Thursday, December 22
8:00 PM – Maaco Bowl: Arizona State (6-6) vs. Boise State (11-1), ESPN
8:20 PM – Houston at Indianapolis, NFL Network
Saturday, December 24
Fox has the NFL doubleheader. Check the506.com for the games airing in your area.
1:00 PM – New York Giants at New York Jets, Fox
1:00 PM – Cleveland at Baltimore, CBS
1:00 PM – Denver at Buffalo, CBS
1:00 PM – Tampa Bay at Carolina, Fox
1:00 PM – Oakland at Kansas City, CBS
1:00 PM – Arizona at Cincinnati, Fox
1:00 PM – Miami at New England, CBS
1:00 PM – St. Louis at Pittsburgh, Fox
1:00 PM – Jacksonville at Tennessee, CBS
1:00 PM – Minnesota at Washington, Fox
4:05 PM – San Diego at Detroit, CBS
4:15 PM – Philadelphia at Dallas, Fox
4:15 PM – San Francisco at Seattle, Fox
8:00 PM – Hawaii Bowl: Nevada (7-5) vs. Southern Mississippi (11-2), ESPN
Sunday, December 25
8:20 PM – Green Bay at Chicago, NBC
Monday, December 26
5:00 PM – Independence Bowl: Missouri (7-5) vs. North Carolina (7-5), ESPN2
8:30 PM – Atlanta at New Orleans, ESPN
Tuesday, December 27
4:30 PM – Little Caesars Bowl: Western Michigan (7-5) vs. Purdue (6-6), ESPN
8:00 PM – Belk Bowl: Louisville (7-5) vs. North Carolina State (7-5), ESPN
Wednesday, December 28
4:30 PM – Military Bowl: Toledo (8-4) vs. Air Force (7-5), ESPN
8:00 PM – Holiday Bowl: California (7-5) vs. Texas (7-5), ESPN
Thursday, December 29
5:30 PM – Champs Sports Bowl: Florida State (8-4) vs. Notre Dame (8-4), ESPN
9:00 PM – Alamo Bowl: Washington (7-5) vs. Baylor (9-3), ESPN
Friday, December 30
12:00 Noon – Armed Forces Bowl: BYU (9-3) vs. Tulsa (8-4), ESPN
3:20 PM – Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers (8-4) vs. Iowa State (6-6), ESPN
6:40 PM – Music City Bowl: Mississippi State (6-6) vs. Wake Forest (6-6), ESPN
10:00 PM – Insight Bowl: Iowa (7-5) vs. Oklahoma (9-3), ESPN
Saturday, December 31
12 Noon – Car Care Bowl: Texas A&M (6-6) vs. Northwestern (6-6), ESPN
2:00 PM – Sun Bowl: Georgia Tech (8-4) vs. Utah (7-5), CBS
3:30 PM – Fight Hunger Bowl: Illinois (6-6) vs. UCLA (6-7), ESPN
3:30 PM – Liberty Bowl: Cincinnati (9-3) vs. Vanderbilt (6-6), ABC
7:30 PM – Chick-fil-A Bowl: Virginia (8-4) vs. Auburn (7-5), ESPN
Sunday, January 1
CBS has the doubleheader. Check the506.com for games airing in your area.
