Jim Thome HOF

This was the very first thing I thought of when I heard Jim Thome was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Congrats to Thome, Chipper Jones, Vlad Guerrero, and Trevor Hoffman.

Player Comparison

Here's a player comparison I was curious about.

Player A: .254 BA/ .337 OBP/ .486 SLG/ .823 OPS/ 111 OPS+
Player B: .303 BA/ .401 OBP/ .529 SLG/ .930 OPS/ 141 OPS+

How about career totals?

Player A: 1204 R/ 434 HR/ 1289 RBI/ 3690 TB
Player B: 1619 R/ 468 HR/ 1623 RBI/ 4755 TB

Obviously Player B was the better hitter but Player A was a 10-time Gold Glove Player. Player B is Chipper Jones who will be elected into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot while Player A is Andruw Jones who will probably receive the Dwight Evans treatment from Hall voters.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

The things you learn on the Internet - Joss Whedon wrote the screenplay for the first Toy Story. Well that's partially correct - four people got credit for the story and four people (including Whedon) got credit for the screenplay... I'm linking to this because it contains the words "enormous vagina dug out of sand on Coney Island"... Make no mistake - Florida choked yesterday. They had much more raw talent than Butler but they choked... Chipper Jones needs just 1 run scored for 1506 in his career which would tie Mike Schmidt for 68th place all-time. There's no doubt in my mind that Chipper Jones is a Hall of Fame player.. According to Baseball-Reference.com - the most similar batter by age to Jose Bautista is Mack Jones who last played in 1971 and who never made an all-star team. If Bautista does hit more than 35 HR this season - boy will those 54 HR from last season stick out like a sore thumb... The things you learn on the Internet (Part II) - "A May 1967 Gallup Poll found almost twice as many Americans supported nuking North Vietnam as supported withdrawal"... Jeff Ross certainly looked like an autotonsorialist in that Trump Roast... I've said it before but CBS is missing a huge opportunity if they don't replace Katie Couric with Strong Bad... I don't think Raylan Givens has shot and killed a single person in this season of Justified - you know that will change soon... The things you learn on the Internet (Part III) - "Last year, the US Mint reported a loss of $42.6 million on the production of pennies and nickels"... Speaking of Justified - I believe you have my stapler

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- The Vancouver Aquarium's holiday card is awesome

- Very Cool. Snowflakes under an electron microscope

- If you are in a technology industry you might find this amusing

- This is why teachers drink As an aside - when I hear the word "Forex" I think condom - so to me Forex Mom = Condom Mom.

- Is Chipper Jones a Hall of Famer? I think so.

- Jason Whitlock on Sexy Ryan. I agree with Whitlock 100% - Ryan has to stop being a clown and start being a coach. I'd take it one step forward - he should step up and own the foot fetish story. If he goes to the podium and says, "Yes that is me and my wife in the videos. I love my wife. I love her feet, I love everything about her. Some men are leg men, some men like breasts best - I like feet. This has nothing to do with our preparations for this Sunday's game so I will not be answering any other questions about it."

Chipper Jones

Chipper Jones came in second in the 1995 NL ROY voting to Hideo Nomo. Nobody in the top 10 in voting from that year in the NL is still in the bigs though Jason Isringhausen could make a comeback. The AL ROY that year went to Marty Cordoba of the Twins. Only Andy Pettite and Garrett Anderson from the top 10 in votes for 1995 AL ROY are still active and Anderson just barely.

Jones could retire tomorrow and in my mind he's a first ballot Hall of Fame guy. He's already in the top 50 all-time in on base percentage (46th), slugging percent (41st), OPS (30th), and home runs (37th). Chipper needs 18 more RBI to tie Mickey Mantle for 50th on that list.

Chipper Jones

Chipper Jones came in second in the 1995 NL ROY voting to Hideo Nomo. Nobody in the top 10 in voting from that year in the NL is still in the bigs though Jason Isringhausen could make a comeback. The AL ROY that year went to Marty Cordoba of the Twins. Only Andy Pettite and Garrett Anderson from the top 10 in votes for 1995 AL ROY are still active and Anderson just barely.

