Yardbarker: Ken Griffey

MLB D-Day Rumor Mill

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 13:10:51 -0500

Written by Consigliere It's that time of year again when we hear "buyer" and "seller" in every other baseball story. July 31st marks the non-waiver trading deadline and teams begin to analyze each plate appearance, each pitch thrown and each contract on the books. Some teams are in the hunt and must decide if they are willing to dump prospects for a rental player that could help them reach the postseason. Other teams are hoping that they can find a trading partner willing to take a huge contract off their hands while giving up some young prospects.

Fantasy History of RBI

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 06:13:30 -0500

In the fourth installment of a series investigating statistical trends over the past 3 decades, the Fantasy Baseball Hall of Fame reviews RBI. In an interesting side note, 1998 saw three 150 RBI-men, but this was nowhere close to the all time mark.

A Redleg answer?

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 06:44:54 -0500

Disgusted? Let me tell you about disgusted. I am in the Army. I spent all of last season in Iraq. I got to watch a total of two games last season. This season, I'm not in Iraq, but am stationed in Hawaii. I HAVE TO PAY FOR A SUBSCRIPTION on MLB.TV to watch the Reds games!!! That's disgust boys and girls. To race home from work to catch the last three innings, see a lead, only to watch that disgusting David Weathers throw each and every outing. Or see Dusty play his pal from his Chicago days Patterson who couldn't hit a softball off a tee. That is disgust. Dunn is not the problem. Yes, the guy strikes out a lot, but he gets on base and DOES drive in runs. National League: He is 13th in OPS at .900, tied for 4th with 21 home runs, is easily on pace to knock in over 100 RBI, has led more walks than anyone else at 67, has the 13th highest OBP at .389, top 20 with a slugging % of .516, and on a sidenote: His fielding percentage is .967. I repeat, Dunn is not the problem. As for Junior. How can you people turn on him like you have? The guy is much more valuable than anyone is admitting. Everyone knows, if not for the injuries, we have the best baseball player in the history of the game. And the injuries only affect the stats. We all know that he was, is, and always will be the best. And even if you don't agree, you have him in the top ten OF ALL TIME. Have we forgotten what that means for a young ball club, to have an EXTRA SEASONED veteran, if not the best, one of the best, just for advice, instruction, encouragement? We need him. He is still hungry. He is worth more than we can put a price tag on. And when we take our kids to the park, we can show them the best while he is still playing. Griffey IS NOT THE PROBLEM EITHER. We can win while keeping Junior. Trading him is not the answer. It is not the answer. Yeah, he's only batting .240, yeah, he's only hit 10 HR, yes, he's only driven in 36 RBI, yes, he's only got an OPS of .745, yes, he's only drew 46 BB...but compare that to Derek Jeter. Aside from Jeter's .279 AVG, Griffey is ahead of him in every category. You don't see the Yankees demanding his trade. Chicago's Fukodome is batting .290, and is just slightly ahead of Junior in OPS, but Junior betters him in every other category. and the Cubbies are in 1st place. Arizona's Justin Upton's stats are almost identical to Junior's. And guess what. They are winning and in 1st place. My point. WE CAN WIN