The Abrupt End of 'Manny Being Manny'

As all of you Eau Claire folk enjoy your beautiful 65 degree weather today, some big baseball news has come about. Tampa Bay Rays' DH Manny Ramirez has officially left the game after 19 seasons in Major League Baseball after again testing positive for performance enhancing drugs.

The good ol' days.

Manny is the first person ever to test positive twice for PEDs and rather than face the 100 game suspension for two offenses, he decided to retire. He never really was the same player after coming back from that first suspension.

He was somewhat known for his quirky antics, like cutting off a throw from Johnny Damon in the middle of left field out of nowhere or taking a piss in the Green Monster during the middle of an inning, or for his care-free attitude. But mainly, the 12 time All-Star was known as one of the most feared hitters in the MLB. He was a lifetime .312 hitter and hit 555 homers in his career, mostly with the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Red Sox.

Will that be enough for Manny to get into the Hall? Some would argue that it is but I think with him testing positive twice, it will be a long shot. Mark McGwire won't get in. Roger Clemens won't get in. Why would Manny?

It's a shame that such a great career has fizzled out the way it has and especially with it ending this way. We're gonna miss you Manny.

Half Assed Preview: AL East

Baseball season is finally here. Ever since the Zach Greinke trade, I have not been more excited for the baseball season to start.  I am ready to begin my Half-Assed Previews making predictions that you might agree with, and some you might disagree with. Simple format if you are new here; Player I Love, Player I Hate, and a Prediction for wins.  

AL East:

1.) Boston Red Sox: Player I Love: Daniel Bard (RP)- I think by the month of June, Bard will be a lights out closer for the BoSox.  He already has established himself as a solid set-up guy, and I believe will take the next step this season. Player I Hate: Carl Crawford (LF)- I am curious how both Red Sox additions will handle the pressure of a big city atmosphere. I think Crawford will struggle a bit during the season, and I don't see him living up to his contract this season.  Prediction: 90 wins, the Red Sox have the strongest pitching staff in the AL and they have a great offense to go along with it.  

2.) New York Yankees: Player I Like: Alex Rodriguez (3B)- I have a feeling that A-Rod is going to have a huge year.  A couple of reasons: he is crushing the ball in Spring Training, according to reports, he is in the best shape of his life, and is having consistent happy time with Cameron Diaz.  ARod will come close to taking the MVP this season.  Player I Hate: Rafael Soriano (RP)- I always feel you should never pay a high price for relief pitchers, and I could see Soriano disappointing the Bronx Zoo this summer. Who knows how Soriano handles the added pressure plus he is somewhat injury-prone. Prediction: 86 wins, I don't see the Yankees getting to the playoffs this year. They do not have the starting pitching to get to the playoffs, but that probably will change when they get some All-Star in July. 

3.) Tampa Bay Rays: Player I Like: Manny Ramirez (LF)- When I saw he signed with the Rays, I felt Manny could have a great year. ManRam looks in shape for the first time in years plus Joe Maddon is the perfect manager to understand his personality. Player I Hate: Kyle Farnsworth (RP)- He will be the Rays' closer for the month of April before it goes to hell. Sure this guy can throw smoke, but he is not the closer type. Prediction: 84 wins, the Rays will be in the race for the AL East, but I am just not sure their young pitching staff can bring it night in and out. 

4.) Toronto Blue Jays: Player I Like: Travis Snider (OF)- Last year, he was on his way to a huge season but it got slowed down by a wrist injury. He is a 23 year old left hander with huge power, I like Snider to make an impact for the Jays.  Player I Hate: Brandon Morrow (SP)- I thought he had a good season last year, and could have been a real star this season. But then arm troubles started again for him. Morrow's season might be one that is half on the DL, half on the mound.  Prediction: 82 wins, I think the Jays might be able to make a push into the top of the AL East, but they are still one year away from challenging for the crown. 

