No. 14, Encarnacion/Sojo - The Baseball Thread continues

I agree that managers ordering pitchers to do it is no big deal, but having one admit it is a bit unusual.

 

Sure I'd agree with that. But Ozzie is far from the usual.

 

Barring a complete collapse by the Rays, Maddon wins Manager of the Year and it won't even be close. Nor should it be.

 

Maddon's rotation:

James Shields, Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza, Andy Sonnanstine, Edwin Jackson

Gardenhire's rotation:

Livan Hernandez, Boof Bonser, Kevin Slowey, Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn

Seriously, some people need to get past the "It's Tampa Bay!" fixation. Maddon had a LOT more to work with than Gardenhire. And it's not close.

 

Gotta love Twins fanbois.


GO TIGERS!!!!!!!!

 

Post the numbers.... Livan ERA excepted, the Twins rota has been pretty stout, I thought.

 

As much as I would love to lobby for the Central time zone, I will stick with the "It's Tampa Bay!" fixation. That franchise has topped 90 losses every year of its existence. It's tough to change the attitude of a team like that, not to mention holding off the free-spending Red Sox and Yankees (at least so far) while trying to do so. And the fourth-place Blue Jays (55-56) and last-place Orioles (53-57) aren't exactly stiffs, especially when you consider the Jays have the same record as the Tigers, who are in the AL Central hunt.

And honestly, I don't see much difference in the two rotations. The Rays might have two more sure things to lead it, but Matt Garza (who's thrown 41 innings more than his previous high in 2007), Andy Sonnanstine and Edwin Jackson were still question marks to start the season.

 

Bonser:

W/L ERA SO WHIP
3-6 6.67 69 1.54

Oz --

If you had offered all those pitchers up in a draft before the season started, Tampa's top three would have been the first three to go. The Twins themselves had Garza ranked well ahead of Blackburn, Slowey and Baker.

 

Doesn't change the fact that the Rays are holding off two powerful, free-spending franchises while the Twins are winning a wide-open AL Central race. I would love to see the Twins win the Central, it would be a great story following the Santana trade, but what the Rays are doing has an added degree of difficulty.

Maddon > Gardenhire if the Rays win the AL East.

 

Exactly. It's not just what the Rays are doing, it's who they're doing it to. People knew they had up and coming talent, but no one gave them a chance in hell of outplaying the Red Sox and Yankees this far into the season. Being in the race in the AL Central, where there was no clear favorite, doesn't measure up to what the Rays have done.

 

didn't wanna start a new thread ...

anyone catch today's rome? i don't watch him unless i'm at the gym nd he's on, but today he does a double-burn on manny. i liked it. he went a bit dodger fanboi but not over the top (OK, maybe a little).

 

didn't wanna start a new thread ...

anyone catch today's rome? i don't watch him unless i'm at the gym nd he's on, but today he does a double-burn on manny. i liked it. he went a bit dodger fanboi but not over the top (OK, maybe a little).