WITH JUNIOR. GRIFF IS NOT THE PROBLEM. So I've given my two cents on what the problem ISN'T. So here's my two cents on what the problem IS. #1 - Pitching - The declining quality of decision-making on the mound from Harang, Arroyo, and Cueto. While we can and SHOULD expect Cueto to make bad decisions while on the mound, he's a rookie, we should not see the same mistakes out of our two veteran hurlers. But this does not fall solely on them, it is a combination of the catchers and the pitching coaches not taking control when needed. The majority of the time it comes down to either a bad pitch, or a bad scouting report. #2 - Pitching - The absence of a 5th spot on the rotation. Belisle was given too many opportunities to turn it around and should have been converted to a bullpen pitcher much sooner. Dusty hit the nail on the head. He's okay until he's facing batters for the 2nd and 3rd time. Homer Bailey is turning into a certified dud, and Daryl Thompson just isn't ready. #3 - Pitching/Managerial - DAVID WEATHERS. The guy is a bum who has pulled the shades over lots of peoples' eyes for 18 years too long. Reds fans have consistently watched him give wins away all season long. The guy will never save 33 games again. He'll never save 33 out of 39 opportunities again. He is a waste and a downer for the team. Why hasn't he been released or traded? Why is he being paid $3.3 MIL? To keep the team in the cellar? #4 - Patterson/Managerial - Bronson Arroyo has a higher OBP than Corey Patterson. He's hitting .188, the same as Jannish, which we expect from a rookie. Not from a guy who's been playing for 8 years. Since June 5th, after being recalled from AAA where he was sent to "find" his swing, he's 7 for 46. That's .152, and he's only accounted for 5 runs. Is that $3 MIL production? Is that what a MLB player is paid to do? CUT HIM. Bottom line: REDS 11th in NL scoring with 367. Which is descent, but could be much better. They're not hitting with RISP. For example, in the June 10th - June 19th homestand, they were 6-for-57 (.105) with runners in scoring position. They were 2 and 7 in that homestand and could have very easily won 3 of those games if not for choking with runners on the bags. And it's the same story of late, losing to the horrid Pirates now two straight. But, that also goes back to the pitching, since they gave up a total of 48 runs in those 7 games. But that's no excuse for hitting .105 with RISP. Those were games that could have been won. 5th in NL HR with 92. Out of the 4 teams who hit more: Florida, 1.5 games out of 1st place - Philadelphia, 1st place - Milwaulkee, 8.5 ahead of the Reds, and 4.5 out of 1st - and Chicago, 1st place. hmmm... Defense - 5th in NL in Errors committed with 58. But the Diamondbacks have committed one more and are in 1st place, so this can be overcome. So, in short. It's not because of Dunn or Junior. Trading them is not the answer. The answer is not just one statement, and it is not simple. But for starters, they can stop giving the ball to Weathers, take the bat out of Patterson's hands, strike fear in the heart of Dick Pole if his boys Arroyo and Harang aren't brought under control, maybe even look for a trade for one of them, if not both. With the offensive numbers put up by the team, if Arroyo and Harang can get their acts together, and Weathers (and Patterson) are cut/traded/assassinated, then the team can have a great second half and get within striking distance of the playoffs. But it has to start soon, and it has to begin with the pitching.

