MLB Playoff Watch: Take Two

(My predictions from a few weeks ago): MLB Playoff Watch 2005

America’s League:
Boston wins the East. (Won’t happen)
White Sox wins the Central. Indians on their tale, though.
Oakland wins the West, pulling through at the last second. (Didn’t happen)
Wild card would go to either the White Sox (if they hold on, and I think they will) or to Cleveland.

National League:
As always, Atlanta wins the East.
St. Louis can’t loose the Central.
It looks like San Diego wins the west by default (how sad); no one else seems to want it.
I take Houston to win the card.

Let’s see, Boston is not going to win the East. Yankees pretty much have that one, pending a miracle. We can always hope that Boston does me right. The White Sox have won their division. Angels overtook the A’s, that one was pretty shaky for a bit, but the A’s decided to get cold, Angels got hot. Cleveland and Boston are tied for the wildcard. Cleveland has shown signs of cooling, as has the BoSox. Atlanta, St. Louis, and San Diego have all won their divisions, and Houston has a 2 ½ game lead on Philly. Looks like a shoe in at this point. The AL wildcard would be the only thing of interest at this point… I am going to say at this point that

America’s League:
Yankees will win the East.
White Sox won the Central.
Angels won the West.
Wild card would go to either the Red Sox or to Cleveland. I will say the Red Sox.

National League:
Atlanta won the East.
St. Louis won the Central.
San Diego won the West.
Houston will win the card.

My new prediction to the big show would have to be the Angels and the Braves, although Houston is hot, as are the Yankees.

On a side note, the NL East, everyone is over .500 right now… very cool.

Wildcard Race 9/24/05

Date: 9/24/05

American League Wild Card Race
Cleveland (91-63) with 8 games remaining
Boston (89-64) with 9 games remaining (1.5 games behind)
Oakland (84-69) with 9 games remaining (6.5 games behind)

National League Wild Card Race
Houston (84-70) with 8 games remaining
Philadelphia (83-71) with 8 games remaining (1 game behind)
Florida (80-74) with 8 games remaining (4 games behind)

Florida has a good chance. Houston continues to be my favorite. Remember, I picked them when they were not in first in the WC. Cleveland has won 10 million of there last 10 million and 1. They are my favorite still. Oakland has a better chance at their division title than a wildcard, although they only have a ghost of a chance. I think now they will not Cinderella it in and the Angels will be knocked right out of the playoffs. Can Boston retake the lead over the Yankees? I really don’t think so, but I do think they could easily tie with the Yanks to force a one game playoff. We shall see.

Home Plate

Sports Quote of the Day - Friday, September 23, 2005

Quote of the Day Friday, September 23, 2005 If you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail! - ??X-C Team

Thursday and Friday Picks (but not all of them)

Thursday (9-22-05)

Rangers vs. Angels – Young vs. Santana – Young over his last five outings has an 0.68 ERA (2 runs over 26 1/3 innings). Young just simply needs to avoid Guerrero who has 4 homers in 15 at-bats against Young. Santana has a 15.75 ERA against Texas this year, but that was in Texas. I bring that up because of late; Santana has won his last 3 starts in Anaheim, but lost his last 3 starts on the road. What is it with a good home crowd? He has a 1.13 ERA at home in his last 3 starts, but an 11.77 ERA in his last 3 starts on the road. Ouch, can we play here in our Ballpark? Please? With that in mind, I think this is going to be a tougher game than what is billed on the surface. This one might be decided by the pen, and if that is the case, the Angels would have it. Score: 3-2.

