my ongoing attempt to learn about the sports interests here.  Baseball-wise it’s the Pirates, Orioles, and Nationals, and I wanted to get into the one with the best current chance of a playoff push.  The Nats are obviously out and the Orioles are 14 games behind first in a ridiculously hard division, so that leaves the Pirates, a tantalizing Homer-pick at 9.5 behind in the absurdly mediocre NL Central.  On paper it looks possible that any team could take it, and I hoped that statistical analysis would show some obscure Pirates advantage that could take them over the top, but I just can’t find it.  I’m not saying that an X-factor doesn’t exist, just that anyone who claims there is one is obviously from Pittsburgh.  In fact, this team so cries for the use of the “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” comparison that I spent ten whole minutes looking up how I could work it in.  And here it is:  Mario Brega, who played Cpl. Wallace, the big cross-eyed prison guard in the film who beat up Tuco to get the name of the cemetery the money was buried in for Angel Eyes ,died 15 years ago this month.  So to honor his memory, here’s a breakdown of the Pirates in the spirit of that great film (I resisted using a corresponding pirate-based ranking system, i.e.; Avast Ye Maties, Walk the Plank, and Totally Somalian because even I have standards).

Continue reading "Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star Break Analysis"

     So the battle for the Pacific Coast League American South Division is on.  After last night’s rainout, the series finally got underway, with both teams tied for first in the division at 28-32.  Albuquerque had been in a bit of a slump, going 3-7 in their last ten games, while Round Rock went 6-4.  Oddly, the teams had identical home and road records going into the series.  Offensively, the Isotopes overall stats looked better; they completely eclipsed the Express in home runs, RBIs, total bases, walks drawn and whiffed on fewer strike outs.  They also were way ahead in stolen bases and OPS (my new favorite stat).  Pitching-wise, Round Rock held a slight (and I mean VERY slight) edge.  For the most part the pitching was evenly matched concerning overall stats, but the Express were facing Charlie Haeger, who was 7-3 with an ERA just over 4, one of the better ones in the PCL.  And to give credit where credit is due, Haeger pitched a helluva game, good by any standards: he went seven innings, gave up four hits and one run, and only walked two.  Usually that’s more than enough for a win against Round Rock’s pitching, but Mark McLemore is improving very fast.  In his third start since returning from extended spring training, he only gave up three hits (all singles) in six innings, allowing no runs and getting four strikeouts while only issuing two walks.  After him, Casey Daigle and Brendan Donnelly got the hold and the save.  In three innings of relief, they combined to allow one hit and no runs while notching three strikeouts and doling no walks (Round Rock only gave up two walks the whole game, quite remarkable for team who throws more BBs than a shotgun).

Continue reading "Round Rock Express vs Albuquerque Isotopes Battle for 1st"

     Well, not at your local bar, or at church or the grocery store.  Unless former pro ballplayers hang out there.  Former pro ballplayers who won the clinching game of the 1981 World Series.  Against the Yankees.  What I mean by Burt being like lots of guys is that the annals of baseball have so many players we tend to remember mostly the Babe Ruths and Ty Cobbs and –insert random player name here- and so on.  But the game is larger than even the biggest stars.  The game consists of so many players, so many games, so many stats, that unless a player was on your favorite team he may only garner a fleeting memory, an “oh yeah, I kinda remember him” reaction.  If you followed the Cubs in the early to mid seventies, or the Dodgers from 75 to 84, you remember Burt Hooton.  He’ll never get into the hall of fame, but his career is worth a look; there are definitely enough interesting moments to warrant it.  This isn’t some guy who had one or two moments of fame; he had a career’s worth.  Currently he is the pitching coach of the Round Rock Express, the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros.

Continue reading "My Interview With Burt Hooton"

Continue reading "Houston Astros Triple-A Affiliate Round Rock Express Figure Things Out Against The Salt Lake City Bees"

     Being a Saints fan has to be one of the most frustrating things in all of pro sports.  You are from Louisiana; they are the Saints…you have no choice.  Dammit, you have no choice.  You watched them trade draft picks to Dallas for Steve Walsh, you watched them grow great defensive players and then promptly trade them once their salaries got too expensive, you watched them trade seeming nobodies who quickly became somebodies on other teams (Bobby Hebert, I’m looking mostly at you), and you’ve watched them somehow manage to beat some pretty good teams during the regular season only to turn around and get facialed by the 2-10 Browns the next week.  The uncertainty killed you, but it’s also what made the Saints the Saints.  I can’t think of another fan base in any pro sport that has gotten so much morose pleasure out of being shitty.  Remember the paper bags over the heads with “Aint’s” written across?  The fans were pleased with their own creativity, which at least tried to offset the INCREDIBLE lack of creativity in Jim Mora’s offense.  But that was I different era.  I’ll move on.

Continue reading "New Orleans Saints-Draft Picks and Free Agent Signings"

     Twenty-eight NBA teams are looking at how to fix what went wrong about now, soon to be Thirty. Some wonder about squandered potential, some about how to fix injury issues, some at how to dump salaries to save cash (shame on you, wretched greedheads. More on that later), some looking at incredible young potential and how to keep them, etc.  And that’s all well and good, but I need a moment to hang my head and ask “What if” about a few aspects of the Hornets I found troubling, who…well, they just…nevermind. Here we go.

What if?

1)They hadn’t released Chris Anderson?

     I realize that sounds like a great deal of hindsight, but I complained about this move since they released him last summer. Sure, he was coming off a substance abuse suspension, and New Orleans may not be the best city for a recovering alcoholic, but they had him by the cojones. Pay him the minimum, make him the 10th or 11th man or even send him to the D-League; anything for someone who’s that much of an athletic freak and going for bargain basement prices. If he messes up again, you cut him and still come out ahead. Where were the Hornets shallow this year? THE BENCH, especially the frontcourt bench. The Birdman is a solid 6’10”, 228 who can play center or power forward and probably start on most teams. So just to rub it in, here’s what he did in Denver this season coming off the bench and averaging a measly 21 minutes per game (note: these stats are only regular season, not including his crazy postseason  performances): 54.8% FG, 6.2 RPG, 6.4 PPG, and 2.46 BPG. Yes, you read that last part correctly: he averaged 2 and a half blocks a game averaging only 21 minutes. I believe that a gentleman named Dwight Howard is the only one who has a better block per minute played ratio

Continue reading "New Orleans Hornets-Hindsight is 2020"

Good, Bad, and "Meh"

     So people in Dallas are pretty proud of their Rangers now, as they should be.  A lead in the AL West, a respectable 14-6 home record…plus it takes the minds of Dallas sports fans off the Cowboys and Mavericks for a second, which, given Jerry Jones’ and Mark Cuban’s further descent into Al Davis-Hood and the Cowboys and Mavs further descent into irrelevance, is a welcome respite. I’d say the Rangers represent the Dallas area’s best chance for a championship in the next five years (not counting hockey  because not enough people care and not counting soccer because I’m only including real sports). 

So they probably won’t win it this year. But here are my likes, dislikes, and possible minor league solutions to some glaring problems with the Rangers.

Continue reading "Texas Rangers-Quarter Season Likes and Dislikes"