Month: April 2008

BATTING 8TH: JOE CREDE OR THE PITCHER

Joe Crede In the Milwaukee Ned Yost has gotten a lot of ink batting his pitcher 8th, over in St. Louis Tony LaRussa started the trend, and now on the Southside of Chicago Ozzie Guillen has decided to bat his best clutch hitter in the 8th spot. I suppose you could look at it as Crede batting in the double cleanup spot, but it doesn’t make much sense to me, especially considering the Pale Hose have been struggling with men on base. Another thing that doesn’t make much sense is batting Jim Thome, who walks alot, ahead of Paul Konerko, who hits into alot of doubleplays. My lineup would be this: 1) Swisher CF, 2) Cabrera SS, 3) Konerko 1B, 4) Thome DH, 5) Dye RF, 6) Crede 3B, 7) Pierzynski C, 8) Quentin LF, 9) Uribe 2B. Also when Juan Uribe is leading off an inning and we need some runs, I’d pinch-hit Pablo Ozuna for him. I know it’s only been a couple of games against the Yanks, but we seem to be in a fog right now. Even though we’re still in first place, the Tigers are coming, scoring 19 runs last night.

The White Sox couldn’t touch Mike Mussina while he was out there, while the Yanks scored six off “Good Stuff” Javier Vazquez. Two of the Sox hits off Moose were a check swing opposite field hit to third by Jim Thome, taking advantage of the shift, and Joe Crede’s solo blast to left, taking advantage of the fact that the leftfielder was playing him inside the park, rather than over the fence. Tonite I’ll be back out there as the Sox & Gavin Floyd try to avoid a three game sweep, after a 6-4 loss last night.

Book Review: Working at the Ballpark

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I met TBZ at a fantasy baseball auction draft recently. He handed me a book he received from a publisher and asked if I was interested in reading it and posting a review. I love to read, and I’m always in the middle of at least one or two books. But it would be an understatement to say that I am not the fastest reader in the world. I’ve never been able to “plow” through a book, probably because I don’t give myself any deadlines. Thanks to TBZ I finished Working at the Ballpark: The Fascinating Lives of Baseball People from Peanut Vendors and Broadcasters to Players and Managers by Tom Jones in a personal record time.

The book is comprised of fifty interviews of people who are involved in major league baseball in some fashion. Each interview is its own chapter making it very easy to read a few minutes at a time.

Jones presents each interview in the voice of the interviewee. He recorded each of his interviews and did a wonderful job preserving the speaking styles and tone of each person. They come across more like a conversation than an interview. He does not print the questions he asks so you don’t “hear” the author at all. In the style of a film documentary, you only see and hear the subject. This made for very enjoyable reading.

He talked with some of the more obvious subjects: players, coaches, managers, broadcasters, general managers, and front office executives. These people are constantly badgered by the press so you sense in their interviews that their answers are more groomed, polished, and somewhat restrained. But Jones also talks to the kinds of people who are not commonly sought after: clubhouse managers, groundskeepers, video coordinators, scorekeepers, and scouts. These are some of the more revealing interviews.

No one is left out, not even the food vendors or the ticket hustlers. Jones gets them all to talk. My favorite is the one of major league umpire Fieldin Culbreth. His insights on the pressures of being a major league umpire and how he deals with them are fascinating.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in reading about today’s game of baseball from uniquely different perspectives.

Working at the Ballpark

Author: Tom Jones

Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing

Bonadonna, Wikoff star in Illini drubbing of Western Illinois

Joe Bonadonna and Brandon Wikoff combined to go 9 for 10 in University of Illinois’ 10-2 win over Western Illinois University.  Bonadonna scored 4 times in the leadoff role.  Wikoff drove in four and scored twice.

Starter Nick Chmielewski pitched a solid game allowing two runs in five frames.  The Illinois bullpen was stellar with Wes Braun, Lee Zerrusen, Ben Reeser pitching four scoreless innings allowing only three hits.