5.) Baltimore Orioles: Player I Like: Brian Matusz (SP)- People were high on him last year, and he did not have the break out year that people expected. He will be the All-Star representative for the O's this season. A  tall left-hander who can bring the noise on the mound Player I Hate: Derrek Lee (1B)- I saw DLee last year not be able to catch up to the fastball last season, and I think nothing changes this season. Lee seems to be washed up, and he will be playing a limited role come June. Prediction: 75 wins, in any other division they would be in the top 3. I am convinced of that, they have a solid squad with a good manager. 

No division will be tougher than the AL East.

-Charlie.

Dice-K is looking like...Derek Lowe

On Saturday night against the Mariners Dice-K continued his recent run of success, matching his season high with 10 strikeouts in a 4-3 win. Matsuzaka pitched 7 innings while only giving up 2 earned runs. The game was also his third consecutive quality start following three rather lackluster outings at the beggining of July.

On a little more interesting note...Saturday's game also continued a streak of nine consecutive Dice-K starts in which the Red Sox have alternated wins and losses. That means Red Sox fans can pretty much go ahead and put an L on the calendar right now for August 10th, when the Red Sox face Erik Bedard and the Orioles. Regardless of recent history though, the matchup of Dice-K and Bedard promises to be quite the duel of young stud pitchers.

Now on to the fun part boys and girls. Who is Dice-K looking like this week? The answer to that question resides all the way across the country from Boston, in sunny Los Angeles. This week Dice-K is looking like...Derek Lowe.

Dice-K 2007:
W%: .62
QS%: .65
ERA: 3.70
WHIP: 1.26
Salary: $6,333,333

Lowe 2006:
W%: .67
QS%: .59
ERA: 3.63
WHIP: 1.27
Salary: $9,500,000


Bookmark WTB!
Press [Ctrl + D]

Dice-K Is Looking Like...Aaron Harang

Going into Sunday night's game against the Devil Rays, the worst team in baseball, most people would have guessed that Dice-K would pitch well and get a win. Well, that would be half right. Dice-K pitched 6.1 innings and only gave up two earned runs, but the Red Sox bats fell silent against Scott Kazmir and the Devil Rays in a 5-2 loss. This was Dice-K's second straight quality start after falling off the wagon a bit with three consecutive non-quality starts in the middle of July. As the Red Sox get ready for the stretch run, with the Yankees creeping ever closer, Boston has to be hoping that they get "Good Dice-K" down the stretch. If "Bad Dice-K" happens to come back, the Red Sox could find themselves in a tough spot come September.

As far as comparisons go, this week was tougher than others. This week Dice-K is looking like Aaron Harang. Harang matches up with Dice-K almost perfectly in three out of the four areas I look at each week, but he is way off in terms of quality start percentage. I decided to investigate as to why, and it turns out that the culprit behind Harang's .49 QS% was 7 starts over six innings in which Harang gave up exactly 4 ER. (You can only give up 3 ER to qualify as a quality start) So even though the number looks bad, Harang is a lot closer to Dice-K that it would seem.


Dice-K 2007:
W%: .6
QS%: .64
ERA: 3.75
WHIP: 1.27
Salary: $6,333,333

Harang 2006:
W%: .59
QS%: .49
ERA: 3.76
WHIP: 1.27
Salary: $2,350,000

Dice-K Is Looking Like...Erik Bedard

If there is one thing that can be said about Dice-K this season, it is that he has been consistently inconsistent. In June Dice-K was one of the top three pitchers in the AL, going 5/5 on quality starts and posting a 1.59 ERA for the month. After Dice-K threw eight shutout innings in his first July start, it looked as if he was finally over the hump and ready to be the staff ace that the Sox had envisioned all along. Then Dice-K went out and laid three straight eggs, going 1-2 with no quality starts over a three game stretch.