1:00 PM – New York Jets at Miami, CBS
1:00 PM – Chicago at Minnesota, Fox
1:00 PM – Dallas at New York Giants, Fox
1:00 PM – Tampa Bay at Atlanta, Fox
1:00 PM – Baltimore at Cincinnati, CBS
1:00 PM – San Francisco at St. Louis, Fox
1:00 PM – Washington at Philadelphia, Fox
1:00 PM – Pittsburgh at Cleveland, CBS
1:00 PM – Detroit at Green Bay, Fox
1:00 PM – Tennessee at Houston, CBS
1:00 PM – Indianapolis at Jacksonville, CBS
1:00 PM – Buffalo at New England, CBS
1:00 PM – Carolina at New Orleans, Fox
4:15 PM – Seattle at Arizona, Fox
4:15 PM – Kansas City at Denver, CBS
4:15 PM – San Diego at Oakland, CBS
Monday, January 2
12:00 PM – Ticket City Bowl, Houston (12-1) vs. Penn State (9-3), ESPNU
1:00 PM – Gator Bowl, Ohio State (6-6) vs. Florida (6-6), ESPN2
1:00 PM – Outback Bowl, Michigan State (10-3) vs. Georgia (10-3), ABC
1:00 PM – Capital One Bowl, Nebraska (9-3) vs. South Carolina (10-2), ESPN
5:00 PM – Rose Bowl, Wisconsin (11-2) vs. Oregon (11-2), ESPN
8:30 PM – Fiesta Bowl, Stanford (11-1) vs. Oklahoma State (11-1), ESPN
Tuesday, January 3
8:30 PM – Sugar Bowl, Michigan (10-2) vs. Virginia Tech (11-2), ESPN
Wednesday, January 4
8:30 PM – Orange Bowl, West Virginia (9-3) vs. Clemson (10-3), ESPN
Friday, January 6
8:00 PM – Cotton Bowl, Kansas (10-2) vs. Arkansas (10-2), Fox
Saturday, January 7
1:00 PM – Compass Bowl, SMU (7-5) vs. Pittsburgh (6-6), ESPN
NFL Wild-Card Round Playoffs (times and teams to come), NBC
Sunday, January 8
NFL Wild-Card Round Playoffs (times and teams to come), CBS and Fox
9:00 PM – GoDaddy.com Bowl, Arkansas State (10-2) vs. Northern Illinois (10-3), ESPN
Monday, January 9
8:30 PM – BCS Championship Game, Alabama (11-1) vs. LSU (13-0), ESPN
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
National League Second Basemen, 2011
1. Cincinnati – Brandon Phillips (.300 AVG / .457 SLG / .353 OBP / .810 OPS / .235 SEC)
Kind of surprising Phillips is #1, but there’s less competition here than there was a few years back. He’s pretty capable at almost everything – power, hits for average, steals some bases, great defensively. The only place he’s a little short is taking a base on balls, which is somewhat exacerbated by the fact that the Reds often bat him first since they have no one better to lead off. He’s signed a deal that will bring him back for 2012.
2. Atlanta – Dan Uggla (.233 AVG / .453 SLG / .311 OBP / .764 OPS / .294 SEC)
Uggla takes walks and has great power – his 36 home runs led the team – but he didn’t hit for a great average last year despite a 33-game hitting streak, and his defense is roughly average. Basically, he’s the anti-Phillips.
3. Pittsburgh – Neal Walker (.273 AVG / .408 SLG / .334 OBP / .742 OPS / .220 SEC)
Walker will do for the next couple of years. He has some pop – his 36 doubles were second among all second basemen to Phillips – and he’s above average around the second base bag. Again, Pittsburgh has a lot of worries, so they should try to keep Walker around for a few years and enjoy his peak seasons (he’s 26).
4. Arizona – Kelly Johnson / Aaron Hill (.233 AVG / .430 SLG / .310 OBP / .739 OPS / .300 SEC)
Johnson had a lot of power (18 homers) and took a few walks, but his .209 average put off the Diamondbacks. They sent him packing in August in favor of Hill, who put up a 30-homer season in 2009 with the Jays but had similar contact issues after that. Hill put up an .878 OPS in 144 plate appearances. The D-Backs declined his $8 million option, but may be looking to sign him at a lower price.
5. Washington – Danny Espinosa (.236 AVG / .414 SLG / .323 OBP / .737 OPS / .279 SEC)
2011 was Espinosa’s first full year in the bigs, and he wasn’t bad for much of it (in fact, he was on the All-Star team). But a big problem with making contact – 166 strikeouts – makes him an iffy proposition for the long haul.
6. Milwaukee – Rickie Weeks / Craig Counsell / Jerry Hairston, Jr. (.251 AVG / .401 SLG / .335 OBP / .735 OPS / .248 SEC)
Weeks’ .818 OPS was actually a bit better than Cincinnati’s Brandon Phillips (maybe they can meet for dinner sometime and grouse about St. Louis), but he also missed 44 games. Weeks has always been somewhat injury prone, and given Craig Counsell’s creeping up on 40 and hit .178 last year, he’s not a good long-term plan as the backup. Hairston primarily played third base during the playoffs, but played quite a bit at second during the regular season.
