Comments on: NLDS: Padres – Cardinals Series Preview, Position Players

By: sports fan

sports fan — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 05:26:31 +0000

Good analysis, definitely worth the read. I just found your site tonight while doing some research, I look foward to reading more!

Jamie

By: CalvinPitt

CalvinPitt — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 18:43:03 +0000

Geoff: Yeah, I was here last year. And yeah, I think the Cards can make it interesting. Albert certainly can, even if no one else does.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 18:15:29 +0000

The 1990 Athletics were beaten easily in the World Series, 4-0

By: Ryguy

Ryguy — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 16:02:59 +0000

re 2

the thing that pisses me off about that is how it is showed over and over and over again.

-about four days after that 4 back to back homer game, an article in the Wall St Journal came out and estimated the probability of that happening is somewhere around:

1 in 3.3 million.

so you might win the lottery before back to back to back to back home runs happens again.

By: Geoff Young

Geoff Young — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 15:55:02 +0000

Hey Calvin, didn’t you stop by here last year around this time? Anyway, welcome and thanks a bunch for the lowdown on the Cardinals. I think the two teams are pretty well matched assuming everyone is healthy. Some of the predictions I’ve seen have the Padres winning easily, but I can’t imagine a team managed by Tony LaRussa ever being beaten “easily” in the playoffs. Regardless, it should be a more entertaining series than our guys were able to provide last season.

By: CalvinPitt

CalvinPitt — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 14:32:52 +0000

First off, I’d like mention that I was wrong about how LaRussa is ordering his rotation, as apparently Weaver is going in Game 2. Probably because he’s more prone to home runs than Suppan. Of course, lefthanders have hit Weaver like they were all Ryan Howard (LHs have an OPS of 1.004 versus Jeff this season), so PETCO’s spacious outfield may not be large enough.

As to Eckstein’s low run total, most of those runs (34) came the first two months, when Eck posted OPS’ of .796 and .792 in April and May. That coincides nicely with the ludicrous tear Albert went on for the first two months, when pitchers probably attacked Eckstein, because they couldn’t risk walking him and having someone on when Albert came up. He got more pitches to hit, and his average was around .330 as a result.

Then Albert got hurt, and I think pitchers got more careful with Eckstein – June OPS: .660 – (plus he came back closer to his career norms) when they realized that Edmonds, Rolen and Encarnacion weren’t as scary with Albert gone.

After Albert got back, he still wasn’t quite himself, and by the time he was, Eck had the collision at second and with the post-concussion syndrome he went in the tank (July OPS: .524, August: .563). So he was never on base to be driven in.

Long story short: he wasn’t getting driven in often enough by people not named Albert Pujols.

That was kind of long-winded. I apologize.

By: Geoff Young

Geoff Young — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 13:52:26 +0000

Good question, David. I hadn't noticed that about Eckstein, but it is a bit odd. On another note, Padres.com has the latest on the still-undecided NLDS roster. I'll have the IGD up in just a few minutes.

By: david

david — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 13:31:22 +0000

One thing I don’t understand about Eckstein is this – he generally leads off for the Cards, right? I can’t understand how a guy with 500 ABs, batting in front of Pujols and Rolen, managed to score just 68 runs. It’s puzzling to me – that’s completely inadequate in that lineup.

By: Clayton

Clayton — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 13:23:08 +0000

Geoff – good stuff, thanks for the effort as always.

Let me repost here that I am VERY concerned about the rumoured postseason roster including Bellhorn but not any backup OFs (besides Klesko, who doesn’t – SHOULDN’T – count)

By: Nick G.

Nick G. — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 12:54:03 +0000

Great analysis. Excellent read on a Tuesday morning.