D-Backs vs. Dodgers – Estes vs. Weaver – Estes, over his last 3 starts, hasn’t been all that sharp. He is 1-2 with a 7.80 ERA. Against the bad teams, though he has done well. He lost to the Cardinals by giving up 6 runs in 6 1/3 innings. He beat Detroit on 6/24 and also beat Colorado on 9/9. He has thrown 12 innings against the Dodgers this year and given up 8 runs. The Dodgers are hitting .311 against him (not good). He will need to avoid especially Jeff Kent, who is hitting .368 against him with 2 homers and 9 RBIs in 19 at bats. Weaver is really streaky. Looking at his last 6 games, he has won and lost to two teams (the same teams actually). He is either really good, or really bad. He’s had two starts against the D-Backs and is 1-1 with a 5.11 ERA totaling 12 1/3 innings and giving up a .244 average. Troy Glaus should sit the game out. He has a .069 average against Weaver. Chad Tracy would definitely do well, he has a .417 average against him, but only 1 RBI. It really boils down to how Weaver is going to do. Estes looks to be average, and most likely will give up 3 runs or so in 6 innings. Weaver, if he comes to play, will be unstoppable. If he leaves his pitching arm at home, well it could be ugly. He’s going to pitch a good 6 innings or more. He’s done it 9 out of his last 10 starts. I say that he will be off, though, basing off his consistency of late. He is due for a bad start. Score: Dodgers (surprised?) 8-6.

Friday (9-23-05)

Rangers vs. A’s – Rogers vs. Haren – I think I found what is wrong with Rogers. That would be Katagelophobia, Anthropophobia, and Topophobia. Wow, three phobias. The first is the fear of being ridiculed. The second is the fear of society. And the third is the fear of certain situations. One of them has to be it, right? Well, the Rangers have won the last 4 starts when Rogers pitches. Maybe a good sign? One of them was against the A’s, mind you. Interestingly enough, Rogers has also pitched higher than his current ERA over those starts, and walked away with 2 wins for himself. Haren has absolutely great over his last 10 starts, well with the exception of the 9/7 start and 8/17 start. Outside of those he has an 1.71 ERA. Notably, he has 4 starts this year against the Rangers, he is 2-1 with a 6.75 ERA. Rangers knock him with a .265 average. He only averages 5.2 innings per start this year. Rogers is averaging 6.1 innings. Tex and Sorry both knock him pretty good, but the Rangers seem to lack power on the road… oddly enough, but they both have 2 homers, Tex has 7 RBIs and Sorry has 5 in a combined 21 at bats. Impressive, indeed. So, what to call? Rangers are cold on the road, Rogers is cold period, but winning, mind you, and Haren has no real success against the Rangers hitters, not to mention how the Rangers seem to stink against their division. On a limb (for sure), I am going to go with Rogers and the Rangers. Score: 6-4.

Stars vs. Red Wings – Preseason still… Detroit was the best two years ago. Dallas was very respectable. (Yes, I am trying to research, but my sources are a little limited right now.) It has been about a year since the NHL has played, I don’t know if Detroit is any good. I am sure they are, though. I will go out on a limb and say a 2-2 tie.

Home Plate

Sports Quote of the Day - Thursday, September 22, 2005

Quote of the Day Thursday, September 22, 2005 Winning lets me know that I am doing what I can to be the best and losing tells me I must not be doing something right. - Matt Johnson

Rangers Might Be Too Homer-Happy by Evan Grant

Story by Evan Grant

Good thing next week will be the last installment of Inside the Rangers for this calendar year.

I’m about out of topics.

And you guys seem to be about out of questions.

That said, we’ll make it through together for two more weeks. There is still enough interest in this season to keep Rangers fans watching and reading.

After all, there is a homerun record and a batting title to chase and a .500 finish to pursue.

We’ll save Michael Young’s batting title chances for next week when things may be a little more definitive, but in the meantime, we’ll briefly talk homers.

Now, I fully expect the Rangers to break – if not completely shatter – the all-time team home run record currently owned by Seattle. The Rangers began Tuesday with 252 in 150 games. The Mariners hit 264 in 1997.

I’m still not sure if breaking this record is a good thing.

Granted, it’s an amazing feat, especially given that you could consider this to be the first year of the post-steroids era.

But the Rangers’ reliance on home runs still makes them kind of one-dimensional. Setting the record, I’m afraid, will only reinforce the idea that the homer is the way to go.

Consider two things:
•The Rangers are 6-27 when they fail to homer this season. Had they found ways to win another five of those games, they’d at least be sitting on the fringes of the wild-card race as they head into the final 12 games of the season. Instead, they were officially eliminated from wild-card contention Monday when Cleveland won its 88th game. The Rangers can’t win more than 87.

