Don Baylor, former manager and 5-time hitting coach, has landed again, not in the managerial position he craved, but as the hitting coach for the hapless Arizona Diamondbacks. Apparently Arizona intends to build on their accomplishment of striking out more than any other team in the Major Leagues. Diamondback executives must have felt they had gone as far as they could go with their old coach and needed someone who could impart new whiffing techniques to the team's batters. Baylor is the only remaining proponent of the "Use Your Head" school of hitting, which teaches actually hitting the ball with the head or helmet, rather than using it to think. This approach has been so popular that Mr. Baylor has been asked to teach it to 5 different teams in his eight years as a batting instructor. He used approximately the same approach in his years as the manager in Colorado and Chicago, where he holds the record for the most losses in a single season by a Cubs team.
Good luck, Arizona! Maybe Don and the D'backs will rise from their own ashes like the mythical Phoenix. At least we know the Arizona hitters will be replacing some of those K's with HBP's.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Ex-Rockies Factor Has Already Decided the World Series
Once again, the dreaded XR (ex-Rockies) factor has reared its ugly head and thrown its mystical net of compulsion over the Major League Baseball playoffs, confounding the odds makers and fans alike by causing teams to win, even when they are the weakest teams on paper and don't play particularly well.
Such was not the case for the Texas Rangers, whose decisive XR edge made them an overwhelming favorite over the XR-less Yankees. It was not as clear for the triumphant Giants of San Francisco, a tremendous underdog who barely squeaked by the confused Phillies, who seemed to be hit periodically by dumbness rays, causing players and coaches to make dozens of inexplicable decisions while stumbling to a lost series, 4 games to 2 in the NLCS. Strangely enough, the Phillies also trailed the Giants in XRs, 4 to 2 (see below).
Using the pattern established above, and in many previous series since the Rockies were spawned in 1993, the Giants will obviously beat the Rangers, 4 games to 1, unless you count coaches, then the tally goes to 4 games to 2, adding the presence of former Rockies manager Clint Hurdle to Texas.
Ex-Rockies in the Playoffs:
Darren Oliver, Relief Pitcher, Texas Rangers, 2003
Juan Uribe, Starting Shortstop, San Francisco Giants, 2001-3
Jeremy Affeldt, Relief Pitcher, San Francisco Giants, 2007
Javier Lopez, Relief Pitcher, San Francisco Giants, 2003-4
Ramon Ramirez, Relief Pitcher, San Francisco Giants, 2006-7
Jose Contreras, Relief Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies, 2009
Ross Gload, Outfielder, Philadelphia Phillies, 2002
Such was not the case for the Texas Rangers, whose decisive XR edge made them an overwhelming favorite over the XR-less Yankees. It was not as clear for the triumphant Giants of San Francisco, a tremendous underdog who barely squeaked by the confused Phillies, who seemed to be hit periodically by dumbness rays, causing players and coaches to make dozens of inexplicable decisions while stumbling to a lost series, 4 games to 2 in the NLCS. Strangely enough, the Phillies also trailed the Giants in XRs, 4 to 2 (see below).
Using the pattern established above, and in many previous series since the Rockies were spawned in 1993, the Giants will obviously beat the Rangers, 4 games to 1, unless you count coaches, then the tally goes to 4 games to 2, adding the presence of former Rockies manager Clint Hurdle to Texas.
Ex-Rockies in the Playoffs:
Darren Oliver, Relief Pitcher, Texas Rangers, 2003
Juan Uribe, Starting Shortstop, San Francisco Giants, 2001-3
Jeremy Affeldt, Relief Pitcher, San Francisco Giants, 2007
Javier Lopez, Relief Pitcher, San Francisco Giants, 2003-4
Ramon Ramirez, Relief Pitcher, San Francisco Giants, 2006-7
Jose Contreras, Relief Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies, 2009
Ross Gload, Outfielder, Philadelphia Phillies, 2002
Ex-Rockies Factor Has Already Decided the World Series
Once again, the dreaded XR (ex-Rockies) factor has reared its ugly head and thrown its mystical net of compulsion over the Major League Baseball playoffs, confounding the odds makers and fans alike by causing teams to win, even when they are the weakest teams on paper and don't play particularly well.
