First of all, I'll be the 1st to say that I hate the Maple Leafs. I hate Toronto, I hate Sundin, I hate JFJ. I hate verything about them. The only thing they have is that they are a good rival team because they are Original 6.
But my hatred has nothing to do with why the Maple Leafs are so incompetent, and at the same time why they make mind numbing moves over and over. Every year, whomever Toronto's GM is, they do their best effort to acquire as many old players as possible so they can show the world how great they are. Unfortunately for them, their moves rarely work because all they seem to do is pick up "name" players off the reject pile.
The highlight of last seaosn for anyone not a Ducks or Leafs fan was probably when Vik Kozlov scored a SO goal in the final game of the seaosn to eliminate Toronto from playoff contention. So why was Toronto so bad last season?
Well for once they recognized that an old, aging player in Eddie Belfour was not the man to lead them to the playoffs. I'll admit, some smart thinking there. However, instead of actually trying to get a good goaltender, they go after Andrew Raycroft. he had a good season once, right? Well yes he did, but that was in 2003-2004. In the most recent season Raycroft posted an appauling .879 SV %. So the Leafs bank that he can regain his 2003-2004 form, and all they have to do is give up one of the top 3 goalie prospects in the NHL! A guy that will likely be a better goalie in 2 years times. A move earmarked to help only in the short run, and it of course failed miserably. It should have been surprise to nobody that Raycroft was an awful goalie last season. You can't bank a season based on 1 good season from 2 years in the past.
Toronto's big FA signing last season was Pavel Kubina. A decent player, but not a guy to pay top dollar for. But that didn't stop Toronto. They of course overpaid by giving him 4M per season for 5 years. I would say that it is always a terrible idea to give decent players long term deals. The difference between decent and bad isn't that far, and not a risk you want to take for 5 seasons. Kubina continues to be the 2nd pairing defensemen that he is, and in the meantime, JFJ has been shopping him to anyone that can stand his presence for more than 10 minutes at a time. Perhaps instead of locking up a questionable "hame" players to longterm deals, perhaps he should have signed a real defensive defensmen that would actually solve a problem. In Kaberle and McCabe, the last thing Toronto needed was an offense 1st defensmen. Kubina's signing failed on so many levels. It's no surprise (except to JFJ) that he was injured and bad last season.
The one attempt the Leafs had at picking up an actual defender was Hal Gill, a player known for being slow and a poor fit for the new rule changes in the NHL. He can't defend any kind of speed/skill player, but I'm JFJ thought he would solve the defensive woes. Again, like his other moves, it failed.
At the deadline, JFJ recognized that his team needed help in order to secure a playoff spot. So he went out and picked up 3rd line centre to get over the hump. Yannic Perault was the last ace up his sleeve, and when his ice time was cut in half, he was a massive failure. Can't play offense without ice time, and again did nothing to help the awful defense problem.
Come the offseason, I'm sure JFJ has finally realized that his team's defense sucks and that a real defensmen would be needed to improve the team. Well I guess i was wrong. Instead JFJ does the usual. He finds the 1st overhyped, aging forward that he can think of (in this case Jason Blake) and locks him in to another 5 year deal. My bet is that next offseason, JFJ dangles him in trade talks alongside Kubina. So what if Jason Blake will be 34 in the upcoming season, I'm sure his numbers won't start to go on the inevitable decline. I'm sure he will be worth 4M when he's 39 years old. How does this man still have a job? Perhaps a Sergei Berezin reuinion is on the horizion.
Foget the fact that Jason Blake isn't even that good in the 1st place. Last season was the 1st year he got over 60 points. It's a virtual guarantee that Blake returns to his normal form of a 55 point type player. An average 2nd liner. Being paid 4M. One career season does not a 1st line player make.
JFJ's other big move in the offseason was to pick up a real #1 goalie to make up for last season's blunder. Again, instead of going after a top flight goalie (Vokoun?), JFJ picks up his binder of overhyped players and picks out Vesa Toskala, a 30 year old goalie yet to establish himself as a true number 1. Toskala had only a .908 SV % while playing in front of one of the best defensive teams in hockey. Outside of his 2003-2004 season, Toskala has played like a fringe #1 goalie. More of a tandem starter, like the Sharks used him as. But I'm sure at the age of 30, Toskala will be one of the league's better starters. Right?
He better, considering the Leafs payed a 1st round (amongst other things) to have him. JFJ managed to give up a good 1st round pick, plus an elite goalie prospect, and yet he still hasn't managed to pick up a true number 1 goalie. It's simply astounding that this man still has a job. But he now has 2 tandem starters! Plus he got Mark Bell! A 4th liner making over 2M per season!