•The Rangers are averaging 5.44 runs per game and are on pace for 881. Among the 12 teams to reach at least 240 homers in a season, that would rank only seventh. You’d think a team with such prodigious power would do a little better at generating runs. If the Rangers wind up with 881 runs, they’d have the 91st-best scoring offense since 1900. They’d barely crack the top 100? It would seem they’d need to be more efficient.

Maybe the best way to put this: It certainly would be nice to see the record set this year, so long as the Rangers don’t fall into the long-term trap of thinking the homer is the only way to score.

Wednesday, 9-21-05 Picks

Wednesday (9-21-05)

Rangers vs. Angels – Loe vs. Lackey – Lackey has done well this year, but is better on the road than at home. Loe also dominates on the road as well, having a 1.99 ERA away. Lackey, however, gave up 6 runs in 7 innings to Detroit! He did shut out the White Sox on 9/11 for 7 innings. The White Sox were cold, so whoopty freaking do. More importantly, this year against Texas, Lackey has a 7.63 ERA, is 1-0 in 3 starts, and has given up 2 homeruns in 15 1/3 innings. Current Ranger hitters bat .289 off him with 6 dingers in 204 at bats. Look for Michael Young to do well, he has a .421 average (16-38) with 2 homers and 9 RBIs. Tex does also, but with a .375 average (9-24). The Angels only have 23 at bats against Loe. As a team they are hitting .304 against him (7-23) but no homeruns. Despite a 9.00 ERA this year against the Angels (3 runs/3 innings), Loe has only 5 starts this year with a 2.32 ERA and a 4-1 record for those 5 starts. I will go with the Rangers on this, I just feel it. Score: 6-2.

Astros vs. Pittsburgh – Oswalt vs. Wells – Wells is 1-6 in his last 9 starts. During that time, one of his no decisions was against Houston. In that game, he threw 7 innings of shutout ball. Unfortunately for him, his 6 losses weren’t nearly as good. His last 3 games, he has a 7.90 ERA and his last, 5 he has an 8.14 ERA. Oswalt has been a lot better than that. 2.95 ERA on the year, 2.53 ERA in his last 3. My big concern is his 6-10 record on the road. He is 11-2 at home. I think he can outdo Wells, and pick up his 18th win tonight. Score: 7-2.

Braves vs. Phillies – Ramirez vs. Myers – Myers in his last start, lost to the Braves. Why not again tonight? Ramirez is very good at home, I expect that again today. Score: 5-4.

Brewers vs. Cubs – Ohka vs. Prior – Numbers show that they are very even. Time to dig… Prior has a better ERA on the season, but is a full run higher on the road. Ohka’s ERA is also higher at home. Prior has a winning record on the road, Ohka has a losing record at home, but an ERA lower than Prior’s road ERA, mind you. Prior, on average, goes two outs longer than Ohka. Both look great on the last 3. This is pretty even, to say the least. I have a hunch it will be the Alcoholics on this. Don’t know why. Score: 4-3.

D-Backs vs. Dodgers – Webb vs. Penny – Webb did great in his last start, and looks to be a sparkle in an otherwise dark sky for the D-Backs. Penny was rocked by the Giants in his last start, but didn’t get a decision. I think the D-Backs will do well tonight against the Dodgers. Score: 6-3.

FC Dallas vs. LA Galaxy – I have actually done some homework on this (surprise, surprise)… Dallas and the Galaxy are very even statistics wise, but Dallas has been very cold of late. This is the U.S. Cup Final, and for Dallas to have snuck their way in is very impressive despite how they have been playing. The Galaxy is very good at home (8-2-3- that’s wins-loses-ties), and Dallas is very poor on the road (5-6-3). Due to how the Galaxy dominates at home, I will go with them. Galaxy wins 3-1.

Home Plate

Sports Quote of the Day - Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Quote of the Day Wednesday, September 21, 2005 "Forget all the variables. Nothing is more important to me than perservering through the toughest ninety minutes of my life to come home as champions. Forget everything else, this is our time. We live for this!" - meggyrose323

Sports Quote of the Day - Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Quote of the Day Tuesday, September 20, 2005 Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. - Johhn Wooden

Baseball quote

"But I'm sure that you'd learn mathematics faster than I'd learn baseball." said by Albert Einstein to Red Sox catcher Moe Berg when he offered to teach baseball in exchange for math tutoring.