LaRue: No Griffey in 2008

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:35:40 -0500

The Mariners WILL NOT be bringing back Ken Griffey Jr. this season.

Darren Baker Cracks on Ken Griffey Jr.

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 05:07:23 -0500

It's quite a reality check when even the manager's kid rips on you. That's how you know what people really think about you because nine-year-olds for the most part, just parrot what they hear around them. So when Griffey asked the youngster why he wasn't in the lineup, Darren Baker offered this explanation: "Because [...]

BakerMetrics Alert: Dusty Is Worse Than I Thought

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:22:42 -0500

Just when Dusty was getting his act together, and was starting to figure out how to build a decent line up Dusty takes 5 steps backwards. Let me run down the play by play for anyone who didn't see it. * The inning starts off with an Adam Dunn walk * Corey Patterson comes in to pinch run * Brandon Phillips infield singles on a ball to the shortstop Then the weird shit starts. Dusty tries to have Votto bunt. Amazingly Dusty hasn't figured out that guys like Dunn, Edwin, Bruce, and Votto can't bunt by now. Of course Votto fails to do so. continued...

Fukudome and Braun in Tight Race for All-Star Game

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:10:07 -0500

Chicago Cubs outfielder Kosuke Fukudome, who has been among the National League’s leaders at the position since the start of balloting, is in a tight race with the surging Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers in the final weekly balloting update for the 79th All-Star Game, to be played on Tuesday, July 15th at Yankee Stadium. Fukudome has drawn 1,783,983 votes, trailing his teammate, Alfonso Soriano (2,120,635), and the most popular player in the history of Major League Baseball All-Star Game balloting, Ken Griffey, Jr. (1,917,739) of the Cincinnati Reds, among N.L. outfielders. Braun, who was as low as 10th place among outfielders on June 3rd, has collected 1,751,058 votes, leaving him only 32,925 votes behind Fukudome. Fukudome, a longtime member of the Chunichi Dragons and the Most Valuable Player of Japan’s Central League in 2006, is batting .299 with six home runs, 33 RBI, 55 runs scored, 51 walks and a .407 on-base percentage on the season. Braun, the 2007 N.L. Rookie of the Year, is batting .287 with 20 home runs, 58 RBI, 45 runs scored and a .552 slugging percentage. Another tight race is at shortstop, where the topsy-turvy contest between Hanley Ramirez of the Florida Marlins and Miguel Tejada of the Houston Astros will go down to the wire. Ramirez led the race for the first two weeks before Tejada took the top spot for the ensuing pair of updates. Ramirez, the 2006 N.L. Rookie of the Year, regained the mantle last week. Ramirez, seeking his Midsummer Classic debut, has accumulated 1,483,875 votes. Tejada, a four-time A.L. All-Star, has drawn 1,315,240 votes. Ramirez is batting .294 with 18 home runs, 35 RBI, 69 runs scored and 20 stolen bases, while Tejada is hitting .287 with 10 home runs, 43 RBI and 56 runs scored. Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley continues to be Major League Baseball’s leading overall vote-getter with 2,645,027 votes. Other position leaders are first baseman Lance Berkman (2,132,663) of the Astros; Major League Baseball’s leading hitter, third baseman Chipper Jones (2,433,753) of the Atlanta Braves; and Cubs rookie catcher Geovany Soto (1,827,279). With the in-stadium phase of balloting at Major League Baseball’s 30 ballparks complete, final votes can be cast exclusively on MLB.com and all 30 Club Web sites via Monster All-Star Online Balloting, which closes at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, July 2nd. The 2008 American League and National League All-Star Teams will be revealed on Sunday, July 6th on the “MLB All-Star Game Selection Show presented by Chevy,” televised exclusively on TBS at 2:00 p.m. (EDT) with Ernie Johnson as host and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken as analyst. The American League All-Star Team will have nine starters elected via the fan balloting program, while the National League All-Star Team will have eight fan-elected starters. The pitchers and reserves for both squads – 23 for the N.L., 22 for the A.L. – will be determined through a combination of “Player Ballot” choices and selections made by the two All-Star managers – American League skipper Terry Francona of the Boston Red Sox and National League manager Clint Hurdle of the Colorado Rockies – in conjunction with Major League Baseball. Immediately following the announcement of the A.L. and N.L. All-Star rosters, fans will have the opportunity to select the final player for each League's 32-man roster at MLB.com. The Monster 2008 All-Star Final Vote will provide fans the opportunity to cast their votes from a list of five players from each League over a four-day period. For the fourth year, fans will be able to vote for their Final Vote selections on their mobile phone. Both winners of the Monster All-Star Final Vote will be announced after the voting has concluded on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, fans once again will have the opportunity to participate in the official voting for the 79th All-Star Game’s Ted Williams Most Valuable Player presented by Chevrolet via the Monster All-Star Game MVP Vote on MLB.com. The 79th Major League Baseball All-Star Game, being held at Yankee Stadium in its final season, will be televised nationally by FOX Sports, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and Sportsnet HD and televised around the world by Major League Baseball International, with pregame ceremonies beginning at 8:00 p.m. (EDT). ESPN Radio will provide exclusive national radio coverage that will also be available on XM Satellite Radio, while MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage. The All-Star Game will determine home-field advantage in the 2008 World Series.The remaining updates will be released as follows: BALLOTING ANNOUNCEMENT SCHEDULE Sunday, July 6th: Starters Reserves Announced Select Read More (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=2315 Itemid=1) to see details of the final National League All-Star Game voting update

10 of the funniest MLB commercials

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:35:15 -0500

If you like funny commercials, especially ones that involve MLB players, check out this post. You won't see Fred McGriff supporting Tom Emanski in these videos, but you will see some commercials that will make you laugh.