Jones could retire tomorrow and in my mind he's a first ballot Hall of Fame guy. He's already in the top 50 all-time in on base percentage (45th), slugging percent (40th), OPS (29th), and home runs (39th). Chipper needs 62 more total bases to crack the top 50 in that category and he needs 42 more RBI to tie Mickey Mantle for 50th on that list.

Age Catching Up with Chipper?

I was surprised to notice that Chipper Jones' batting average was just .269 for the season. It seems like just yesterday that his batting average was well over .300. It turns out that wasn't yesterday. That was back in June.

Since the All-Star break Chipper has hit just .242 with a .763 OPS. In September those numbers are just .207 and .634. That's almost Varitek-esque. Chipper signed a 3-year extension for $13 million per year early this spring. You have to wonder if Chipper will start to face some boos if he starts off next year like he's been finishing this season.

I think Chipper is a Hall of Fame player but if he puts his current .308 career batting average at risk with 3-years of sub-par performance then he could also be putting his Hall of Fame election at risk as well. Jim Rice allowing his career batting average to dip below .300 (he finished at .298) was a major factor in the delay in his election.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Cool - check out Chipper's ride to the ballpark. Chipper Jones and Adam LaRoche seem pretty close. Maybe signing LaRoche this offseason would make up to Chipper for losing friends Smoltzy and Tommy.. Quote of the Day: "...if we open a quarrel between the past and the present, we shall find that we have lost the future" - Winston Churchill... Catholics rarely say Grace. I think that is related to the Church stance on birth control and having large families around the dinner table. I know I was always more concerned about getting my share of the "good stuff" versus saying a prayer when eating as a kid with my 5 brothers and sisters... A new 6.25% alcohol tax went into effect in Massachusetts Saturday. A repeal referendum is already in the works. Taxing beer will prove to be the demise of Governor Deval Patrick... I saw a Massachusetts car with a Lakers sticker and a Blue Jays sticker on the bumper the other day. Strange. How does that happen? Toronto and LA? Strange...

Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.

Carl Pavano comes back to pitch against the Yankees today in the new Yankee Stadium the day after the Indians pounded they Yankees 22-4. Often a pitcher pitches very well against former team the first time out but just as often a top team who gets shelled the day before comes back the next day to do the shelling. It should be interesting to watch... File this under once a thought gets in your head - its tough to get that thought out. Nelson Figueroa pitches today for the Mets. In my mind I always confuse the 6'1" Figueroa with the 2'4" Nelson de la Rosa. I know this is completely unfair to the only major league player to ever play at Waltham Mass's Brandeis University but at this point I can't help it... Early season craziness. The Florida Marlins have the best record in baseball and the Pittsburgh Pirates have the best team ERA. Who knew?... Going into today's action - there are 20 major league players who have more home runs by themselves than the A's have as a team (3)... Just to simplify things - I think if Chipper Jones plays for the Braves today then the Braves win. If not - the Braves get swept by the Pirates... No team's offense has been better at not giving up free outs by striking out than the Phillies. As a team they have struck out just 50 times so far this season. The reason they don't have a winning record is because no team's pitching staff has been as generous at giving up home runs in baseball than the Phillies. Brad Lidge gave up the team's 25th dinger last night... Today is Rick Miller's 61st birthday. That makes me feel old. I remember a tale told about Miller of how he ended up getting a nice contract as a free agent in 1977 because Angels owner Gene Autrey told his GM to get that outfielder from the Red Sox and that Autrey liked that player. The GM signed Miller only to learn that Autrey was referring to Dwight Evans. Rick Miller is tied to Butch Hobson in his personal history. In 1980 - Miller with Mark Clear and Carney Lansford were traded to the Boston Red Sox for Rick Burleson and Butch Hobson then two years ago Miller replaced Hobson as coach of the CanAm league Nashua (NH) Pride...