Again, the same story with the Maple Leafs. More overhyped players to make their fans pompously brag about how good the Leafs will be this season, but the team still has a horrid defense and is still without a true #1 goalie. Not to mention that they have mortgaged the future to ensure they can put this group of studs together. Again, the Leafs have done nothing to solve their problems. they should contend for the 7-8th seeds in the playoffs, but even if they succeed, their team has no shot in the playoffs because of their horrid defense. And yet they have no good young players to look forward to in the next few seasons. Instead bad contracts and aging players. Should be another "exciting" season in Toronto.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Underrated pitcher alert: James Shields
In his second season in the major leagues, James Shields has failed to get much notice despite pitching some quality baseball. Perhaps it's because he pitches in the garbage hole of Tampa Bay that has the Yankess and Red Sox to admire. Maybe it's that he's not the typical sexy pitcher. Shields doesn't tantalize major league hitters with a high 90's fastball, however, he does offer an intersting mix of sinkers and change-ups to go with a decent enough fastball.
The main thing that shows just how good Shields has bene is his K/BB of 4.93. To put that number up over any kind of extended period of time requires top notch command of every quadrant of the strike zone. Shields can do this effectively, and to fool hitters he generally spins off a 12-6 change-up. Again, nothing that makes you sit there and admire each pitch he throws like his teammate Scott Kazmir, but he knows how to pitch and many fans don't realize just how good Shields is even though he doesn't have top calibre stuff.
Now Shields's ERA is only 4.32, but this is very deceiving. For one thing, he pitches in the east division where he has to battle it out with the Yanks and Sox. Plus he pitches in front of arguably the worst defense in major league baseball. In addition, Shields' home park, Tropicana Field, is notorious for making just about look silly.
In an average surrounding environment, Shields could easily be posting sub 4.00 ERA's while pitching in arguably the toughest division to pitch in. His FIP shows this. Tropicana field is about the only reason he has an ERA of 4.00.
Shields is similar to Reds pitcher Aaron Harang. Like Shields, Harang doesn't wow you with great raw stuff, but he continously manages to find ways of getting hitters out by offering an array of quality pitches, while having firm command of the strikezone. Plus he also pitches in a massive hitters park in front of a bad defense. These types of pitchers should notbe overlooked. They get the most out of their ability, and if they were on a halfway decent team, I'm sure they could get the attention they deserve.
Knowing how low the D-Rays budget is, Shields provides excellent pitching at a bottom barrell price. Not only is he a valuable commodity, but he may actually be Tampa's MVP this season. For Tampa Bay's sake, hopefully they realise what they have with him.
The main thing that shows just how good Shields has bene is his K/BB of 4.93. To put that number up over any kind of extended period of time requires top notch command of every quadrant of the strike zone. Shields can do this effectively, and to fool hitters he generally spins off a 12-6 change-up. Again, nothing that makes you sit there and admire each pitch he throws like his teammate Scott Kazmir, but he knows how to pitch and many fans don't realize just how good Shields is even though he doesn't have top calibre stuff.
Now Shields's ERA is only 4.32, but this is very deceiving. For one thing, he pitches in the east division where he has to battle it out with the Yanks and Sox. Plus he pitches in front of arguably the worst defense in major league baseball. In addition, Shields' home park, Tropicana Field, is notorious for making just about look silly.
In an average surrounding environment, Shields could easily be posting sub 4.00 ERA's while pitching in arguably the toughest division to pitch in. His FIP shows this. Tropicana field is about the only reason he has an ERA of 4.00.
Shields is similar to Reds pitcher Aaron Harang. Like Shields, Harang doesn't wow you with great raw stuff, but he continously manages to find ways of getting hitters out by offering an array of quality pitches, while having firm command of the strikezone. Plus he also pitches in a massive hitters park in front of a bad defense. These types of pitchers should notbe overlooked. They get the most out of their ability, and if they were on a halfway decent team, I'm sure they could get the attention they deserve.
Knowing how low the D-Rays budget is, Shields provides excellent pitching at a bottom barrell price. Not only is he a valuable commodity, but he may actually be Tampa's MVP this season. For Tampa Bay's sake, hopefully they realise what they have with him.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Freddy Sanchez - Scrappy or Crappy?