Such was not the case for the Texas Rangers, whose decisive XR edge made them an overwhelming favorite over the XR-less Yankees. It was not as clear for the triumphant Giants of San Francisco, a tremendous underdog who barely squeaked by the confused Phillies, who seemed to be hit periodically by dumbness rays, causing players and coaches to make dozens of inexplicable decisions while stumbling to a lost series, 4 games to 2 in the NLCS. Strangely enough, the Phillies also trailed the Giants in XRs, 4 to 2 (see below).
Using the pattern established above, and in many previous series since the Rockies were spawned in 1993, the Giants will obviously beat the Rangers, 4 games to 2, unless you count coaches, then the tally goes to 4 games to 3, adding the presence of former Rockies manager Clint Hurdle to Texas.
Ex-Rockies in the Playoffs:
Darren Oliver, Relief Pitcher, Texas Rangers, 2003
Juan Uribe, Starting Shortstop, San Francisco Giants, 2001-3
Jeremy Affeldt, Relief Pitcher, San Francisco Giants, 2007
Javier Lopez, Relief Pitcher, San Francisco Giants, 2003-4
Ramon Ramirez, Relief Pitcher, San Francisco Giants, 2006-7
Jose Contreras, Relief Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies, 2009
Ross Gload, Outfielder, Philadelphia Phillies, 2002
Such was not the case for the Texas Rangers, whose decisive XR edge made them an overwhelming favorite over the XR-less Yankees. It was not as clear for the triumphant Giants of San Francisco, a tremendous underdog who barely squeaked by the confused Phillies, who seemed to be hit periodically by dumbness rays, causing players and coaches to make dozens of inexplicable decisions while stumbling to a lost series, 4 games to 2 in the NLCS. Strangely enough, the Phillies also trailed the Giants in XRs, 4 to 2 (see below).
Using the pattern established above, and in many previous series since the Rockies were spawned in 1993, the Giants will obviously beat the Rangers, 4 games to 2, unless you count coaches, then the tally goes to 4 games to 3, adding the presence of former Rockies manager Clint Hurdle to Texas.
Ex-Rockies in the Playoffs:
Darren Oliver, Relief Pitcher, Texas Rangers, 2003
Juan Uribe, Starting Shortstop, San Francisco Giants, 2001-3
Jeremy Affeldt, Relief Pitcher, San Francisco Giants, 2007
Javier Lopez, Relief Pitcher, San Francisco Giants, 2003-4
Ramon Ramirez, Relief Pitcher, San Francisco Giants, 2006-7
Jose Contreras, Relief Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies, 2009
Ross Gload, Outfielder, Philadelphia Phillies, 2002
Monday, October 18, 2010
Rockies Fire Baylor - Again
The Rockies finally figured out what was causing them to fall short of their goals the past three years, and it was the same thing that held them back the first 9 years of their existence - Don Baylor!
They fired ex-Angel Baylor and replaced him with another ex-Angel, Carney Lansford. The big difference between the two is that Carney really could hit, and can teach others.
They fired ex-Angel Baylor and replaced him with another ex-Angel, Carney Lansford. The big difference between the two is that Carney really could hit, and can teach others.
Ex-Rockies in the 2010 Playoffs
Darren Oliver, Relief Pitcher, Texas Rangers, 2003
Juan Uribe, Starting Shortstop, San Francisco Giants, 2001-3
Jeremy Affeldt, Relief Pitcher, San Francisco Giants, 2007
Javier Lopez, Relief Pitcher, San Francisco Giants, 2003-4
Ramon Ramirez, Relief Pitcher, San Francisco Giants, 2006-7
Jose Contreras, Relief Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies, 2009
Ross Gload, Outfielder, Philadelphia Phillies, 2002
Juan Uribe, Starting Shortstop, San Francisco Giants, 2001-3
Jeremy Affeldt, Relief Pitcher, San Francisco Giants, 2007
Javier Lopez, Relief Pitcher, San Francisco Giants, 2003-4
Ramon Ramirez, Relief Pitcher, San Francisco Giants, 2006-7
Jose Contreras, Relief Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies, 2009
Ross Gload, Outfielder, Philadelphia Phillies, 2002
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