Earlier this season I commented on how Eric Chavez’s walk numbers had improved. Little did I know at the time that Chavez would wind up leading the AL in walks with 95, despite missing 37 games. His previous career high was 65, and while his BA was one point below his career average, [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:11 am | Uncategorized | Permalink | 9 Comments
October 29, 2004
Souvenirs
Jim Storer just returned from St. Louis (happy birthday, Jim!) where he attended games 3 and 4 of the World Series. On his way back he and his buddies stopped by a Cardinals gear store at the airport. They found minature Cardinals bobble head dolls with the following label on the back:
Warning: Choking [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 4:06 pm | World Series | Permalink | 1 Comment
October 29, 2004
Internet Baseball Writers Awards
Christian Ruzich has the results of the first annual Internet Baseball Writers Association (IBWA) awards. My ballot can be found in the extended entry below.
(A more readable version of the results can be found here.)
First off, I was the person who voted for Ryan Drese. I liked Drese’s performance all year. He’s [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 3:03 pm | Awards | Permalink | 13 Comments
October 29, 2004
Stone Out
Steve Stone resigned as a Cubs broadcaster. His letter to the fans is here.
I am sure you have read many things about this past season and my involvement in one or two controversies. However, you have never heard my story or my perspective of the events that have brought us to this point in [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:19 am | Broadcasts | Permalink | 3 Comments
October 29, 2004
Hot Hand
The Sports Economist tries to use the Red Sox post-season win streak as an argument for team streakiness existing. I believe he makes a flaw in relating probability to outcomes in one area, however.
The conventional wisdom in the academic literature is that psychologists and behavioral economists have debunked the “myth of the hot hand,” [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:01 am | World Series | Permalink | 6 Comments
October 28, 2004
Red Sox Parade
The Red Sox parade will be at 10 AM Saturday morning. Should be fun.
Posted by David Pinto at 10:15 pm | World Series | Permalink | 1 Comment
October 28, 2004
I Must Have ESP(n)
Looks like this prediction:
I would not be surprised to see Schilling go into politics once his baseball career is over.
Came true faster than I thought.
Posted by David Pinto at 3:11 pm | Predictions | Permalink | 9 Comments
October 28, 2004
The Expos
Ball-Wonk has discovered that their may be intelligence in the commissioner’s office after all.
BallWonk cannot imagine that all these moves show a coordinated campaign to put an African-American face on our new team, the better to promote baseball to Washington’s large black middle class and vibrant black entrepreneurial sector. No, wait, BallWonk can imagine that. [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 12:09 pm | Team Movements | Permalink | 9 Comments
October 28, 2004
Red Sox World
The Boston Globe has published it’s story on Red Sox fans around the world.
All over the world, legions of otherwise productive and healthy people found themselves unable to sleep for almost two weeks.
Some have been staying up in loud bars until the wee hours of the morning; parents are waking up children before dawn to [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 11:52 am | World Series | Permalink | 1 Comment
October 28, 2004
Feed Me!
It appears that I’m the Feedster Feed of the Day! Thanks very much, Feedster!
Posted by David Pinto at 11:04 am | Blogs | Permalink | No Comments
October 28, 2004
Watch the Series with Yogi
For $250, you can watch the World Series with Yogi Berra (subscription required).
Update: Free link here! (Hat tip, SoccerDad.)
It’s a lucky few who get to visit a museum and talk with the person it’s named after. As Yogi Berra himself said at the 1998 dedication of the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center here: “This [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:54 am | World Series | Permalink | 1 Comment
October 28, 2004
Goodbye, Curse
It’s with a heavy heart that I link to the final post at Bambino’s Curse. Last night I asked what Edward Cossette what he would call his blog now. But he’s going to stop writing it.
Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, everyone who has stopped by this blog once, twice, or a couple [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:26 am | Blogs | Permalink | 3 Comments
October 28, 2004
Waking the Dead
I think this is a great gesture:
Workers at Mount Auburn Cemetery said yesterday they began to see tiny Red Sox flags blossom near some headstones at the historic graveyard in Cambridge.
”This is a place where the living and the dead meet,” said Janet Heywood, a Mount Auburn vice president. ”It seems appropriate that people would [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:00 am | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 28, 2004
Celebration
Sounds like fans stayed up all night to welcome the Red Sox back to Fenway park. Has anyone heard if there’s going to be a big celebration in Boston today or tomorrow?
Update: Looks like the final decision on a parade will be made this afternoon, but they are leaning toward Saturday.
Posted by David Pinto at 9:54 am | World Series | Permalink | 2 Comments
October 28, 2004
The Value of Information
Seth Hackbarth at Sportblog.org asks an interesting question.
Does this championship vindicate sabermetrics?
My answer is no, sabermetrics was vindicated long ago by GM’s like Branch Rickey and managers like Earl Weaver. For the last 10 years, the Yankees and the Braves understood sabermetrics in putting their teams together, in deciding who to trade and who [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:33 am | Management | Permalink | 6 Comments
October 27, 2004
Red Sox World Champions
The Boston Red Sox have swept the Cardinals to win the World Series and end the decades long championship drought. They did it with a game four shutout behind great pitching by Derek Lowe.