I got a chance to meet Chmielewski’s father, Chris, who was down from Chicago to watch Nick pitch.  I was happy to hear that he has seen The Baseball Zealot already.  Also met Robin who has been an Illini baseball supporter for over 15 years.  Robin recognized my name from my bits on Eric Loy’s show on WDWS.

I took a few photos.  Here they are.

Personal note: It was rough evening.  First, I got to the game to the game late.  A half inning after I had a seizure.  I have epilepsy and this is nothing new to me.  I was fine after my seizure but I had to go with the EMTs and explain that to them which took about another inning I could have been watching the game.

I had the feeling the whole thing was pretty conspicuous when it happened but I didn’t realized how much so till after the game when a few of the the Illini players came up to me and made sure I was I was ok.  Anyway, thanks guys!  I’m fine.  Just a bit sore.  And thanks to Robin and Chris for their help.

SLAMMIN ABREU

Bobby hasn’t hit something this good since days gone by with his former fiance Alicia Machado. Alicia was Miss Venezuela in 1995 and a Playboy centerfold, but Abreu kicked her out of his park when he saw his woman having sex on a Mexican TV show. She was as gone as the ball he hit off Octavio Dotel with the bags juiced last night against the Sox.

Boone Logan, came on for Jose Contreras in the 7th, allowed an infield single to Johnny Damon with one out to fill the bases. Dotel got Derek Jeter on a swinging strike three, exhaled, and then Abreu stepped in. Octavio threw two balls outside the strike zone before grooving one that was sent screaming to the opposite field for a grand salami.

The shot sent the Good Guys to their knees changing a 3-2 lead to a 9-4 defeat. I might have written about a slam hit on the Northside of Chicago earlier in the day, but what does Ronny Cedeno’s girlfriend look like?

This was my first of seven straight games at the Cell. Gonna catch all the games with the Bronx Bombers and then with the Birds of Baltimore.

Albert Pujols plays second

If you haven’t haven’t heard already, Albert Pujols played second base today for the St Louis Cardinals.  No, it’s not one of LaRussa’s crazy moves though when I first heard about this, that’s the first thing that crossed my mind.  No, to put it simply, injuries forced the move.  From MLB.comS:

The game ended with Pujols playing second base, the result of an injury to Cesar Izturis. The shortstop was hit by a pitch in the top of the ninth, and had to come out of the game. Because the Cardinals had only Yadier Molina left on the bench, Molina came in to catch, Jason LaRue played first base, Pujols moved from first to second and Aaron Miles moved from second to shortstop.

I got a few emails about this today.  See, Albert is on my APBA league team and his appearance at second base today will allow me to do the same next year.  Good.

In 2002, Pujols played two innings at shortstop so playing middle infield is not new.  That said, he was lucky enough not to have the ball hit to him then.  Apparently today, he had one total chance (and no error!).

UI defeat Illinois St behind backtop’s offense

Illinois didn’t look back after Aaron Johnson’s three-run HR in the 2nd

University of Illinois scored early and often against Illinois State in their 10-4 win Tuesday night.  Much of their offense came from catcher Aaron Johnson who was 3 for 4 with 4 rbis and 3 runs.

Johnson hit a three-run homerun in the second inning which made it 4-0 Illinois.  It was Johnson’s third dinger of the year.

Starter Billy Barrett was on his game tonight

Meanwhile, Billy Barrett was pitching a decent game.  His ERA before the game was 9+.  Never mind though, he held ISU to three hits in five innings giving up two runs.  In his new role in the bullpen, Mike Stankiewicz did well.  In four innings, he allowed just one earned run.

Despite being 0 for 5, Mike Giller scored a run, drove one in and stole a base.

Aaron Johnson wasn’t done.  He led off the 4th with a double and later scored on a ground out.  Illinois put together a small rally in the fifth inning sparked when Mike Giller ran out a fielding error by an ISU error.  Three hits by Ryan Hastings, Johnson, and Daniel Webb put two runs over the plate.