NL All-Star Team

Here's my picks for who is most deserving to be named to the NL All-Star Team:

C - Brian McCann Braves - narrowly over Russell Martin
1st - Lance Berkman Astros - complete player
2nd - Chase Utley Phillies - any questions?
SS - Hanley Ramirez Marlins
3rd - Chipper Jones Braves
OF - Nate McLouth Pirates
OF - Ryan Braun Brewers
OF - Ryan Ludwick Cardinals
DH - Albert Pujols Cardinals
SP - Edinson Volquez Reds

Reserves - Russell Martin Dodgers; Geovany Soto Cubs; Adrian Gonzalez Padres; Dan Uggla Marlins; Jose Reyes Mets; David Wright Mets; Carlos Beltran Mets; Jason Bay Pirates; Pat Burrell Phillies; Ben Sheets Brewers; Ryan Dempster Cubs; Brandon Webb Diamondbacks; Tim Lincecum Giants; Kerry Wood Cubs; Jon Rauch Nationals;

Notes - Derrek Lee probably would start for the AL team but there's a good chance to might not even make the NL team... It is very possible that the middle infield combination of Chase Utley and Hanley Ramirez may be the best middle infield pairing to appear together in the history of baseball... Aramis Ramirez may not make the team. I bet that would go over well in Chicago.... There is a good chance that all three outfielders voted in by the fans will be players who will be undeserving based upon this season's performance. Ken Griffey, Jr., Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome both of the Cubs are the leading vote getters but none of the three really should even be on the team... Matt Holliday will most likely be the representative from the Rockies. Holliday making the team could cost Pat Burrell or Ryan Ludwick a spot on the team...

Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.

Chipper Jones currently leads the NL in batting with his .337 mark. Jones is 35-years old and if he won the batting title - he'd be one of the oldest players ever to do so. The oldest player to win the batting title was Ted Williams who won his last batting title at age 39.... Al Kaline of the Tigers was the youngest player to ever win a batting title. Kaline was 20 years, 9 months and six days when he won the title in 1955... The race for the NL Cy Young is pretty tight. Who do you chose? Jake Peavy has 14 wins, leads the league in strikeouts and is second in ERA but he plays in the uber pitchers park and playing in San Diego doesn't enhance his Q rating. Brandon Webb has 14 wins, leads the league in innings pitched and complete games and is second in strikeouts and fourth in ERA, however, Webb is the complete opposite of flashy and his workman like approach may not be sexy enough to woo the voters. Cole Hamels has 14 wins and even though he plays in the biggest bandbox in baseball - he still has a decent 3.50 ERA. What about old man John Smoltz who is 12-6 with a 3.01 ERA? My guess is that first place votes could go to as many as six players. The person to take home the award will probably be the guy who gets the most second and third place votes... Mike Lowell has 90 RBI and his career high is 105 which he set in 2003 when he was 29-years old. I'm rooting for Lowell to set a new career high this year and to be re-signed by the Red Sox... David Ortiz hit 2 HR last night to give him 23 for the season. Last year he hit 54 - so I'd say he's a bit behind last year's pace.

Top 5 - Baseball Players from Florida

Here are who I consider the top 5 baseball players born in Florida.

1. Steve Carlton - Hall of Fame pitcher - 329 career wins and 4 Cy Young Awards
2. Andre Dawson - should be in the Hall of Fame -as Ryne Sandberg said "he played the game the right way"
3. Fred McGriff - another guy who should be in the Hall of Fame - lead both the AL and NL in HR in separate years
4. Chipper Jones - will be in the Hall of Fame - not a ton of HR but top 25 all-time in OPS
5. (tie) Tim Raines - 5th all-time in stolen bases (tie) Gary Sheffield - closing in on 500 HR

I was surprised that there was only one Hall of Famer from Florida. You would think that a state that is always in the top 3 (with California and Texas) in producing athletes would have more than one. Florida does have a number of players who either should be in the Hall of Fame or are the most borderline of cases. You could actually arrange the last four players on my list in any order and I would not argue with it.

I was also surprised to learn that Wade Boggs was not born in Florida but instead was born in Omaha, Nebraska.

Florida is also home to the player who perhaps blew the most talent in the history of MLB - Doc Gooden. Conversely it is also home to the player who has probably maximized his God given gifts more than any other in Tim Wakefield.