Saturday, August 9, 2008

Wat?


Bert just said, "Zach Greinke has so much potential it's scary." Zach Greinke. Career WHIP = 1.35. Career ERA+ of a just barely average 102. This season? WHIP 1.32. 151 hits allowed in 148 innings. He was a first round pick in 2002 and has the 13th fastest average fastball speed in the majors at 93.1, so maybe that's what Bert was clinging to. His most similar pitchers by age according to baseball reference include Moose Haas, Brad Radke, and Jeff Weaver so I think "so much potential it's scary" means something different to Bert than it does to the rational thinking universe.

Quick shout out to Bogart and Snake, who are in attendance at tonight's game down in KC with Snake's brother whose nickname is Barbarian or Conan or Thor or something. I think because he's like 6-6 and wrestles bears and kills deer with his bare hands and that kind of thing. If I know those guys, they'll be piss drunk by the fourth and will likely be escorted out of Kaufman Stadium one way or another by the seventh. At which point they will hit a series of bars in KC, taunting fat chicks along the way until some sort of confrontation develops. At the end of the night, they'll head home and play Madden into the wee hours of the morning, bitching at each other the whole way.

Also, Bogart has more money on the game tonight than I've ever even deposited into an account, so go Twins.

- I watched both Escape from New York, 21, and The Lost Boys 2 over the past few days, and the Lost Boys 2 is by far the best movie of the three. I know Escape from New York is considered kind of a "classic" and it is: A "classic" piece of crap. It's old, so maybe it just doesn't hold up, but it's pretty much garbage. 21 was ok, but didn't live up to the book. Lost Boys 2 was sweet. I'm a huge fan of the original, so that probably helped, but it managed to pay tribute to the original classic (a true classic) without dwelling on it so much that it didn't hold up as it's own film. Of course, if you aren't a fan of the first one, don't bother with this one. If you are, it's worth a rental just to get a look at sexy shirtless saxophone player 20 years later. And Autumn Reeser (above) is hot.

- Liriano can't find the plate, but still strikes out two and manages to give up no runs. He's either really lucky, or Nolan Ryan-level of wild but good.

- In case you're wondering now, the fastest average fastball velocity amongst starters is Seattle's Felix Hernandez, at 94.9. Of all pitchers, Joel Zumaya wins with an average velocity of 97.5 mph. The slowest non-knuckleballer is Jamie Moyer at 81.0. 81 mph fastball.

- Good to see Delmon Young keeping up his one homerun per month pace by going yard here for the fifth time this season. Bengie Molina has more home runs than that. Mark Ellis has twice that and he's like 5-6, 150 lbs.

- Missed the rest of the game. I went over to Dr. Acula's to play Guitar Hero and Tyson's Punchout (note: Dr. Acula can't beat King Hippo) and now it's the bottom of the ninth and the Twins are up 7-3 and I'm bored. Also, Bogart wants me to post a picture of this chick (Tiffany Lakosky) because he met her today at a Bass Pro Shop or some other white trash store:


Not bad. And she's probably easy since she hunts. You know the old saying, "Girls who hunt are easy."

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

You really do suck!!! Don't get me wrong I love a good Dick and Bert bashing, but really? Do have any idea what the word potential means? Greinke is 24 years old. I repeat Greinke is 24 years old. Before tonight he was 9-7 with 3.93 ERA 131/42 k/bb in 146.2 innnings and a whip of 1.32 and an era +112. If you don't know 100 is average. The average starting pitchers whip is 1.38, the average ERA is 4.26. He is 5th in the AL in strike outs, which is a great indicator for future success in a young pitcher. He really only had one bad year, back in 2005 when he was 21 years old. My god this guys is going to be a stud. He is 24 years old with 4 plus pitches who is already an above average major league starter, yeah I think he might have just a little potential. Check this link out http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/
anatomy-of-a-player-zach-greinke/

As you can see I'm not the only one
who thinks Greinke has a little potential in him.
Until next time.

WWWWWW said...

Just because the hardball times wrote it doesn't make it true. I'm sorry, but I don't see anything more than a #3 starter there. Maybe our definitions of "scary" are different. And as far as strikeouts being an indicator of future success goes, in general I agree, but both Esteban Loaiza and Jose DeLeon have won strikeout titles.

And you misquoted your own source. They never said he had four plus pitches. He has a plus-plus fastball with a plus curve, to go along with two other solid pitches.

Sorry. I just see a slightly above average pitcher here. The only scary thing about him is if he was your ace, I'd be terrified.

Anonymous said...

I have to agree with downwithyou, putting up a 112 ERA+ (and 3.89 xFIP) as a 24-year old is impressive. That's before you factor in his lost season due to a mental breakdown. You don't get bonus points for mental issues, but to come back from essentially a year of lost development and put up these numbers is impressive.

He has All Star potential, and not just the "we need a Royal" kind.

I don't know what happened to the mid-60s curve he used to throw. That pitch made him the toughest hitter to face on MVP 05.

The Sidler

Anonymous said...

I have to agree with downwithyou, putting up a 112 ERA+ (and 3.89 xFIP) as a 24-year old is impressive. That's before you factor in his lost season due to a mental breakdown. You don't get bonus points for mental issues, but to come back from essentially a year of lost development and put up these numbers is impressive.

He has All Star potential, and not just the "we need a Royal" kind.

I don't know what happened to the mid-60s curve he used to throw. That pitch made him the toughest hitter to face on MVP 05.

The Sidler

Anonymous said...

I have to agree with downwithyou, putting up a 112 ERA+ (and 3.89 xFIP) as a 24-year old is impressive. That's before you factor in his lost season due to a mental breakdown. You don't get bonus points for mental issues, but to come back from essentially a year of lost development and put up these numbers is impressive.

He has All Star potential, and not just the "we need a Royal" kind.

I don't know what happened to the mid-60s curve he used to throw. That pitch made him the toughest hitter to face on MVP 05.

The Sidler

Anonymous said...

Stupid double post. Me fail the internet, that's unpossible!

Anonymous said...

F*CK, triple post.