Daniel Webb, who by the way was playing right field tonight instead of his normal DH role, collected four hits for the game.  Dom Altobelli, Joe Bonadonna, Nick Stockwell and Casey McMurray also had multi-hit games.

Due to his ankle injury, Kyle Hudson didn’t suit up.  He did help out warming up the outfielders between innings.

For those wondering, Kyle Hudson did NOT play.  My guess is that Coach Hartleb didn’t want to take any risks in a midweek, non-conference game.  With Hudson’s absence in center, Illinois used Nick Stockwell in center, Dan Webb in right, and Mike Giller at DH.

Box score

More photos I took are here.

Next up: Western Illinois University Wednesday night at 6:30pm at Illinois Field.

Baseball Reference makes awesome improvements in Minor League stats

Baseball Reference is always making improvements but I’m pretty impressed with their latest developments.  Those of you who monitor players in the minors, you’re really going to like this.

First, they have made the leap to displaying up-to-date stats for all minor league teams affiliated with a major league team.   They are displayed in the familiar format that anyone who is used to using B-R.  That is, viewing a player’s page with his career stats and/or viewing a team’s page with its roster.  Historical minor stats for players and teams are kept going back to the year 1992.  B-R also features minor league leaderboards, award winners and draft listings.

Some examples:

2008 Iowa Cubs team page

Carmen Pignatiello’s player page

Pacific Coast League 2008 standings page (with links to sortable batting and pitching leaders)

Second, and I think this is pretty neat, Baseball Reference has set up for each major league team a dynamic listing of minor leaguers in their system sorted by position.  What is essentially a franchise depth chart.  Here is the Chicago Cubs depth chart, for example.

What a handy way to get a quick snapshot of an organization’s minor league development!

UI Baseball face Illinois State Tuesday

 

Next Game:

Game #36

Tues April 22 6:05pm

Record: 21-14

Big Ten 9-7

vs Illinois State

at Illinois Field, Champaign, IL

Illinois is coming off a much needed series win against Minnesota and will be facing the Cardinals of Illinois State.  The Cardinals whose home is “just down the road a bit” in Normal, are having a so-so season at 17-18 but last week’s experience with Eastern will bonadonnahopefully show that no team is to be taken lightly. 

Kyle Hudson will hopefully be ready to go after his twisting his ankle a bit in the first game of the doubleheader on Sunday. 

In other news, Joe Bonadonna was named Big Ten Co-Player of Week.  Bonadonna (right) hit .692 for the weekend against Minnesota including four runs and three stolen bases.

The dirt on ISU: 

Opponent: Illinois State University
Nickname: Cardinals
Conference: Missouri Valley Conference
Head Coach: Jim Brownlee (6th year)
Hometown: Normal, IL
Current Record: 17-18 (3-9 MVC)
Baseball Program website: Link
Players to watch: Kevin Dubler seems to be the complete player.  He leads the Cardinals in hitting (.357), HR (5), and rbis (38).  He also managed to swipe 11 bases so far this season.
Team Fact: Illinois State leads the MVC in steals (84) and steal attempts (110). 

 

By the way, it looks like a warm day for a ballgame at Illinois Field if a bit cloudy.  So come on out!  I’ll be there!

See you at the ballpark!

Go Illini!!

Cubs Haiku

Cubs win. (Cardinals lose).

The NL Central is theirs.

The world is right now

Apologies to any poets out there. Aram and Theriot both got 4 hits today in the 13-6 thrashing. Let’s not forget that Dempster got the win and is now 3-0 on the season. That to me is the amazing thing. And he’s doing it with grace with a slender 3.00 ERA.

By the way, the redhead is back. He was called back yesterday and E-Pat was sent down. And Murton didn’t waste time making his presence known. Ok, he went 1 for 6 but he got 2 rbis (his first of the season). Are the Cubs serious about Murton or is this a stopgap while Soriano is healing? I say, this is an opportunity to show him off then see what we can get for him. It doesn’t seem like the Cubs are serious about his future with the team. Has he reached his potential with the Cubs?