7. Philadelphia – Chase Utley / Wilson Valdez (.255 AVG / .390 SLG / .324 OBP / .715 OPS / .227 SEC)
Utley had an amazing run of five straight seasons with an OPS of .900 or higher between 2005 and 2009, but he’s missed over a hundred games with injuries over the last two seasons, and didn’t hit that well when he was active (.769 OPS). These aren’t good numbers for Phillie fans to hear, but Utley’s style of play (he once led the league in getting hit by pitches three straight seasons) is not going to be conducive to aging gracefully at the pivot. Valdez is a utility infielder/placeholder who was meant to bat a hundred times a year, not 300.
8. Florida – Omar Infante (.276 AVG / .382 SLG / .315 OBP / .696 OPS / .162 SEC)
Not surprisingly, Infante was nowhere near as productive as a regular with the Marlins as he was in a reserve role in Atlanta. Florida’s got a lot of holes to fill; Infante’s going to be with the team again next year, be it as a reserve or back at second.
9. New York Mets – Justin Turner / Ruben Tejada (.270 AVG / .347 SLG / .345 OBP / .6927 OPS / .173 SEC)
Since the Mets were paying Luis Castillo $6 million to stay away from Queens in 2011, they had to come up with a cheap second base solution. Turner and Tejada did the trick – I wouldn’t say they were all-stars, but they got by on low salaries. Turner’s got a little more power, Tejada takes a few more walks. I wouldn’t count on Turner being around for a long time – he’s got a utility infielder’s skills, but he doesn’t play shortstop. Tejada does, and may be used there next year if Jose Reyes isn’t resigned. Daniel Murphy also played at second quite a bit, but he really should stay away.
10. St. Louis – Skip Schumaker / Ryan Theriot / Nick Punto (.277 AVG / .357 SLG / .336 OBP / .6926 OPS / .157 SEC)
If Pujols isn’t resigned, the offensive output of the remaining three-quarters of the St. Louis infield will come under much closer scrutiny. Schumaker and Theriot are good fielders (Theriot can also play shortstop well), but they’re not productive at the plate. Punto was actually the best hitter of the trio (.809 OPS), but that may have been a fluke; he hasn’t hit like that in the past.
11. Los Angeles Dodgers – Jamey Carroll / Aaron Miles (.283 AVG / .347 SLG / .337 OBP / .683 OPS / .147 SEC)
The Dodgers trudged through the year with retreads Carroll and Miles at second (Carroll also played a lot of shortstop when Rafael Furcal was injured early in the year). The production wasn’t great, but was likely more than they should have expected. They will not stand pat for 2012; Carroll has already signed a two-year deal with the Twins, who apparently don’t have enough light-hitting utility infielders.
12. Chicago Cubs – Darwin Barney (.276 AVG / .353 SLG / .313 OBP / .666 OPS / .131 SEC)
If the Cubs are congratulating themselves on having Barney emerge at second, they shouldn’t be. He has almost no power and doesn’t take walks (just 20 unintentional walks in 570 place appearances). He’s an okay fielder, but not spectacular. Since his hitting profile at second is pretty much the same as Starlin Castro’s at short (minus about 20 walks, 30 hits, and 15 stolen bases), and Castro’s got better upside (he’s about five years younger), I don’t see Barney being long for the Cubs. It tells me something that the lower half of the second base rankings are made up of teams who used two or more players out of either necessity or ineffectiveness; the Cubs were the only team that didn’t.
13. Colorado – Mark Ellis / Jonathan Herrera / Chris Nelson (.256 AVG / .354 SLG / .306 OBP / .550 OPS / .173 SEC)
I’m not sure who was supposed to start at second at the beginning of the year for the Rockies, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t any of these guys. Ellis has the best track record, and if his salary isn’t exorbitant he could be back next year.
14. Houston – Jose Altuve / Bill Hall / Jeff Keppinger / Angel Sanchez (.260 AVG / . 343 SLG / .300 OBP / .643 OPS / .143 SEC)
Yikes. Houston’s original plan was to start Bill Hall at second, based on his decent 2010 as a utility player for the Red Sox, but a .612 OPS put an end to that, and he was released in August. Altuve, Keppinger, and Hall combined for 17 walks in 531 plate appearances. No one really contributed much at the dish, aside from Keppinger, but he’s not around any longer.
