Arenaball M's 11-10, Phillies 9-6 ... Sizzlers
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HANAGAMEREDIA DYSMOT
Does not sound at first glance like a syndrome you would want to contract, does it? Well, maybe the Astros will catch a good case of it, next time around.
This is where you step out of a fresh shower ... pour a steaming cup of strong coffee ... toggle on your computer ... and settle in to enjoy 1,200 words of sthick that tell you the M's are hitting good. Whether you are Russell Wilson or an SSI Denizen, it's all about routine.
Dr. D's own routine is searching for stats tables like this one:
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To put that in a bit of perspective ... ML averages are 30% for fish rates and 10.5% on whuff rates. (All were pulling the trigger about 62% of the time on strikes.) For perspective, your young star Kyle Seager settled in last year at a near-ideal 27%, 62%, with that 7% whuff rate.
If you were to scale all these young pups' swing and sniff rates over to a .300 batting average, like wOBA does for RC/27, the kids would be at what, .400 to .450 each. A regular clump of Wade Bogges, in terms of how tough it is to get a strike on one of 'em. Good thing for the Angels these guys are at the bottom of the lineup and don't get 5 ABs.
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BEN GAMEL hit his first seven or shots on one hop into the RF corner, like "splat" aces in racquetball. Dr. D tut-tutted. Gamel (Bamel?) rolled his eyes and hit his next seven shots on the same 13-degree trajectories, except to CF and then LF. Long ago we moved past Brett Gardner Lite and now will settle for nothing less than Johnny Damon Heavy.
Not a bad stock score in 50 at-bats' worth of time. ;- ) But Gamel, Haniger and Vogelbach were our 21st-century attempt at Smoak, Ackley and Montero and there woulda been no harm in watching Justin Smoak ascend Safeco and ask, "What, is this all? I thought they'd be taller."
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GUILLERMO HEREDIA has been anointed by Jedi as THE quickest OF in baseball. John Dewan has him for 11 runs (not bases) saved in one fifth of one season. At that rate he could literally hit like Rich Hill or Jarrod Dyson and be an All-Star.
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TAYLOR MOTTER / BRIAN DOZIER LITE we realize some'a you guys want him to crisp in the sun of 550 ABs. Dr. D is just fine stealthing him in there for 350 AB's worth of fastball stalking. Lemme refer back to that first chart...
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MITCH HANIGER, as well as K-PAX and THE KING, are gingerly pencilled into appear in the next homestand. That is, after four measly more games of Arenaball out in Toronto. Return home WITH your .500 shields, or ON them, soldiers.
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THE BULLPEN seemed to step into a phone booth. One day you're cringing with a 5-0 lead; the next day you're wringing your hands desperately for a 3-3 game in the sixth. At least till Steve Cishek gets back.
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ROBINSON CANO's leg turned out to be no big deal, which was a bitter disappointment for us Motter fans. He consoled us with 8 bases on the day and is hitting .296/.362/.537 and is on pace for 38 homers from second base.
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Since the first week (April 9) Nelson Cruz is .391/.463/.685. A Lou Gehrig line. That is, if by "Lou Gehrig line" you mean his 1934, his best season.
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Danny Valencia was batting .333/.395/.590 in his last 11 games before his homer Wednesday. A moment of silence for Jerry Dipoto's smile that "Danny was our #1 target this winter," a claim often scoffed at but never imitated. Imagine if he has returned to his .475 SLG incarnation. The dude an AFTERthought, y'feelme?
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Yovani Gallardo, mometarily our #1 starter, won his game Wednesday. You could quibble about his 5 IP, 3 ER, 1 K against a bad team but that would miss the point. Gallardo is throwing with some mound presence now. We still owe you that un-pack of Jedi's comments but ... for now he looks like he'll chew some 100 ERA+ innings at a decent clip. The M's are working some serious magic with these guys.
BABVA,
Dr D