Jenny Ray

http://www.informatics-inc.com

Monday's Picks

Monday (9-19-05)

Cowboys vs. Redskins – Both are 1-0. The offenses click for both sides. Moss and Portis are strong for the ‘Skins. Both defenses aren’t so good on 3rd down. Cowboys gave up two 4th down conversions. ‘Boys have Jones, Johnson, and Bledsoe who look great right now. Crayton is also notable due to having 6 catches and 89 yards. I liked the Cowboys from the very beginning on this one, and the stats back up my thoughts. Cowboys do it for the triplets, 24-14.

Astros vs. Pittsburgh – Clemens vs. Snell – Clemens has pitched very well against the Pirates this year, 15 innings, 1.20 ERA (2 runs on 6 hits) and 17 Ks, but he has yet to pull down a win from them. The Pirates as a team have a career .154 average against him. And no homeruns in 104 at bats. Maybe they are due? Clemens strikes out about 29% of the Pirate’s hitters. Snell has pitched against Houston, he is 0-1 with a 6.43 ERA. He gave up 11 hits and 5 runs in 7 innings and Houston is hitting .379 against him this year. Houston over Pittsburgh (a win for Roger? Yes.) 6-1.

Home Field

Sports Quote of the Day - Monday, September 19, 2005

Quote of the Day Monday, September 19, 2005 If what you did yesterday still looks big to you. You have not done much today. - magazine

Sunday Night - picks from Sat and Sun

Saturday

Stars vs. Avalanche – preseason? Yes it is. After missing a few decades, Hockey is back in business. Who will win this? Who cares, its preseason. We are just interested in who is going to have the jersey pulled over their head and beaten to a pulp. Will I watch? No, I will be at the Ranger’s game. Would I watch if I wasn’t at the game? Nope. I watch hockey in the paper only. Well, maybe once in a while… but I’m not one to plan my day around it. I think a 1-1 tie on this, just for grins.

Sunday

Stars vs. Oilers - again? But they just played yesterday. I think 2-1 win for the Stars on this. Maybe I might find a nut on this, who knows.

Panthers vs. Patriots – Patriots have won 3 Supers in the last 4 years, including the last two. Panthers, well, as much as I like the mighty, mighty boss cats, I think are a little more than out-matched. Patriots over the Cats 38-14.

Bears vs. Lions – Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my. Lions surprise with a slaughter of Green Bay in week 1. Can the bad news Bears step up? They would need a “little” more offense. Top rusher for the Bears in week 1?: Mr. Jones had 31 yards on the ground and averaged 2.1 per rush. Well, the defense for the Bears looks great. But so does the Lions. Well, let’s look at it like this, if the Bears hold the Lions to 0 points, I think they may have a chance. But I think the Bears will step up some to the challenge, but it won’t be enough. Lions over the Bears in a triple overtime thriller (just kidding) 24-10.

I just wanted to show you that I did pick, but was unable to post due to not having every game I wanted done. This is what I had by Friday. I missed on the Panthers and the Bears. Oh well. I will post again tomorrow morning/afternoon. Laters.

Sports Quote of the Day - Sunday, September 18, 2005

Quote of the Day Sunday, September 18, 2005 As the puck hit him in the ankle, I knew right away he was out for the rest of the game. But when I got to the bench he was ready for his next shift. When I asked him about it, he said the ankle is a long way from the heart. - Unknown

Sports Quote of the Day - Saturday, September 17, 2005

Quote of the Day Saturday, September 17, 2005 How can you think and hit at the same time? - Yogi Berra

Sports Quote of the Day - Friday, September 16, 2005

Quote of the Day Friday, September 16, 2005 Show me a guy who's afraid to look bad, and I'll show you a guy you can beat. - Lou Brock

MLB Playoff Watch 2005

Per a request: …and, out of curiosity, I wanted to know if you've got picks for the playoffs yet... Never too early to get all excited!

MLB Playoff Watch 2005

America’s League:
Boston wins the East.
White Sox wins the Central. Indians on their tale, though.
Oakland wins the West, pulling through at the last second.
Wild card would go to either the White Sox (if they hold on, and I think they will) or to Cleveland.
On a side note: I am so happy the Yankees aren’t in first in either their division and in the Wild Card. Please let the baseball Gods know that I am pleased.