3 Trades to help the Sox repeat

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:12:52 -0500

As July quickly approaches, the hot stove league is going to really heat up. The buyers and sellers will begin to separate themselves and make moves. What does that mean for the hometown 9? Here are some ideas crazy enough, they might just work. (Note: I am literally spit-balling here. These are not rumors I've seen or heard. If you've seen them before, it's a coincidence, not fact). 3. Trade Coco Crisp to Atlanta for Mike Gonzalez. Why the Sox do it: It's pretty obvious that our 4 and 5 Outfield rotation is not going to stick. Coco has been given some playing time, has successfully showcased himself as a speedy, light-hitting, gold glove Centerfielder. If and when Papi returns to the lineup (we'll revisit this in a minute), Coco is rendered useless on this team. The left handed bullpen help would come at a great time, with Okie's recent struggles and the inconsistency to come from our young arms. Why Atlanta does it: Mike Gonzalez has only pitched 2 games since coming off the DL. He picked up the save in his first outing, and then got lit up for 3 runs in 1 inning against Seattle in a blowout win for ATL. The Braves, sitting 4.5 back of first and 3 games below .500 could quickly become sellers if they go through a rough patch. 2. Package prospects to Cincy for Junior Griffey. Why the Sox do it: Is Papi going to be back this year? Maybe. Will he be the Papi that we know? Probably not. If the Sox want to bring in a powerful (although slowing) left handed DH in, KGJ is just the guy for the job. Griff is not, I repeat NOT, the same guy we saw rob Lou Collins in "Little Big League". He's definitely tailed off some in the past year or so. But he can protect Manny or Dusty, depending on where they slot him. He could also move V-Tek down in the order if they have Junior play a little outfield here and there. Why the Reds do it: Everyone knows it. The Reds are not going anywhere. They have too many outfielders. Griffey is not a spring chicken, he just hit number 600. Let him win a ring. Also, they can drop the enormous price tag on the always-willing-to-spend Sox. 1. Trade Lars Anderson (single A) and another 'almost ready' prospect to Colorado for Brian Fuentes. Why the Sox do it: Fuentes immediately replaces Okajima as the reliable set-up guy. He also takes over the title from recently-released Julian Tavares as "ugliest guy in Boston". Fuentes funky delivery, mean slider, and shift to a new league would give the Sox someone who really gets lefties out (.182 BAA vs. LH in 2008). With the thought of Mark Teixiera coming to Boston in the offseason, Anderson becomes expendable. The other prospect I had in mind would be someone like Daniel Bard or Brandon Moss, depending on what the Rox where looking for. Why the Rockies do it: Fuentes' $5 million price tag is pretty hefty considering the .410 winning percentage Colorado currently has. It might be fire-sale time, as some rumors have swirled around Matt Holliday earlier this month (personally, I think they'd be nuts to let go of Holliday, but that's me). Anderson gives the Rockies an heir to Todd Helton's throne at first. His power would be inflated in the wonderful rarified Denver air, adding to his already fabled penchance for going deep. Last year's formula of adding what we thought to be a quality arm (Gagne) ended up working out OK, even though Gagne was terrible. I think this plan could work again, given the actual quality that is available. We know how these things work typically. You got to give up something to get something. Hopefully Theo doesn't give up too much to get some bullpen help or a lefty bat (unfortunately, all-time OnDeck favorite Sean Casey just isn't going to cut it). As a wise man once said, "they want you to cook the dinner… they should let you shop for the groceries", Theo's out shopping now to make a delicious dinner in October. Go get 'em Sox.

The 2014 First Ballot Hall of Fame All-Star Baseball Rankings

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:58:30 -0500

The 2014 Hall of Fame class could be the greatest ever. We're just keeping it real.

Top 11 MLB players that should be traded

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:23:44 -0500

by DMtShooter, Five Tool Tool

11. Rich Harden, SP, Oakland A's. He's dominant when healthy, and not nearly healthy enough for the small market A's to make a commitment to. Even though the team is 7 games above .500 and has an outside chance at the post-season this year, the plan is for 2009, and considering that they've got Chad Gaudin in the bullpen, Harden will go to a rich contender that's willing to overpay for a guy whose shoulder gives off a ticking sound. There's also this: his home park makes him look better than he is, not that he's not filthy.