The last 2 seasons, I have been simply mortified that Freedy Sanchez has made the all-star game. Around the league, baseball analysts everywhere have been salivating over Freddy Sanchez because of his incredible ability to hit for a middle infielder.
The main reason people believe this is purely myth. Because Freddy Sanchez constantly hustles and "plays the game the right way" while posting very good batting averages he has gained the reputation as one of the games best hitters.
Of course, this method of evaluating players is very flawed. Obviously, Sanchez gets plenty of hits, but he does this while sacrificing plate discipline and power. Even with all of his hits, he still fails to get on base at an acceptable rate and has the power of a small child.
Last season Sanchez mostly got lucky. He blooped and grounded hits conveniantly out of the way of fielders. Don't get me wrong, Sanchez can get the bat on the ball and can hit line drives, but last season he got all the breaks. That's about the only reason that he managed to have an above average season. His luck is pretty evident from his unsustainable .370 BAPIP.
Come 2007, and the poorly hit balls gave stopped falling in. Instead of posting an OBP of .378, he's posting a number of .340. A rate simply unacceptable for a player with such minimal power. 6 homers without the ability to find 1st base isn't a particulary attractive brand of baseball.
Sanchez can continue fooling people into believing that's he's a fantastic hitter, but he does little to put runs accross the plate. He doesn't get on base enough for the likes of Jason Bay to drive him in, and his sheer lack of power prevents him from knocking in his teammates. The whole world of baseball can continue to love him for his scrappy play, but when it comes down to it, the Pirates have found a way to turn a useful back-up infielder into their "premier" player. This says more about the Pirates than it does about Sanchez. Even with his ability to make consistent contact, Sanchez is a poor offensive player being used in the middle of a weak Pirates line-up. He's lucky to be getting a starting gig, let alone finding a way on to the all-star team.
The main reason people believe this is purely myth. Because Freddy Sanchez constantly hustles and "plays the game the right way" while posting very good batting averages he has gained the reputation as one of the games best hitters.
Of course, this method of evaluating players is very flawed. Obviously, Sanchez gets plenty of hits, but he does this while sacrificing plate discipline and power. Even with all of his hits, he still fails to get on base at an acceptable rate and has the power of a small child.
Last season Sanchez mostly got lucky. He blooped and grounded hits conveniantly out of the way of fielders. Don't get me wrong, Sanchez can get the bat on the ball and can hit line drives, but last season he got all the breaks. That's about the only reason that he managed to have an above average season. His luck is pretty evident from his unsustainable .370 BAPIP.
Come 2007, and the poorly hit balls gave stopped falling in. Instead of posting an OBP of .378, he's posting a number of .340. A rate simply unacceptable for a player with such minimal power. 6 homers without the ability to find 1st base isn't a particulary attractive brand of baseball.
Sanchez can continue fooling people into believing that's he's a fantastic hitter, but he does little to put runs accross the plate. He doesn't get on base enough for the likes of Jason Bay to drive him in, and his sheer lack of power prevents him from knocking in his teammates. The whole world of baseball can continue to love him for his scrappy play, but when it comes down to it, the Pirates have found a way to turn a useful back-up infielder into their "premier" player. This says more about the Pirates than it does about Sanchez. Even with his ability to make consistent contact, Sanchez is a poor offensive player being used in the middle of a weak Pirates line-up. He's lucky to be getting a starting gig, let alone finding a way on to the all-star team.
Chicago Blackhawks On The Rise:
For the 1st time in along, long time, Blackhawk fans have something to be excited about.
Due to the team's utter lack of ability to field a competitive team, the Hawks now boast a stable of top young players picked up through the draft. The top 2 names into the fold are Jonathon Toews (#3 overall pick in 2006) and Patrick Kane (#1 overall choice 2007).
Many young prospects take plenty of time to develop into top NHL players. Of course that's high expectations for any player, but there are some interesting signs that both Toews and Kane can pay immediate dividends.
In the 2007 junior world championships both players were arguably the best on their respective teams. Toews scored 3 clutch shootout goals against the USA to help lead Canada to Gold. Plus Toews ability to play an amazing 2-way game, Canada threw him out in every important situation, whether it was killing penalties, or setting up the PP. Not only did Toews have international success in the junior circuit, but he also made the Canadian Mens team in the World Championships. A very tough feat for a plyer of Toews' youth. The amazing team is that he fit in so well. Canada was confident in using Toews in important situations. Against the worlds' top players Toews played some incredible hockey, regardless of the situation. Toews is the total package. With his leadership and maturity, Toews should be able to step in immediately and be a very productive player, on both sides of the ice.