15. San Francisco – Freddy Sanchez / Mike Fontenot / Jeff Keppinger / Emmanuel Burriss (.249 AVG / .344 SLG / .299 OBP / .642 OPS / .168 SEC)
And look how well getting traded turned out for Keppinger. Second is really Sanchez’s position, but he had a lot of injury problems last year. Fontenot really can’t hit lefties (although it doesn’t look like he hit anyone particularly well last year).
16. San Diego – Orlando Hudson / Alberto Gonzalez (.234 AVG / .326 SLG / .302 OBP / .627 OPS / .199 SEC)
Orlando Hudson officially took up residence in the Land of the Useless last year, and at age 34, he may not be able to leave. His OPS dropped under .700 for the first time in his career (although, oddly, he had a career-high 19 steals), he’s played more than 126 games only once in the last four years, and fielding has moved down into league average. Sadly, the Padres owe him $5.5 million next year and $2 million in a buyout in 2013 ($8 million if they actually decide to keep him). Gonzalez had a .539 OPS in 2011, moving his career OPS down to .598.
Kind of surprising Phillips is #1, but there’s less competition here than there was a few years back. He’s pretty capable at almost everything – power, hits for average, steals some bases, great defensively. The only place he’s a little short is taking a base on balls, which is somewhat exacerbated by the fact that the Reds often bat him first since they have no one better to lead off. He’s signed a deal that will bring him back for 2012.
2. Atlanta – Dan Uggla (.233 AVG / .453 SLG / .311 OBP / .764 OPS / .294 SEC)
Uggla takes walks and has great power – his 36 home runs led the team – but he didn’t hit for a great average last year despite a 33-game hitting streak, and his defense is roughly average. Basically, he’s the anti-Phillips.
3. Pittsburgh – Neal Walker (.273 AVG / .408 SLG / .334 OBP / .742 OPS / .220 SEC)
Walker will do for the next couple of years. He has some pop – his 36 doubles were second among all second basemen to Phillips – and he’s above average around the second base bag. Again, Pittsburgh has a lot of worries, so they should try to keep Walker around for a few years and enjoy his peak seasons (he’s 26).
4. Arizona – Kelly Johnson / Aaron Hill (.233 AVG / .430 SLG / .310 OBP / .739 OPS / .300 SEC)
Johnson had a lot of power (18 homers) and took a few walks, but his .209 average put off the Diamondbacks. They sent him packing in August in favor of Hill, who put up a 30-homer season in 2009 with the Jays but had similar contact issues after that. Hill put up an .878 OPS in 144 plate appearances. The D-Backs declined his $8 million option, but may be looking to sign him at a lower price.
5. Washington – Danny Espinosa (.236 AVG / .414 SLG / .323 OBP / .737 OPS / .279 SEC)
2011 was Espinosa’s first full year in the bigs, and he wasn’t bad for much of it (in fact, he was on the All-Star team). But a big problem with making contact – 166 strikeouts – makes him an iffy proposition for the long haul.
6. Milwaukee – Rickie Weeks / Craig Counsell / Jerry Hairston, Jr. (.251 AVG / .401 SLG / .335 OBP / .735 OPS / .248 SEC)
Weeks’ .818 OPS was actually a bit better than Cincinnati’s Brandon Phillips (maybe they can meet for dinner sometime and grouse about St. Louis), but he also missed 44 games. Weeks has always been somewhat injury prone, and given Craig Counsell’s creeping up on 40 and hit .178 last year, he’s not a good long-term plan as the backup. Hairston primarily played third base during the playoffs, but played quite a bit at second during the regular season.
7. Philadelphia – Chase Utley / Wilson Valdez (.255 AVG / .390 SLG / .324 OBP / .715 OPS / .227 SEC)
Utley had an amazing run of five straight seasons with an OPS of .900 or higher between 2005 and 2009, but he’s missed over a hundred games with injuries over the last two seasons, and didn’t hit that well when he was active (.769 OPS). These aren’t good numbers for Phillie fans to hear, but Utley’s style of play (he once led the league in getting hit by pitches three straight seasons) is not going to be conducive to aging gracefully at the pivot. Valdez is a utility infielder/placeholder who was meant to bat a hundred times a year, not 300.