10. Adrian Beltre, 3B, Seattle Mariners. He's better than you think -- it's no fun to be a right handed power hitter on a Mariner team that seems to be allergic to getting on base, and he's been battling nagging injuries to boot. Despite that, he's got 14 homers, plays very good defense, and even runs a little. If Ortiz and Youkilis are both out in Boston, he'd be a fine stopgap solution, and the Mariners are more than happy to move assets right now.

9. Ken Griffey Jr, OF, Cincinatti Reds. It's Fire Sale Time in Cincy, with everything but the youngest SPs wearing a red tag. Griff has hit his 600th, so there's no more attendance boost to get from him being around. With the team 13.5 games back, he's a prime target to go to any team that thinks he'll be rejuvenated by a pennant race. The only problem is that his .760 OPS might convince many that he's already done.

8. Randy Wolf, SP, San Diego Padres. Another historic injury risk, but a heck of a lot cheaper on the wallet and prospect list. Wolf could be especially effective in the AL, where they haven't seen him much before, and a once around the league novelty burst might give his new team a lot. The Padres being in last in the crowded NL West also might loosen their hold.

7. Erik Bedard, SP, Seattle Mariners. This spring's shiny new penny -- albeit one that took an ungodly amount of time to acquire -- is now the most attractive albatross on a team that loses two out of every three games and has just lost its general manager and coach. Moving Bedard now is sending him out at low value, but he's a proven AL East talent with a lot of upside. Besides, no one wants Carlos Silva.

6. Matt Holliday, OF, Colorado Rockies. The biggest hitter on the list is kind of like this year's Mark Teixeria -- a plus hitter from a hitter haven who's actually still really good. The only thing keeping him in Colorado is the plummeting Diamnondbacks, who have kept every team in the division in the hunt; the Rockies might just hang on to everyone and see if the return of Troy Tulowitzki can get them back in the race. In another week or so, we'll know if Holliday walks before his contract expires.

5. AJ Burnett, SP, Toronto Rockies. The Jays are a hard team to figure. On the one hand, you've got to think that general manager JP Riccardi is on thin enough ice that he's not interested in going out with kids and prospects. On the other, Burnett is clearly not getting better here, and the Jays are 10.5 back in what might be the toughest division in baseball. Burnett has always been a poor man's Josh Beckett, so maybe another team makes Riccardi an offer he can't refuse.

4. Adam Dunn, OF, Cincinnati Reds. Everything you can say about Griff goes double for the Three True Outcome hero, whose .219 batting average masks his reasonably useful .876 OPS. Even Dusty Baker has to be getting tired of playing veterans and ready to give the team entirely over to Jay Bruce and Joey Votto by now, right? Dunn seems to me to be the kind of guy that can help a team provided he's hitting 6th or 7th, and you just aren't counting on him carrying your team. (I realize Dunn is a sabermetric hero, but doesn't it matter that his teams never, ever win?)

3. Dmitri Young, 1B, Washington Nationals. A nice guy and a reasonable stick, but he makes no sense here, especially with Aaron Boone giving them good at-bats and Ryan Zimmerman eventually coming back from injury. By the time the Nats are in a playoff race, Da Meat Hook could be pushing 350 pounds, and probably still putting up above average numbers. The potentially season-ending injury to Nick Johnson (gosh, who saw that coming?) could keep him here, though.

2. Huston Street, RP, Oakland Athletics. Billy Beane loves to move closers for more then they are worth, and that really describes the ex-phenom, whose 4.32 ERA, good defesne and pitcher's park seems to say overrated... but his K/BB numbers, pure stuff and low HR allowed numbers could easily convince a team in need that he's just been pitching in bad luck. The A's have never bought into the ideat that pitching in the ninth is all that different from any other inning, and they'd happily go with Keith Foulke and Alan Embree if someone wants to put prospects in front of them.

1. C.C. Sabathia, SP, Cleveland Indians. Don't let the slow start fool you; he's been very solid recently, and he's an unrestricted free agent next year. With the Tribe 6.5 out and in fourth place in the Central, they are 1-2 weeks away from pulling the chutes on this deal and moving the big lefty for maximum benefit. Ceec is a horse, but he also eats like one, and that next contract is going to be costly.