Pat Kane is a little less predictable. The main flaws with Kane, is that he's a smallish 5-10, 160 pounds. Many scouts think that the leading scorer in the OHL will have trouble against the real men he will face in the NHL. This is a fair complaint, but many players have been successful with limited stature. With the new rules in place preventing constant clutch and grabbing, the transition for Kane should not be as steep as many people think. Again, with team USA in the junior championships, Kane showed his dynamic offensive abilites. A smooth passer, excellent stick handler, and a tremendous ability to put the puck by goalies, Kane should be able to score right away. However, unlike Toews, Kane is not a fantastic all around player. His defensive play leaves much to be desired. As it stands, Kane should be able to contribute and help improve the league's worst PP last season, and should be able to score 20-25 goals while posting 50-60 points. Lofty expectations for a guy just drafted, but his scoring ability in junior should translate into NHL success.
The other exciting young players the Hawks have to offer mainly reside on defense. Both Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith have led the Hawks defense the last seasons even with their youth. With another year to grow into a tough position should allow Seabrook and Keith to continue develop to their potential. Both players have outstanding futures, and are both solid players right now, but it's still going to be difficult for the Hawks to rely on 2 young players to stabilize the entire defense. They have the talent, but some growing pains should be expected, but they should continue to gel into an effective unit.
The wild card on the defense is Cam Barker. He famously went behind Ovechken and Malkin in the 2004 draft, and obviously hasn't developed like the other two have. He's got loads of potential (even more than Seabrook and Keith), but it's taken longer for him to learn to play the position effectively at a high level. He's the player that really needs to step up for the Hawks defense to be an above average unit. He's raw and will be prone to mistakes, but he should be able to step up and be an effective offensive defensemen. He possesses a lasor of a shot, and has above average puck moving skills. Barker should be an asset on the PP. However, he won't have as much success defensively. Barker needs continuous playing time, and most importantly needs to stay healthy to learn the hardest position in hockey.
Due to the team's utter lack of ability to field a competitive team, the Hawks now boast a stable of top young players picked up through the draft. The top 2 names into the fold are Jonathon Toews (#3 overall pick in 2006) and Patrick Kane (#1 overall choice 2007).
Many young prospects take plenty of time to develop into top NHL players. Of course that's high expectations for any player, but there are some interesting signs that both Toews and Kane can pay immediate dividends.
In the 2007 junior world championships both players were arguably the best on their respective teams. Toews scored 3 clutch shootout goals against the USA to help lead Canada to Gold. Plus Toews ability to play an amazing 2-way game, Canada threw him out in every important situation, whether it was killing penalties, or setting up the PP. Not only did Toews have international success in the junior circuit, but he also made the Canadian Mens team in the World Championships. A very tough feat for a plyer of Toews' youth. The amazing team is that he fit in so well. Canada was confident in using Toews in important situations. Against the worlds' top players Toews played some incredible hockey, regardless of the situation. Toews is the total package. With his leadership and maturity, Toews should be able to step in immediately and be a very productive player, on both sides of the ice.
Pat Kane is a little less predictable. The main flaws with Kane, is that he's a smallish 5-10, 160 pounds. Many scouts think that the leading scorer in the OHL will have trouble against the real men he will face in the NHL. This is a fair complaint, but many players have been successful with limited stature. With the new rules in place preventing constant clutch and grabbing, the transition for Kane should not be as steep as many people think. Again, with team USA in the junior championships, Kane showed his dynamic offensive abilites. A smooth passer, excellent stick handler, and a tremendous ability to put the puck by goalies, Kane should be able to score right away. However, unlike Toews, Kane is not a fantastic all around player. His defensive play leaves much to be desired. As it stands, Kane should be able to contribute and help improve the league's worst PP last season, and should be able to score 20-25 goals while posting 50-60 points. Lofty expectations for a guy just drafted, but his scoring ability in junior should translate into NHL success.
The other exciting young players the Hawks have to offer mainly reside on defense. Both Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith have led the Hawks defense the last seasons even with their youth. With another year to grow into a tough position should allow Seabrook and Keith to continue develop to their potential. Both players have outstanding futures, and are both solid players right now, but it's still going to be difficult for the Hawks to rely on 2 young players to stabilize the entire defense. They have the talent, but some growing pains should be expected, but they should continue to gel into an effective unit.