National League:
As always, Atlanta wins the East.
St. Louis can’t loose the Central.
It looks like San Diego wins the west by default (how sad); no one else seems to want it.
I take Houston to win the card.

So, if this is the case, the AL looks like it would be decided about who is hot right now. White Sox are cold, if they want to win it all; they need to spark things up a bit. Such a strong start for the season has really fizzled for them. I was rooting for them, too, since they are my wife’s favorites. Cleveland is really hot right now. They could make some serious noise in the playoffs if they continue the pace. I just don’t like the players in the AL West. Oakland should make a little noise but fade. Too many young players can’t carry them here. AL title goes to the Boston Red Sox. Again. Now to the NL. St. Louis has the best record in baseball. That means squat in the playoffs. Ask the Braves. St. Louis is not going to the big show. San Diego doesn’t deserve to be in the playoffs. They’re gone. I want the Astros to go, but I honestly think it will be down to the Braves to upset Boston in the series. I take the Braves.

Home Plate

Thursday and Friday Picks

Today

Rangers vs. Mariners – Loe vs. Harris – I like Loe. I think he is going to be huge and not just in height. Harris has done decent this year; one of his two wins was against the Rangers who hit only .182 against him. Adrian Gonzalez is the only one who did any real damage against him and has the only RBI against him. Gonzalez, by the way, would have over 30 homeruns if he had played the entire season with the Rangers. I think the number would be 37 dingers. Impressive, I must say. Loe does some damage against the M’s too. He has a win against them, 6 strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings (WOW) and holds them to a .167 average. They have only 1 run against him as well. I like the Rangers in this one 3-1.

Braves vs. Phillies – Sosa vs. Myers – Sosa is hot, Myers is average. I go with the hot stuff. Braves over Phillies 4-2.

Astros vs. Marlins – Pettitte vs. Vargas – Pettitte is on fire (2.48 ERA season and 1.40 ERA over his last 3), Vargas is throwing a medicine ball (8.25 ERA in his last 3)… Astros dominate this one 7-2.

Brewers vs. D-Backs – Ohka vs. Estes – Fairly even on this overall, but Estes is a little colder than Ohka. Ohka notably is better on the road in comparison to Estes at home. I will go with the alcoholics and say the D-Backs bullpen will loose to the Brewers starter: 6-4.

Tomorrow

Rangers vs. Mariners – TBA vs. Hernandez – I have done some vast research and I have come up empty for the Rangers starter for 9/16. But I did dig up in one place and they said Rogers for this game. But the same resource also said Rogers for Saturday. Rogers is not Cy Young in that he can throw a doubleheader one day and then pitch again the next. So, when I find out for certain, I can make a better guess on this. I would like the match up of Rogers vs. Hernandez, Hernandez looks good. He has a 2.33 ERA this year and even though Rogers isn’t as hot as he was earlier this year, I think he would still be the best guy for the job. But it is not my call (but it should be).

Braves vs. Mets – Smoltz vs. Trachsel – Smoltz is just better than Trash-el, has better numbers and is very consistent. Probably the most consistent of any pitcher I have seen (and when I say consistent, I mean consistently good – there are plenty who are consistently bad). Braves with a win over the Mets, say 5-2.

Phillies vs. Marlins – Lieber vs. Moehler – Moehler hasn’t started since 8/20. Lieber is very hot right now. Everything points to the female horse and a good win for them. I do, however, think this isn’t going to be a cakewalk for the Phillies. The Big Fish loose to the female horses, going with 7-5.

Astros vs. Brewers – Oswalt vs. Helling – Helling is an alcoholic, hard to swallow. But it is good to see him out there again. Dude is on fire, too. He has a 0.98 ERA over his last 3. Oswalt is a good match up for him. This could hand him his first loss this year. But, I honestly think this will go to the bullpen and some extra time on the diamond. Astros with a walk off run in the 11th, 4-3.