There’s way too much credit to go around. The pitching was great. Schilling, Martinez and Lowe did not allow [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 11:50 pm | World Series | Permalink | 9 Comments
October 27, 2004
Bottom of the 9th
The Red Sox don’t score in the top of the 9th. Isringhausen does his job. Can the Cardinals batters do theirs?
Update: Pujols is up, Foulke is on. He’ll have to get the 3-4-5 hitters of the Cardinals.
Update: Pujols singles through Foulke legs. Rolen up next.
Update: Rolen flies out deep to right. [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 11:31 pm | World Series | Permalink | 2 Comments
October 27, 2004
Bottom of the 8th
Arroyo is on to pitch the 8th. Roger Cedeno bats for Molina.
Update: Roger pops out to Reese at 2nd. One down. Reggie Sanders up. He came on in the double switch.
Update: Arroyo walks Sanders. Embree comes out of the pen to face Womack and Walker.
Update: The Cardinals pinch hit for Womack [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 11:12 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 27, 2004
Insurance Policy
Mueller singles, Nixon doubles for the third time in the game, and the Red Sox have men on 2nd and 3rd with no one out. Kapler runs for Nixon, and Isringhausen comes on to try to prevent these runners from scoring.
Update: Bellhorn walks, Reese runs and Millar pinch hits for Lowe. With none [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:54 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 27, 2004
Six Outs to Go
Mabry strikes out again (this time with no argument) to end the 7th. Lowe’s only thrown 85 pitches, and 54 have been for strikes. If this score holds up, Derek will be Mr. Clinch, winning game 3 vs. Anaheim, game 7 vs. New York and game 4 vs. St. Louis.
Posted by David Pinto at 10:50 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 27, 2004
Pop-up-i
Albert Pujols pops out after a Walker walk. Walker, Pujols, Rolen and Edmonds are now 0 for 8 this game with a sacrifice and a walk.
Posted by David Pinto at 10:32 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 27, 2004
Lunar Eclipse
We just spent the last half-inning outside watching the moon be consumed by the earth’s shadow. Very cool. Missed the Damon triple, but no scoring. Step outside if you have a chance and take a look.
Posted by David Pinto at 10:24 pm | Other, World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 27, 2004
Another Mental Error
Mabry swings and misses at strike three, and Mabry doesn’t run. Mabry thought he tipped it, but the replays look like he missed the ball. He didn’t run, despite the ump calling it a strike, and was tagged out at the plate. When the ump called it a strike, he should have [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:09 pm | World Series | Permalink | 3 Comments
October 27, 2004
Walk on the Wild Side
Marquis walks Ortiz to start the fifth. Is La Russa just trying to have Jason get through five so he won’t have the distinction of none of his starters going five? What about trying to win the game?
Update: La Russa gets his five innings out of Marquis. He’s pitched worse than the [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:54 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 27, 2004
Easy Three
Another 1-2-3 inning for Lowe. He’s now thrown 29 pitches, vs. 72 for Marquis. The Red Sox offense is just wearing down the starters, while the Cardinals are giving Lowe a break.
Update: The fourth inning is the same. Three up, three down, 9 pitches.
Posted by David Pinto at 9:32 pm | World Series | Permalink | 1 Comment
October 27, 2004
Locked and Loaded
Jason Marquis has walked his third batter of the game. The bases are loaded with 2 out. No one is warming in the pen. The Cardinals may win or lose the Series here with Marquis.
Update: Nixon knocks a ball against the wall in right to drive in two more runs. The [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:20 pm | World Series | Permalink | 3 Comments
October 27, 2004
Lowe Pitch Count
Two innings, and Derek Lowe has only thrown 20 pitches. He’s getting the ball over the plate; 14 have been for strikes. At this rate, he can finish the game all by himself.
Posted by David Pinto at 9:07 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 27, 2004
Rightfield Goalie
Lost in the Cardinals ineptitude this series is the fine defensive play by Larry Walker. He’s made good catches, and at least three times he’s held hard hit balls over his head to singles. He just cut off a Nixon double in the outfield with a terrific slide and scoop to prevent a [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 8:54 pm | Defense, World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 27, 2004
Albert, We Sacrifice For You!
Womack leads off the first with a single, but then Walker sacrifices! Why Walker? He can hit the ball out of the park and give the Cards a 2-0 lead. He’s a lefty against a righty! It just doesn’t make sense.
La Russa only had 27 outs to work with. He [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 8:43 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 27, 2004
What Would Damon Do?
He’d start the game with a solo HR! The Red Sox lead again, 1-0.
My wife Marilyn just made an interesting observation. She asked why Damon doesn’t bat 3rd so he could drive in more runs. Twenty years together, and some of my baseball knowledge has rubbed off on her! On a [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 8:30 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
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