So of course, just when it seemed like Dice-K was ready to roll over and play dead, he goes out last night and out-duels CC Sabathia, tossing seven shutout innings to beat the Indians 1-0. Go figure. After his latest performance Dice-K's most comparable pitcher from last year is actually quite good news for both Dice-K and the Sox. The most comparable pitcher is very similar in age to Dice-K and is also experiencing a great deal of sucess this season. So this week, Dice-K is looking like...Erik Bedard.

Dice-K 2007:
W%: .63
QS%: .62
ERA: 3.76
WHIP: 1.27
Salary: $6,333,333

Bedard 2006:
W%: .58
QS%: .61
ERA: 3.76
WHIP: 1.35
Salary: $1,400,000

Hot Fan Showdown: Yanks vs. Sox

As the Yankees and Red Sox prepare for a battle for the AL East title, a number of questions arise. Will the Yankees be able to improve their middle relief? Will Julio Lugo ever learn how to play baseball again? Can Roger Clemens hold up the rest of the season? Can Curt Schilling hold up the rest of the season? While these questions are all good and pertinent queries, I have a much better question for you; who has the hotter celeb fans, Yanks or Sox?

Red Sox:

C: Giselle






















1B: Eliza Dushku






















2B: Jennifer Garner






















3B: Sarah Silverman






















SS: Maria Menounos






















LF: Shannon Elizabeth






















CF: Rene Russo






















RF: Amy Poehler






















DH: Christie Brinkley

Yankees:

C: Nicole Kidman






















1B: Jennifer Lopez


















2B: Mariah Carey






















3B: Britney Spears






















SS: Sarah Jessica Parker






















LF: Tea Leoni






















CF: Sarah Michelle Gellar






















RF: Kyli Ryan






















DH: Marilyn Monroe

You Might Also Like:David Beckham Means Nothing
How To Salvage The Falcons
Donaghy Scandal Leaves Asterisk On Spurs Title

Bookmark WTB!
Press [Ctrl + D]

Dice-K is looking like...Curt Schilling

On Saturday night Daisuke Matsuzaka once again reminded the nation of the fact that while he is indeed a tremendous talent, he is still struggling with consistency in his rookie campaign. Dice-K got the win against the Blue Jays, mainly on the strength of a five run sixth inning by the Red Sox in their 9-4 win against the Blue Jays. Dice-K gave up all four Blue Jays' runs over the course of six innings, including three in the sixth. The games was Dice-K's second straight lackluster performance after a June run during which he was arguably one of the top five pitchers in all of baseball.

After his latest outing Dice-K's season statistics are again very similar to the pitcher that we compared him to in May. So for this week we have a returning guest, as Dice-K is looking like....Curt Schilling.

Dice-K 2007:
W%: .65
QS%: .63
ERA: 3.97
WHIP: 1.27
Salary: $6,333,333

Schilling 2006:
W%: .68
QS%: .61
ERA: 3.97
WHIP: 1.22
Salary: $13,000,000

Dice-K is looking like...Tom Glavine

All good things must come to an end, and such was the fate tonight of Daisake Matsuzaka's string of six consecutive quality starts. Dice-K was shelled by the Tigers, giving up six run and ten hits in five innings, including three home runs. While Dice-K and the Red Sox certainly would have hoped for a better start going into the All-Star break, Dice-K's brilliant month of June does buy him a great deal of slack. Another interesting note on Dice-K's performance this season is that his unpredictabilty as a pitcher is not only a rumor, but can be backed up by statistics. To explain, here are Dice-K's out statistics this season; 123 SO, 122 GB, 127 FB. In an age of strikeout specialists and ground ball pitchers it is very interesting that Dice-K has shown the ability to mix up his approach throughout the season. Now, on to the main course. This week, after a bit of a step back, Dice-K is looking like...Tom Glavine.