D-Backs vs. Rockies – Nippert vs. Day – Battle of the bottom, is what I call these types of games. Oh, how I can remember the days of the 13 win seasons for the Mavs, battling the lowly Timberwolves (I would call them the Feather Wolves, he he he). I looked over the goods, Nippert looks better than Day, although that isn’t saying too much. But the numbers don’t lie, Day has an ERA of almost 7, and Nippert is in the mid 5’s. Day also has been throwing in low 8’s over his last 3 games. Nippert has only one appearance. I think in this game he will shine. D-Backs 10-6.

Home Plate

Sports Quote of the Day - Thursday, September 15, 2005

Quote of the Day Thursday, September 15, 2005 Orr is the greatest young hockey player that's come along since I've been here. - Bobby Hull

Rogers' Ride With Rangers Could Be Over Soon by Evan Grant

The Rangers are a bit like Sudoku, the new number grid puzzle that is all the rage. It’s a big challenge to try and figure them out and no matter how much effort you put into the process, you are just one step away from having your brain hopelessly twisted.

Which brings us to today’s dilemma: What do the Rangers do with Kenny Rogers this off-season?

Even after he missed a start with a broken hand, tussled with TV men and missed two weeks because of a league-ordered suspension, he’ll have put together another fine season when it comes to pitching.

Despite all the time missed, he’s got a chance at 15 wins. He could post 200 innings. Pitching in a pitcher’s form of purgatory, he’s got a chance to finish in the top five in ERA. He’s once again put on a clinic when it comes to understanding the art of pitching in Arlington. Even after all the time missed, he’s going to lead the Rangers in starts, wins and innings pitched.

But will the Rangers re-sign him?

I doubt it. I seriously doubt it.

Rogers, who turns 41 in November, won’t be handing out any discounts to the club. He’s still miffed over what he perceives as a borderline slander campaign he believes it has waged against him since February.

If the Rangers sign A.J. Burnett, it’s unlikely Rogers will be back. If the Rangers can’t get Rogers to sign for a price they believe to be advantageous to the club, it’s unlikely Rogers will be back. If John Thomson, who had one decent year in Arlington, indicates he’s willing to return to the AL, it’s unlikely Rogers will be back.

In other words, unless the Rangers can get a sweetheart deal from Rogers, chances are he won’t be back. And the chances he’s willing to give the Rangers such a sweetheart deal are slim.

So, this winter, that’s another hole in the pitching staff the Rangers are likely to find themselves scrambling to fill.

It’s a shame really to consider the reality: The Rangers have finally found the perfect pitcher for the park in which they play, but it’s unlikely he’ll call it home.

Home Plate

Sports Quote of the Day - Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Quote of the Day Wednesday, September 14, 2005 If you train hard, you'll not only be hard, you'll be hard to beat. - Hershel Walker

Sports Quote of the Day - Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Quote of the Day Tuesday, September 13, 2005 You don't win the silver, you lose the gold. - Mean Jean Oakland

Sports Quote of the Day - Monday, September 12, 2005

Quote of the Day Monday, September 12, 2005 My career started slowly and then tapered off. - Gary McCord

Sports Quote of the Day - Sunday, September 11, 2005

Quote of the Day Sunday, September 11, 2005 Titleist has offered me a big contract not to play its balls. - Bob Hope

Sports Quote of the Day - Saturday, September 10, 2005

Quote of the Day Saturday, September 10, 2005 Well, sir, I'd recommend the 4:05 train. - Harry Vardon's caddie, after Vardon asked him, "What should I take here?"

Friday and Saturday Picks (9/9 and 9/10)

Friday, Sept. 9th

Rangers vs. A’s – Dominguez vs. Zito – well, logic would naturally say Zito. But Dominguez just gets better and better with each start. In his last start, he went into the eighth inning with a no hitter. Granted, that was KC, but still a no-no is a no-no. He has a 1.69 ERA in his last three starts. Zito has a 3.44 in his last three, including a clobbering against New York. The A’s are cold right now. Zito really does own the Rangers. The Rangers as a team hit .204 in 224 at bats. Of the 46 hits, 12 are extra bases. No long ball tonight, 4 homers against Zito. Hard call to make. Rangers don’t do well against Zito, A’s are cold, Dominguez is hot… A shot in the dark, but I will go with Texas 4-3.