8. Florida – Omar Infante (.276 AVG / .382 SLG / .315 OBP / .696 OPS / .162 SEC)
Not surprisingly, Infante was nowhere near as productive as a regular with the Marlins as he was in a reserve role in Atlanta. Florida’s got a lot of holes to fill; Infante’s going to be with the team again next year, be it as a reserve or back at second.
9. New York Mets – Justin Turner / Ruben Tejada (.270 AVG / .347 SLG / .345 OBP / .6927 OPS / .173 SEC)
Since the Mets were paying Luis Castillo $6 million to stay away from Queens in 2011, they had to come up with a cheap second base solution. Turner and Tejada did the trick – I wouldn’t say they were all-stars, but they got by on low salaries. Turner’s got a little more power, Tejada takes a few more walks. I wouldn’t count on Turner being around for a long time – he’s got a utility infielder’s skills, but he doesn’t play shortstop. Tejada does, and may be used there next year if Jose Reyes isn’t resigned. Daniel Murphy also played at second quite a bit, but he really should stay away.
10. St. Louis – Skip Schumaker / Ryan Theriot / Nick Punto (.277 AVG / .357 SLG / .336 OBP / .6926 OPS / .157 SEC)
If Pujols isn’t resigned, the offensive output of the remaining three-quarters of the St. Louis infield will come under much closer scrutiny. Schumaker and Theriot are good fielders (Theriot can also play shortstop well), but they’re not productive at the plate. Punto was actually the best hitter of the trio (.809 OPS), but that may have been a fluke; he hasn’t hit like that in the past.
11. Los Angeles Dodgers – Jamey Carroll / Aaron Miles (.283 AVG / .347 SLG / .337 OBP / .683 OPS / .147 SEC)
The Dodgers trudged through the year with retreads Carroll and Miles at second (Carroll also played a lot of shortstop when Rafael Furcal was injured early in the year). The production wasn’t great, but was likely more than they should have expected. They will not stand pat for 2012; Carroll has already signed a two-year deal with the Twins, who apparently don’t have enough light-hitting utility infielders.
12. Chicago Cubs – Darwin Barney (.276 AVG / .353 SLG / .313 OBP / .666 OPS / .131 SEC)
If the Cubs are congratulating themselves on having Barney emerge at second, they shouldn’t be. He has almost no power and doesn’t take walks (just 20 unintentional walks in 570 place appearances). He’s an okay fielder, but not spectacular. Since his hitting profile at second is pretty much the same as Starlin Castro’s at short (minus about 20 walks, 30 hits, and 15 stolen bases), and Castro’s got better upside (he’s about five years younger), I don’t see Barney being long for the Cubs. It tells me something that the lower half of the second base rankings are made up of teams who used two or more players out of either necessity or ineffectiveness; the Cubs were the only team that didn’t.
13. Colorado – Mark Ellis / Jonathan Herrera / Chris Nelson (.256 AVG / .354 SLG / .306 OBP / .550 OPS / .173 SEC)
I’m not sure who was supposed to start at second at the beginning of the year for the Rockies, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t any of these guys. Ellis has the best track record, and if his salary isn’t exorbitant he could be back next year.
14. Houston – Jose Altuve / Bill Hall / Jeff Keppinger / Angel Sanchez (.260 AVG / . 343 SLG / .300 OBP / .643 OPS / .143 SEC)
Yikes. Houston’s original plan was to start Bill Hall at second, based on his decent 2010 as a utility player for the Red Sox, but a .612 OPS put an end to that, and he was released in August. Altuve, Keppinger, and Hall combined for 17 walks in 531 plate appearances. No one really contributed much at the dish, aside from Keppinger, but he’s not around any longer.
15. San Francisco – Freddy Sanchez / Mike Fontenot / Jeff Keppinger / Emmanuel Burriss (.249 AVG / .344 SLG / .299 OBP / .642 OPS / .168 SEC)
And look how well getting traded turned out for Keppinger. Second is really Sanchez’s position, but he had a lot of injury problems last year. Fontenot really can’t hit lefties (although it doesn’t look like he hit anyone particularly well last year).
