Sizzlers

=== Ichiro ===

Is 1,999 for 5,995 and must go 1-for-5 on Sunday to hit what has to be one of baseball's most perfect milestones.

Puh-leeeze!  :- )   Then I can download a screenshot of his player card that night and completely retire from chasing statistics. 

In Strat-O terms, roll his player card and a perfect 1-2 on a six-sider is a hit, no computers necessary.  (OK, actually a 1-3 on the white die and a 2-5 or 11 on the two red die.)

.

=== Bill Hall ===

Has been drawing RAVES from the mainframe for his swing.  Unloaded on a FB inside third, Thursday, and pelted it ... um ... 448 feet to left field.

The visual evaluation of his swing, x-ref'ed against his 448-footer, confirms that this amigo retains 30-homer power.   The question is how we get the barrel of the bat to the ball.

I think there's something wrong with the visual adjustment on my set, because it shows him 0-for-5 with 5 strikeouts on Saturday... the last one simply on 91 fastballs thigh-high.   (That's what they do to non-baseball dudes who want to join in the sandlot game.  About the third pitch, somebody yells, "hey!  just throw it right down the middle.")

Bill needs a few days off.

..............

Major project for the M's coaches, and an EXCITING! project for them.   These kinds of players do sometimes (20%?) find it again.  Then what?

Even if he doesn't, that's a pretty fun UTIL player to have around.

.

=== Adrian Beltre ===

Is going to finish the year with a roughly 75 OPS+.  Still, at this moment, with almost 400 PA's, has an even one dozen walks.   And five homers.

HBT's "cheap homers" metric pegged Adrian for a fall from 25 homers (in each of the 2006, 07, and 08 seasons) to 8 homers this year.  Think we'll pay attention to that metric this offseason...

Of course, it'll peg Jose Lopez for a dropoff too, but he'll be the asterisk.

..............

Pegged as a Sizzler because about to change ballparks.  I'll bet you that several GM's offer him context-projected numbers from here out.

.

=== Ryan Rowland-Smith ===

Is gaining steam as he charges around the corner into the straightaway:

27/12 control in the last 28 days (41 ip)

12/2 control in the last 14 days (22 ip)

11/2 control in the last 7 days (16 ip)

The pitch values on his arsenal, as a template, are simply gorgeous:

CURVE:  +2.9 runs per 100 pitches

CHANGE: +1.3 runs per 100 pitches

SLIDER:  +0.6 runs per 100 pitches

FASTBALL:  +0.0 runs per 100 pitches

Which just underlines what we've seen:  he has got a devastating curve, a genuinely plus changeup, and the fastball is perfectly legit - take that with you, mate.   Gotta looooooove that template:  a shellshocking lefty hook backed by not one but two ML pitches.

...............

One thing that's a bit weird:  it's not clear to me exactly why he's getting "only" 6 strikeouts per nine innings (and 2+ walks).  Probably he's getting a little too much of the plate.

With Felix, Bedard*, RRS, Morrow, and Fister, I'd go to war.  Provided I had a 3 and 4 hitter, of course.  :- )

Be Afraid,

Dr D


Comments

1

Beltre's numbers are UGGG-LEE, but my optimistic side still wants to see what he could do in Safeco when completely healthy for one year.
I also agree that SOME GM will view the world the same as I, and will give Beltre 3+ year deal...so...
Would you offer Beltre arbitration? Despite his numbers, he is still going to be worth Type B compensation. I just do not know if letting Jack draft another sign-able Hi Schooler is worth the risk of getting one more year out of Adrian... 

2

If he takes arby, he probably gets 10 mil max and you get one more year to prepare Matt Tui and Jose Lopez to battle it out for third base when they are both more ready for the job and he goes out on a higher note (assuming health) the next year.  If he (much more likely) says no, you get a draft pick.
Yes, the Mariners will almost definitely offer Beltre arbitration and he will almost definitely say no (his agent is BORAS)

3
OOBF's picture

If I am doing my math right, after his first at bast on Septemebr 8th Ichiro was EXACTLY 2000 for 6000.  Just remarkable!  Anyone want to lay odd for 3000 for 9000 :)  I wouldn;t bet against it!

4

And if he took it, would think he'd be very tradeable.   Would imagine that offering Beltre arb would be pretty clear, as Matty says...
Should be a moot point, because GM's are going to realize what Beltre would hit in a friendly park, and with his glove at 3B, that's an impact player... SOMEbody is going to jump on him...

5

it shoulda been 2000-for-6000... we were watching and if memory doesn't fail, he finished 2000-for-5999 one night and we were rooting for him to get one last AB that night, which he missed by a couple hitters...

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