Dice-K 2007:
W%: .63
QS%: .66
WHIP: 1.24
ERA: 3.84
Salary: $6,333,333

Tom Glavine 2006:
W%: .69
QS%: .68
WHIP: 1.33
ERA: 3.82
Salary: $10,500,000

Dice-K is looking like...Mike Mussina

Dice-K is proving all of the doubters wrong at this point. The Red Sox young star has shaken off some early season jitters to become one of the best pitchers in the majors in the past month. Dice-K's hot streak continued Tuesday night as he threw 8 shutout innings against the D-Rays while striking out nine batters. Over his past four starts Dice-K has an ERA of .62, giving up only two runs in 29 innings. If Matsuzaka had started his recent hot streak about two starts earlier he would have likely been in the All-Star game, and by the end of the season it could look rather strange if Dice-K is competing for a Cy Young without having been selected for the Mid-Summer Classic. As you might be able to tell by that intro, Dice-K's comparison this week has become substantially better than a month ago when he was looking like a Vicente Padilla clone. So who is it now? To answer that question, Dice-K is looking like...Mike Mussina.

Dice-K 2007:
W%: .67
QS%: .71
WHIP: 1.19
ERA: 3.53
Salary: $6,333,333

Mike Mussina 2006:
W%: .68
QS%: .72
WHIP: 1.11
ERA: 3.51
Salary: $19,000,000

Dice-K is looking like...Kenny Rogers

In case you hadn't noticed, Daisuke Matsuzaka has absolutely been on fire in the month of June. Going into tonight's game against the Mariners Dice-K had posted a 1.73 ERA in four consecutive quality starts this month, despite only having a 2-2 record over that period. Tonight's game was no different as Dice-K had his best performance of the season, striking out eight and only surrendering one earned run in 8 innings. Dice-K did not get a decision in tonight's game as the Mariner's went on to win 2-1 in extra innings. Dice-K has undergone a dramatic transformation in the month of June, going from an erratic and inconsistent starter in the season's first two months. In fact, during this month Dice-K has arguably been the third best starter in the entire AL. (Justin Verlander and Joe Blanton being the only pitchers ahead of him) Dice-K's strong June performance has greatly improved his measurables on the season, and the comparisons here on "Dice-K is looking like..." have likewise improved. So after tonight's performance Dice-K is looking like...Kenny Rogers.

Dice-K 2007:
W%: .64
QS%: .69
WHIP: 1.24
ERA: 3.80
Salary: $6,333,333

Kenny Rogers 2006:
W%: .68
QS%: .58
WHIP: 1.26
ERA: 3.84
Salary: $8,000,000

It's not THAT Common Of A Phrase...

Notice something a little similar about the two pictures up there? I mean, it would be one thing if it were an obvious play on words, for example if the story was about Juan Montoya winning the Nextel Race today and both headlines happened to be "Juan In A Million" or "Juan Of A Kind". The phrase "smoking aces" though, just isn't that common or that obvious of a pun for this story for these two headlines to be a coincidence. I mean, the AP photo is even the same, Sportsline just cropped it tighter. (For the record the SI headline was up first) I hope the headline writers at these websites try a little harder from now on.

Dice-K is looking like...Jeremy Bonderman

Everyone’s favorite roller coaster, Daisuke Matsuzaka, is climbing to the top of a pretty big hill. Boston’s 1-0 win over San Francisco on Friday was Matsuzaka’s 3rd consecutive quality start. Dice-K went 7 innings, didn’t give up a run, and struck out 8. Congrats to Dice-K for the well-earned win, but if the world’s most expensive roller coaster keeps plugging along, he’s in for one heck of a nasty drop. So, we predict that Dice-K will get shelled in his next two starts (at least).

Now that Dice-K’s quality start percentage has continued to climb, it has been a struggle to find a pitcher with a similar QS% and W%, along with an abysmal ERA. Nevertheless, without further ado, we present…Dice-K is looking like Jeremy Bonderman!

Dice-K 2007:
W%: .62
QS%: .64
WHIP: 1.27
ERA: 4.18
Salary: $6,333,333 (In case anyone cares, that's 782,483,292 yen as of June 15)

Jeremy Bonderman 2006:
W%: .63
QS%: .56
WHIP: 1.30
ERA: 4.08
Salary: $2,300,000