16. San Diego – Orlando Hudson / Alberto Gonzalez (.234 AVG / .326 SLG / .302 OBP / .627 OPS / .199 SEC)
Orlando Hudson officially took up residence in the Land of the Useless last year, and at age 34, he may not be able to leave. His OPS dropped under .700 for the first time in his career (although, oddly, he had a career-high 19 steals), he’s played more than 126 games only once in the last four years, and fielding has moved down into league average. Sadly, the Padres owe him $5.5 million next year and $2 million in a buyout in 2013 ($8 million if they actually decide to keep him). Gonzalez had a .539 OPS in 2011, moving his career OPS down to .598.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
National League First Basemen, 2011
1. Milwaukee – Prince Fielder (.299 AVG / .566 SLG / .415 OBP / .981 OPS / .385 SEC)
Fielder had an outstanding year. And, of course, he’s due to be a free agent this winter. I would be slightly more interested in him than Albert Pujols – if the contract is for four years or less. He’s 27 right now, so he should be in the middle of his peak years – but he’s also overweight, and heavy first basemen over 30 tend to go downhill very fast (Mo Vaughn, Boog Powell, Kent Hrbek, and, well, Cecil Fielder). The other option is Fielder could DH – the New York Daily News just ran a column suggesting this option for the Yankees, and given they're set at first base and Fielder's name does not correlate to his skills with a glove, it's not a bad idea – but that’s not going to make him any thinner.
2. Cincinnati – Joey Votto (.309 AVG / .531 SLG / .416 OBP / .947 OPS / .347 SEC)
This is an off year compared to Votto’s 2010 season, but on a par with 2009. He’s signed with the Reds for the next two years (although he’s actually eight months older than Fielder, even though Fielder came up two years earlier), and he’ll definitely be a better value to the Reds than Fielder will be in the future.
3. St. Louis – Albert Pujols (.299 AVG / .541 SLG / .366 OBP / .906 OPS / .328 SEC)
You can tell there are a lot of good first basemen in the NL when Albert Pujols finishes third in the rankings. That aside, I would find it very questionable that he goes anywhere this year, even though that’s the big story after the World Series ends. The only team that would throw a ridiculous amount of money at him is the Yankees, who already have Mark Teixeira at first base. Pujols turns 32 next January (Teixeira’s seven months younger), and is starting to show minor signs of slippage – he had 29 doubles last year and 37 home runs (never a good sign to have more two-baggers than homers). I wouldn’t be surprised if he stays put.
4. Colorado – Todd Helton/Jason Giambi (.292 AVG / .498 SLG / .378 OBP / .876 OPS / .303 SEC)
Helton has seemingly been going downhill and on the DL for the last decade, but he put up an .850 OPS in 491 plate appearances, so he’s not through yet. He takes a lot of walks, still has a little power, and is a clubhouse leader. Giambi has made a post-steroids career out of being a belting pinch-hitter and backup to Helton, and put up a .950 OPS in 152 plate appearances. Colorado’s likely to stand pat here.
5. Philadelphia – Ryan Howard (.253 AVG / .488 SLG / .346 OBP / .835 OPS / .328 SEC)
Howard’s slowed down a little over the last couple of years to fall out of the top tier, but he’s likely extended his career. Since 2008, he’s lost 35 pounds, going from 275 to 240. So he’s lost a little power, but he’s less likely to succumb to the issues Prince Fielder is facing right now. Of course, having just torn his Achilles in the playoffs, he has his own issues.
6. New York Mets – Daniel Murphy/Lucas Duda/Nick Evans/Ike Davis (.298 AVG / .462 SLG / .359 OBP / .821 OPS / .238 SEC)
Surprising to see the Mets this high. Davis started the season at first base, had a great six weeks (.925 OPS), hurt his ankle, and missed the rest of the year. If he can come back at full strength next year, he goes back to first, since he’s also a good fielder. Daniel Murphy took over for the most part (he also played second and third, and was taken out for the year for the second year running on a play at second), and hit .320 with an .809 OPS. He’s a brutal fielder at second and the outfield and passable at first and third, but he could go back to first if Davis isn’t ready to go. Duda will likely play right field next year (.852 OPS) – unless Davis isn’t ready, in which case he’s back in the first base picture. Evans will struggle to maintain his spot in the bigs (.718 OPS – he really doesn’t hit right-handed pitching very well).