Braves vs. Nats – Ramirez vs. Loaiza – I have always liked Loaiza, when he was with the Rangers and after that. He is a good pitcher, not on a good team, though. He is 10-10 with a 3.62 ERA this year, 3.26 in his last 3. Ramirez is 3.32 in his last 3, and has a 11-8 mark. He doesn’t do well on the road, though (3-7, 5.61 ERA). I am going with the Nats on this 6-4.

Astros vs. Alcoholics – Clemens vs. Davis – Clemens has a 6-2 mark on the road and a 0.52 ERA. Astros 5-1.

Big Fish vs. Female Horse – Burnett vs. Lidle – Both have been throwing grapefruit over their last 3 (6.75 and 6.43 ERA’s respectively). Burnett has had better success this season. Marlins over Phillies 5-2.

D-Backs vs. the Other Alcoholic Team – Estes vs. Kim – Kim is hot, Estes is not. Kim has a 0.92 ERA in his last 3. Estes has an 8.40 over his last 3. Granted, Colorado is not a good team; D-Backs are nothing to brag about, either. Upset, D-Backs over Rockies in a squeaker 5-4.

Saturday, Sept 10th

Rangers vs. A’s – Blanton vs. Loe – Kameron Loe is quickly becoming one of top Rangers players of all time. I just like the guy. 6 foot 8, strong pitcher, great command, and his numbers prove me right. 3.22 ERA for the season, 0.95 ERA over his last three. Blanton stinks on the road. 3-7 mark tells all. Rangers take this one as I get my Tex statue, 4-2.

Braves vs. Nats – Sosa vs. Hernandez – Sosa is undefeated on the road. Braves 5-3.

Astros vs. Alcoholics – Pettitte vs. Ohka – Never heard of Ohka. Pettitte will take this one just on principal (Plus Pettitte has a 0.44 ERA in his last 3). Astros 4-2.

Big Fish vs. Female Horse – Vargas vs. Myers – Big Fish is a really good movie, by the way. Pretty even on the surface, but Myers is by far better upon closer review. Philly 6-3.

D-Backs vs. the Other Alcoholic Team – Vargas vs. Day – These guys should go back to the grapefruit league for real. It’s a beautiful day… good for a song, not for this pitcher. However, he does throw an even 3 at home, and that is what I will have to make my call on. Rockies 7-2.

FC Dallas vs. DC United – Soccer… well, FC Dallas has lost quite a bit of late… I will say they end that streak against DC. Why not, right? Besides, what do I know soccer anyway… FC Dallas 3-1.

Home Plate

Sports Quote of the Day - Friday, September 09, 2005

Quote of the Day Friday, September 09, 2005 "If practice makes perfect, and no one is perfect, why practice?" - Derek P.

Sports Quote of the Day - Thursday, September 08, 2005

Quote of the Day Thursday, September 08, 2005 It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog. - unknown

Sports Quote of the Day - Wednesday, September 07, 2005

Quote of the Day Wednesday, September 07, 2005 David Beckham has taken 1000 free kicks for each one that mattered. Who says practice doesn't make perfect? - Chris Howard

Quick Picks (Tuesday)

Quick Picks, to keep it short today:

Astros vs. Phillies - Oswalt vs. Lieber - Oswalt stinks at home. Lieber stinks on the road. Both coming off great outings, though. Oswalt should prevail. Astros 4-2.

D-Backs vs. Pirates - Vazquez vs. Maholm - Don't know anything about Maholm, he's a rookie. I will guess that he might do well, D-Backs aren't a great team. Still, I find myself picking them on this... Experince over newness, I guess. D-Backs 6-4.

Alcoholics vs. Reds - Helling vs. Harang - Rick Helling? He still pitching? And not badly, I might add. I will go with the drunkards, no wait... on second thought, Reds over Brewers 5-3. Hunch is calling me.

Mets vs. Braves - Pedro vs. Smoltz - WHAT A GAME! Two gladiators facing off... how can I choose? Both VERY even, but I will go with who is hot... Pedro. Mets over Braves 2-0. (That's right, a shutout!)

And that is it for today... catcha tomorrow, hopefully, I can dig deaper then. Johnny Out.

Home Plate

Tuesday, September 6th (Rangers)

Welcome back, one and all... sorry for the "not posting" of late... too many excuses, but none of them worthy. But, when I don't post, they win (Rangers, that is), so let's see what happens today, shall we?