The wild card on the defense is Cam Barker. He famously went behind Ovechken and Malkin in the 2004 draft, and obviously hasn't developed like the other two have. He's got loads of potential (even more than Seabrook and Keith), but it's taken longer for him to learn to play the position effectively at a high level. He's the player that really needs to step up for the Hawks defense to be an above average unit. He's raw and will be prone to mistakes, but he should be able to step up and be an effective offensive defensemen. He possesses a lasor of a shot, and has above average puck moving skills. Barker should be an asset on the PP. However, he won't have as much success defensively. Barker needs continuous playing time, and most importantly needs to stay healthy to learn the hardest position in hockey.
Aaron Harang - Top of the rotation, or #4 starter?
Recently, one of ESPN's top analysts, Keith Law, suggested that if Reds ace Aaron Harang was in the American league he would be nothing more than a #4 starter. His argument is based on Harang's numbers being inflated due to him pitching in the weakest division in baseball. This entire point is of course contradictory to tons of statistical evidence.
1. Suggesting that Harang's numbers are heavily inflated due to the weak competition in the central is highly overstated. Here are the average offenses that the Reds might possible face:
NL Central: 4.45 runs/game
NL West: 4.45 runs/game
NL East: 4.79 runs/game
National league: 4.56 runs/game
Americal League: 4 .90 runs/game
MLB: 4.73 runs/game
So even though Harang faces easier competition, the most you could possibly knock off his ERA due to the weak competition of the NL central instead of facing the NL as a whole is about .10 runs. That alone hardly turns him from top of the rotation candidate, to 4th starter as Law basically claimed. Plus considering that only half of harang's games have come against the central division, the effect is even smaller. Basically, if you are going to throw Harang under the bus for facing weak competition, then you need to basically throw down the rest of the central and the west too.
If you really want to make a fair point about the skill level of Harang's opponents, you should look at the average MLB offense (4.73 runs/game). The average offense that Harang has faced this season is 4.62 runs/game. So basically the benefit Harang gets by pitching against easier opponents is 0.11 runs per game. That's hardly worth considring, plus this argument by Law still ignores all of the factos that go against Harang.
2. Aaron Harang pitches in GABP. This park is arguably the worst pitching pitching park in baseball. GABP's park factor this season ranks 9th in MLB, in 2006 it ranked 1st, and in 2005 it ranked 3rd.
GABP gives up a ton of homers. Even with the awful home park Harang has managed to keep his HR rate at a respectable number. These park effects more than outweigh the advantage Harang gets by facing "easier" opposition.
3. The Reds defence sucks. This season it ranks 28th in defensive efficiency ratio (DER). In 2006 it ranked 21st. In 2005 it again ranked 28th. Due to the horrendous fielding of the Reds, Harang has experince some unfortunate BAPIP luck, and it's not his fault. he has no control over this. Year in and year out, Harang has pitched with terrible BAPIP's because of the fielding behind him. Again, this is something Harang has no control over, and if you want to know how good Harang really is, poor BAPIp luck needs to be accounted for.
4. Here are Harang's numbers the last 3 seasons:
_____ERA _FIP _BAPIP _K/9 _BB/9_ HR/9 _K/BB _GB/FB _HR/FB
05: _3.83 _3.85 __.310 __6.93 __2.17 __0.94 ___3.20 __1.01 _8.8%
06: _3.76 _3.73 __.325 __8.30 __2.15 __1.08 ___3.86 __0.97 _10.5%
07: _3.37 _3.31 __.301 __8.20 __2.30 __0.73 ___3.56 __0.97 _6.8%
Simply put, Harang has been good, and he's been consistent. He strikes out a lot of guys, and he has great control. When you factor in that he's played in a bandbox during his 3 successful seasons, and that his horrid defensive support has caused a high BAPIP, and his FIP tells you what kind of pitcher he is. A consistent sub 4.00 ERA calibre pitcher.
Law may want to due regressions for better opponents, but the fact remains that you also need to consider his current surroundings. Pitching in an ultra hitters park, and having terrible defenders behind him has a huge effect too. He can continue to call Harang a #4 starter, but let's look at his peers in the central division that he has outperformed this season:
Roy Oswalt
Carlos Zambrano
Ian Snell
Ted Lilly
Rich Hill
Bronson Arroyo
Adam Waighnwright
Ben Sheetsetc
etc. etc.
There is not one single pitcher in the central division that has outperformed Aaron Harang. Are the likes of Oswalt and Zambrano are also #4 starters? I'm guessing the team that gives Zambrano upwards of 20M this offseason would disagree with that. This isn't a 1 year thing either. Harang has been a very good starter for 3 seasons, and knowing his fantastic durability (consistent 210 + innings) I'm guessing he's not due to slow down any time soon.