7. Chicago Cubs – Carlos Pena (.225 AVG / .462 SLG / .357 OBP / .819 OPS / .370 SEC)
Pena doesn’t hit for much of an average, but takes piles of walks (thus an OPS behind the Mets’ group but a secondary average well above). However, he took a one-year deal to be with the Cubs, and he may wind up the beneficiary of a desperate team after the Pujols/Fielder situation shakes out.
8. Atlanta – Freddie Freeman (.282 AVG / .448 SLG / .346 OBP / .795 OPS / .244 SEC)
I had Freeman on my fantasy team, and he really didn’t impress me all that much – he doesn’t have that much power, and doesn’t get on base a lot. He could pick up over the next few years, but he doesn’t look like the next Joey Votto to me.
9. Washington – Michael Morse/Adam LaRoche/Chris Marrero (.270 AVG / .458 SLG / .336 OBP / .793 OPS / .254 SEC)
Adam LaRoche started out 2011 as the Nationals’ first baseman, but got hurt quickly. Morse picked up the position and ran with it (.910 OPS), so now the job’s his, even though he’s not exactly an acrobat in the field. LaRoche becomes trade bait, if they can find anyone foolish enough to pick up his $8 million salary for 2012.
10. Florida – Gaby Sanchez (.266 AVG / .427 SLG / .352 OBP / .779 OPS / .262 SEC)
Sanchez isn’t exactly setting the world on fire, but he’ll do until someone better comes along. Logan Morrison could be his main competition down the road, assuming the Marlins don’t decide he’s too much of a pain in the rear to keep around.
11. Houston – Brett Wallace/Carlos Lee (.269 AVG / .418 SLG / .339 OBP / .757 OPS / .232 SEC)
Brett Wallace was the big acquisition for the Astros in 2010 (coming in the Roy Oswalt deal), although some kind soul might have said, “Hey, St. Louis, Oakland, and now Toronto have decided to trade him, so is he really that good?” Apparently not. Wallace (.703 OPS) was sent back to AAA in August, and the Astros moved Carlos Lee to first – which makes you wonder if there are any functioning parts in the upper managements’ heads. It’s not like had anything left to prove at AAA, or that anyone thought Lee would be a significant part of Houston’s future success. Yes, Lee is better suited at this point to play first base (actually, he’s better suited at this point to play the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man in a Ghostbusters remake), but why move him to first weeks after you’ve traded away your other two starting outfielders?
12. Los Angeles Dodgers – James Loney (.288 AVG / .416 SLG / .339 OBP / .755 OPS / .199 SEC)
Loney has regressed enough for the Dodgers to understand he’s not the long-term solution at first base, unless they want to duplicate the offensive prowess of Wes Parker. Problem is, I don’t know if they have any better solutions around, so he may stay another year or two.
13. Pittsburgh – Lyle Overbay / Derrek Lee / Garrett Jones (.248 AVG / .417 SLG / .321 OBP / .738 OPS / .255 SEC)
Overbay was brought in on a one-year deal for 2011, and didn’t hit. Lee came over from Baltimore at the trade deadline, and while he played well when he played, he also spent time on the DL. Jones filled in here and in the outfield. This is a challenge for the Pirates – they’d probably love to have Lee back on a cheap one-year deal, but I don’t know if they can get that done.
14. Arizona – Juan Miranda / Xavier Nady / Paul Goldschmidt (.237 AVG / .407 SLG / .310 OBP / .717 OPS / .255 SEC)
Up front, Goldschmidt is the future here – he’s 23 years old, had an .808 OPS in limited playing time, and hit well in the NLDS. Miranda and Nady are the past – heck, they may have already been lopped off the roster.
15. San Francisco – Brandon Belt / Aubrey Huff (.240 AVG / .381 SLG / .306 OBP / .687 OPS / .226 SEC)
Yikes. The Giants tried to promote Belt, but given 2010 was his first year of professional baseball, it’s not a shock he didn’t hit very well. (I think he was also on the disabled list for a time.) The question going into 2011 for the Giants was whether Huff’s bad 2009 season was an aberration, or his wonderful 2010 season was – and, well, now they know. Unfortunately, they’ll be paying Huff $10 million in 2012 and a likely $2 million buyout in 2013 for having guessed wrong.