Rangers vs. Twins - Rogers vs. Lohse - well, Rogers got back on track somewhat with the Royals (but he did give up 11 hits in 7 innings... hhhmmm...). ERA still very respectable at 3.18, but it is 4.26 in his last 3 starts. Lohse (ironically) in his last start was also against the Royals, 7 innings giving up only 3 hits. He has a 3.79 ERA in his last 3 and 4.13 overall. This year Rogers has gone 15 innings against the Twins, practically perfect (0.00 ERA and only 12 hits, 1 walk). They are hitting .231 against him. 6 of his 7 losses have been on the road. Twins hitters are a career .242 against him, 2 dingers, 11 RBIs in 153 at bats. Ford, Stewart, and Hunter seem to do well against him (Hunter especially - 6 for 21 for .286 - 1HR 6RBIs - no strike outs). Lohse just pitched against Texas on 8/26 (I was at that game!) He gave up 6 runs in 5 innings... I remember he was throwing grapefut. The ball looked big to Texas. 9 hits and 3 were homeruns! That was his only start against Texas, but he did have a relief appearance of 2 innings, giving up 1 run. Total numbers: 7 innings/7 runs - 9.00 ERA 11 hits, 4 homers, Rangers are hitting .344 against him this year. Now, looking at Lohse, I have to be honest... Sorry just loves this guy (Sorry, by the way, is what I call that poor excuse of a definsive player we have at second base)... anyway, he is 8-18 off him (.444 ave) with 2 homers and 6 RBIs. Tex is 6-12 but no homers. Let's change that tonight, shall we? Career, the Ranger hitters are 41-121 (.339 ave), and for Lohse, the numb3rs just get worse... (notice the reference to that TV show... hehehe). My call today on this is the Rangers over the Twins (Lohse doesn't make it more than 5 today) 5-3. And most of that 5 will be early.

Home Plate

Sports Quote of the Day - Monday, September 05, 2005

Quote of the Day Monday, September 05, 2005 When you tryout for cheerleading, remember its true, that some will make fun of you... they'll say that cheerleaders are dancers gone retarted, but just blow in your hads and say "eww u farted", I admit its the childish thing to do, but it beats the crap out of people making fun of you, I'll always be here on your side, and I'll help you when you show your school spirit and school pride! You'll be the best cheerleader. I can see it now, everyone will be awwing at you and saying "holy cow!" But don't worry I'll be here for you through thick and thin, when things get tough, even when your "cheer squad" doesn't win, we're best friends. I knew it from the start, which is why now nothing could make us part, your the nicest person I know. Its true, which is why I know noone will ever make fun of you. - *shelly sadler*

Sports Quote of the Day - Sunday, September 04, 2005

Quote of the Day Sunday, September 04, 2005 I don't want to be the best. I just want to improve. - Ngoc-Hien Tran

Saturday, September 3rd (Rangers)

Welcome back... it was a long time away from this most awesome blog of smack talking... I was scheduled to be away for a bit of time, but plans change when a massive hurricane hits, I guess.

Today's Games:

Rangers vs. the not-so-Royals - Dominquez vs. Carrasco (pee-ko-train) - Carrasco is 0-3 in his last 6 starts. In August, he had a 6.00 ERA (16 earned runs in 24 innings), was 0-2 and of the 5 starts he made, he went 5 or less innings 3 times. He has not faced the Rangers this year. The Rangers are 3-17 off him (.176 ave), so this is a good match-up for the Royals (Although, I think he will not be as sharp as how he has done in the past). D-man is getting better and better with each start. He has not won on the road this year (0-3, 4.50 ERA), and has never faced any KC hitter. I think that today will be just as good a start as what he has been doing. Rangers 6-2.

Sports Quote of the Day - Saturday, September 03, 2005

Quote of the Day Saturday, September 03, 2005 Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking your potential. - Liane Carlos

Sports Quote of the Day - Friday, September 02, 2005

Quote of the Day Friday, September 02, 2005 A successful team beats with one heart. - magazine

Sports Quote of the Day - Thursday, September 01, 2005

Quote of the Day Thursday, September 01, 2005 "To win, you have to risk loss." - Rhys Davis