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June 21, 2010

It's Summer - Time For A Pennant Race

On May 3, the Red Sox were 11-14, a distant 7 GB an unstoppable Rays juggernaut that was going to steamroll its way into (and through) the playoffs. More than a few fans were looking ahead to 2011.

And now Boston has more victories than Tampa Bay!

It took only 3½ weeks -- Monday, May 24 to Friday, June 18 - for the Red Sox to go from 8.5 GB to 1 GB!
           W   L   PCT   GB   RS   RA  DIFF
Yankees   43  26  .623  ---  376  275  +101
Rays      42  27  .609  1.0  360  268  + 92
Red Sox   43  28  .606  1.0  390  325  + 65
Blue Jays 38  32  .543  5.5  332  306  + 26
Orioles   19  50  .275 24.0  225  364  -139
Since May 24, the Rays have gone 10-15 -- which is actually worse than how the Red Sox began the season. Is anyone proclaiming that the 2010 season is kaput for Tampa Bay?

The Yankees have not (yet) had a similarly long stretch of bad play, but they were 5-10 from May 9-23, dropping 5.5 games in the standings (0.5 GB to 6 GB).

Jere, ARSFPT:
I still can't fathom why any person who knows anything about baseball would have given up on the Red Sox in early May - and I love it that not only did we catch a team they thought we'd never catch, but that we did it in a month and a half. ... [Those] ridiculous predictions were proven wrong before the All-Star Break! ... [Some people] can't imagine that how things are today might actually be different at some far, far away point, like a month and a half from now. Life is a hell of a lot longer than 140 characters.
You would think any Red Sox fan (or media member) who was watching baseball from October 17-20, 2004, would understand the concept of "you have absolutely no effing clue what will happen next" -- not today, not tomorrow, not four months from now -- but you would be wrong.

Of course, we could be back in a hole, 7 GB by August 1, and those doomers who moaned in early May will say, "I told you so!" ... That's why it's best to never pay attention to those types or, if you do accidentally hear/read their bleats, to forget them as soon as possible.

The Big Three in the AL East play the NL West this week. The Red Sox are off today before beginning a three-game series in Colorado (36-33, 4th place) on Tuesday night. The Rays also have a free day and will host the Padres (40-29, 1st) tomorrow. The Yankees are in Phoenix to play the Diamondbacks (27-43, 5th) tonight.

The Orioles' next win will be their 20th. The other four teams in the division each won their 20th game more than a month ago: Rays (May 5), Yankees (May 7), Blue Jays (May 12), and Red Sox (May 18).
Example
June 21:

1917 - Red McKee of the San Francisco Seals (PCL) forgets the bases are loaded and attempts to steal third. His blunder startles the Salt Lake City pitcher, who commits a balk.

2002 - During a New York-Penn League game between the New Jersey Cardinals and Staten Island Yankees, a 38-year-old woman, who is at the game with her eight-year-old daughter's Brownie troop, jumps a fence and goes onto the field to argue an umpire's call at first base.
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17 comments:

  1. BenjaminJune 21, 2010 at 11:51 AM

    You would think any Red Sox fan (or media member) who was watching baseball from October 17-20, 2004, would understand the concept of "you have absolutely no effing clue what will happen next" -- not today, not tomorrow, not four months from now -- but you would be wrong. . . . The Orioles' next win will be their 20th.

    Allan, isn't it a little irresponsible of you to speculate that the Orioles will get a 20th win? That team could easily, EASILY, go 19-143 for the season.

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  2. ZenslingerJune 21, 2010 at 1:06 PM

    I just found out I'm going to be able to go to the first Sox game in San Francisco Friday. Nice.

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  3. ZenslingerJune 21, 2010 at 2:31 PM

    Peter Abraham: a writer coming around to sabremetrics? Links a BRef article on how defenses play Drew (haven't read it yet).

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  4. allanJune 21, 2010 at 2:41 PM

    PA: "I will fully admit to scorning stuff like UZR and ERA+ before I took the time to really try and understand it ... In my opinion, the more ways to evaluate the player and the game, the better picture we see. Why would you not want to know the most you can?"

    It's good to hear him admit his bias -- and the bit about having info is something I say all the time.

    And BP has now made the article available for free!

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  5. ZenslingerJune 21, 2010 at 2:57 PM

    BRef writer Lindbergh rips Verducci while describing his article to be "otherwise insightful":

    "Anecdotal evidence aside, it’s not clear to me what J.D. Drew’s home run output has to do with his suitability as a candidate for the shift. Since no infield arrangement yet devised can bring a ball back from over the fence, home run totals seem largely non-pertinent to the issue."

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  6. Rick (f/k/a westcoastsox)June 21, 2010 at 3:47 PM

    I'll be at the Sox-Giants game on Sunday with the whole family! Looks like we'll see Lester vs. Lincecum. Sweet.

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  7. RobJune 21, 2010 at 5:11 PM

    The game on Saturday was a blast, but hot, as I said on Saturday. You really had to pay attention to the action or else you'd be totally detached, we were sitting so far away, but it was still cool.

    I liked our JoS1 seats better, but I didn't have to pay for these tickets on Saturday.

    I posted 42 photos from the afternoon.

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  8. Michael HollowayJune 21, 2010 at 6:34 PM

    I see under your Header something new?

    "We Do This Every Day"

    If I'm not mistaken Cito Gaston said that when he was managing the Jays in the 1990's. I think a Toronto reporter was comparing baseball to the Maple Leafs hockey team again, and Cito patiently explained why the allusion was inappropriate. One of the differences is "We do this every day", he began...

    If memory serves, maybe have borrowed it from someone else?

    mh

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  9. Michael HollowayJune 21, 2010 at 6:54 PM

    AH! I found it Earl Weaver:

    "This ain't a football game, we do this every day."

    http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/e/earlweaver139567.html

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  10. KathrynJune 21, 2010 at 7:26 PM

    Anybody watching the MFY game? Burnett has already given up three home runs in the first.

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  11. allanJune 21, 2010 at 7:56 PM

    AH! I found it Earl Weaver:

    Yeah, but I need something else. I should take suggestions.

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  12. allanJune 21, 2010 at 7:57 PM

    MFY - 00
    ARZ - 51

    !

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  13. timJune 21, 2010 at 9:37 PM

    Glad I was busy enough to not pay attention to the mediots during the shitty time. I still try not to bother reading that shit, as long as I see what actually happens on the field and in the standings, I'm still capable of thinking for myself, so I don't need to read some asshole's lament about how the season is over by the 3rd of May.

    Also, sweet pics Ish - I plan on punking some for my computer and phone.

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  14. Michael HollowayJune 22, 2010 at 6:34 AM

    No like Earl, or Cito?

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  15. RobJune 22, 2010 at 7:00 AM

    Thanks, Tim. Have at it.

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  16. allanJune 22, 2010 at 7:05 AM

    Like Earl, Do Not Care about Cito.

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  17. laura kJune 22, 2010 at 8:19 AM

    I still try not to bother reading that shit, as long as I see what actually happens on the field and in the standings, I'm still capable of thinking for myself, so I don't need to read some asshole's lament about how the season is over by the 3rd of May.

    My attitude exactly when it comes to everything about any current season.

    For me it's incredibly easy to avoid. I'm so busy, why would I waste my time reading that crap?

    I look forward to seeing Ish's photos!

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