Top 7 :: Most Identifiable Swings of the Modern Era

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:59:58 -0500

Last week, the Top 7 looked at some of the most famous batting stances of this era due to their originality or downright silliness. It was also evident from the feedback that people take their stances very seriously?leaving Ken Griffey Jr. off of the list was a sacrilege. I was actually saving Griffey for this week's list?the most identifiable swings of this era, be it because of their "sweetness"?a term 100% of the time used for left-handed swings?or because the swing is so ferocious that the crowds "ahhs" each time that it is taken, and should the ball connect with it, it goes an insanely long way. I'm sure that I am going to miss some of the top swings of the era, so I apologize in advance again?but here we go.

7. Eric Davis
As is the case with many on this list, the stance of Eric Davis was merely anticipation for his violent swing, one that made a 390-foot homer look like it was going 590 as it came off the bat. Davis would absolutely swing with everything that he had and annihilate the ball. Many times he would also do a bit of a Rickey Henderson after his swing, which I guess could be yet another list next week?best post-swing behavior in baseball this era.

6. Phil Plantier
It may seem like an odd choice to be on the list, but anyone that ever followed him on their favorite team knows what I am talking about. Plantier would sit in a crouch and take a vicious uppercut swing that was almost 180 degrees upward. There was just about no middle ground with him?he either destroyed the ball or missed it by three or four feet. He was fun to watch hit, and his 1992 Fleer Rookie Sensation card was a hot item at one time too.

5. Mark McGwire
Unlike other power hitters of the era, the greatest one of them all's swing was unlike the others. McGwire's was effortless, it was as if he was swinging at about a 55% capacity, and yet the ball still went 55% further than just about anyone else's. It made you wonder what would happen if he took as big of a hack as he possibly could and connected. Every single park has a legendary story about a ball that McGwire hit there (like Willie Stargell in the previous era) in a game or in batting practice.

4. Barry Bonds
His swing definitely had some similarities to Griffey's with the swing/follow-through/admire combo, but Bonds is cripplingly unlikeable.

3. Jose Canseco
The bat would look like a twig in his hands as he waved it around as the pitch approached. Roids pumped through his veins as he swung with everything that he had. He surely would have killed someone if anyone had stepped in the way (and sure, most swings would, but bear with me here). When he connected with one of his all-he-had swings, the result was bombs like the one at Skydome in the 1989 ALCS, when he hit it into their 27th deck.

2. Will Clark
His nickname "The Natural" was partially in reference to his swing, so he has to be up near the top of the list. There was a period of about two or three years where he was known as the best hitter in baseball, and one could tell by just watching him hit once or twice?the smooth swing and follow-through always had words like "sweet" and "pure" thrown at it. It may have been the only case of many man crushes on the way someone swings a bat in history.

1. Ken Griffey Jr.
He stands, he swings, he follows through, he admires. Anyone who was between the ages of 8 and 15 during Griffey's peak of popularity in the 90s imitated that sequence, whipping the bat through the zone and standing there admiring their work. When a statue of the greatest player of this generation is made, that must be the pose.

The Top 7 is written by Jason Major. He heard Griffey, Jr. has a sweet peeing stance too. Email him at jason@joesportsfan.com

Top 7 :: Most Identifiable Swings of the Modern Era

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:59:58 -0500

Buster Olney Says The Firesale Has Begun

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:30:00 -0500

So in the last 24 hours or so we have had Walt Jocketty deny the rumor that he started a firesale, another teams GM say Adam Dunn sucks, and now we have ESPN reporting Jocketty has started taking offers on everyone. All I ask is this firesale nets us a little more than every previous firesale in the history of the Reds. Video included.

The Brain Leak

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:06:31 -0500

As summer switches into high gear and temperatures across the country begin to rise, The Leak is creating new and innovative ways to keep you indoors and save you from those nasty CO2 emissions, twilight dinners with the in-laws and the neighborhood Cougar who simply should not be wearing that skimpy of a bathing suit.