Harang is a legit top of the rotation starter, and if anything, his numbers are underappreciated, not overappreciated.
1. Suggesting that Harang's numbers are heavily inflated due to the weak competition in the central is highly overstated. Here are the average offenses that the Reds might possible face:
NL Central: 4.45 runs/game
NL West: 4.45 runs/game
NL East: 4.79 runs/game
National league: 4.56 runs/game
Americal League: 4 .90 runs/game
MLB: 4.73 runs/game
So even though Harang faces easier competition, the most you could possibly knock off his ERA due to the weak competition of the NL central instead of facing the NL as a whole is about .10 runs. That alone hardly turns him from top of the rotation candidate, to 4th starter as Law basically claimed. Plus considering that only half of harang's games have come against the central division, the effect is even smaller. Basically, if you are going to throw Harang under the bus for facing weak competition, then you need to basically throw down the rest of the central and the west too.
If you really want to make a fair point about the skill level of Harang's opponents, you should look at the average MLB offense (4.73 runs/game). The average offense that Harang has faced this season is 4.62 runs/game. So basically the benefit Harang gets by pitching against easier opponents is 0.11 runs per game. That's hardly worth considring, plus this argument by Law still ignores all of the factos that go against Harang.
2. Aaron Harang pitches in GABP. This park is arguably the worst pitching pitching park in baseball. GABP's park factor this season ranks 9th in MLB, in 2006 it ranked 1st, and in 2005 it ranked 3rd.
GABP gives up a ton of homers. Even with the awful home park Harang has managed to keep his HR rate at a respectable number. These park effects more than outweigh the advantage Harang gets by facing "easier" opposition.
3. The Reds defence sucks. This season it ranks 28th in defensive efficiency ratio (DER). In 2006 it ranked 21st. In 2005 it again ranked 28th. Due to the horrendous fielding of the Reds, Harang has experince some unfortunate BAPIP luck, and it's not his fault. he has no control over this. Year in and year out, Harang has pitched with terrible BAPIP's because of the fielding behind him. Again, this is something Harang has no control over, and if you want to know how good Harang really is, poor BAPIp luck needs to be accounted for.
4. Here are Harang's numbers the last 3 seasons:
_____ERA _FIP _BAPIP _K/9 _BB/9_ HR/9 _K/BB _GB/FB _HR/FB
05: _3.83 _3.85 __.310 __6.93 __2.17 __0.94 ___3.20 __1.01 _8.8%
06: _3.76 _3.73 __.325 __8.30 __2.15 __1.08 ___3.86 __0.97 _10.5%
07: _3.37 _3.31 __.301 __8.20 __2.30 __0.73 ___3.56 __0.97 _6.8%
Simply put, Harang has been good, and he's been consistent. He strikes out a lot of guys, and he has great control. When you factor in that he's played in a bandbox during his 3 successful seasons, and that his horrid defensive support has caused a high BAPIP, and his FIP tells you what kind of pitcher he is. A consistent sub 4.00 ERA calibre pitcher.
Law may want to due regressions for better opponents, but the fact remains that you also need to consider his current surroundings. Pitching in an ultra hitters park, and having terrible defenders behind him has a huge effect too. He can continue to call Harang a #4 starter, but let's look at his peers in the central division that he has outperformed this season:
Roy Oswalt
Carlos Zambrano
Ian Snell
Ted Lilly
Rich Hill
Bronson Arroyo
Adam Waighnwright
Ben Sheetsetc
etc. etc.
There is not one single pitcher in the central division that has outperformed Aaron Harang. Are the likes of Oswalt and Zambrano are also #4 starters? I'm guessing the team that gives Zambrano upwards of 20M this offseason would disagree with that. This isn't a 1 year thing either. Harang has been a very good starter for 3 seasons, and knowing his fantastic durability (consistent 210 + innings) I'm guessing he's not due to slow down any time soon.
Harang is a legit top of the rotation starter, and if anything, his numbers are underappreciated, not overappreciated.
What is this blog about?
Based on the title it's pretty obvious that I am pretty big on sports. In particular, the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago Blackhawks.
So I'd say that those two teams are the main inspiration for me to share my thoughts on sports. They would be the primary topic, but anything in these sports that pique my interest I will share my opinions on.
So I'd say that those two teams are the main inspiration for me to share my thoughts on sports. They would be the primary topic, but anything in these sports that pique my interest I will share my opinions on.
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