16. San Diego – Jesus Guzman / Brad Hawpe / Jorge Cantu / Anthony Rizzo (.235 AVG / .360 SLG / .303 OBP / .663 OPS / .216 SEC)
Bad sign for San Diego when their first basemen combine for numbers around the same as a below-league average second baseman. The consolation is that Hawpe and Cantu are either gone or will be shortly, and Guzman was pretty good in limited playing time (.847 OPS, best on the Padres). The bad news is Rizzo was one of the big prizes in the Adrian Gonzalez trade, and he was horrendous (.504 OPS). But if he plays first base, Guzman has to play elsewhere – and he’s been a butcher in the minors at most other positions (he’s been around for a few years, knocking around AAA in the Oakland and San Francisco systems). Still, with as few bats as the Padres have, they have to find a spot for a good hitter somewhere.
Fielder had an outstanding year. And, of course, he’s due to be a free agent this winter. I would be slightly more interested in him than Albert Pujols – if the contract is for four years or less. He’s 27 right now, so he should be in the middle of his peak years – but he’s also overweight, and heavy first basemen over 30 tend to go downhill very fast (Mo Vaughn, Boog Powell, Kent Hrbek, and, well, Cecil Fielder). The other option is Fielder could DH – the New York Daily News just ran a column suggesting this option for the Yankees, and given they're set at first base and Fielder's name does not correlate to his skills with a glove, it's not a bad idea – but that’s not going to make him any thinner.
2. Cincinnati – Joey Votto (.309 AVG / .531 SLG / .416 OBP / .947 OPS / .347 SEC)
This is an off year compared to Votto’s 2010 season, but on a par with 2009. He’s signed with the Reds for the next two years (although he’s actually eight months older than Fielder, even though Fielder came up two years earlier), and he’ll definitely be a better value to the Reds than Fielder will be in the future.
3. St. Louis – Albert Pujols (.299 AVG / .541 SLG / .366 OBP / .906 OPS / .328 SEC)
You can tell there are a lot of good first basemen in the NL when Albert Pujols finishes third in the rankings. That aside, I would find it very questionable that he goes anywhere this year, even though that’s the big story after the World Series ends. The only team that would throw a ridiculous amount of money at him is the Yankees, who already have Mark Teixeira at first base. Pujols turns 32 next January (Teixeira’s seven months younger), and is starting to show minor signs of slippage – he had 29 doubles last year and 37 home runs (never a good sign to have more two-baggers than homers). I wouldn’t be surprised if he stays put.
4. Colorado – Todd Helton/Jason Giambi (.292 AVG / .498 SLG / .378 OBP / .876 OPS / .303 SEC)
Helton has seemingly been going downhill and on the DL for the last decade, but he put up an .850 OPS in 491 plate appearances, so he’s not through yet. He takes a lot of walks, still has a little power, and is a clubhouse leader. Giambi has made a post-steroids career out of being a belting pinch-hitter and backup to Helton, and put up a .950 OPS in 152 plate appearances. Colorado’s likely to stand pat here.
5. Philadelphia – Ryan Howard (.253 AVG / .488 SLG / .346 OBP / .835 OPS / .328 SEC)
Howard’s slowed down a little over the last couple of years to fall out of the top tier, but he’s likely extended his career. Since 2008, he’s lost 35 pounds, going from 275 to 240. So he’s lost a little power, but he’s less likely to succumb to the issues Prince Fielder is facing right now. Of course, having just torn his Achilles in the playoffs, he has his own issues.
6. New York Mets – Daniel Murphy/Lucas Duda/Nick Evans/Ike Davis (.298 AVG / .462 SLG / .359 OBP / .821 OPS / .238 SEC)
Surprising to see the Mets this high. Davis started the season at first base, had a great six weeks (.925 OPS), hurt his ankle, and missed the rest of the year. If he can come back at full strength next year, he goes back to first, since he’s also a good fielder. Daniel Murphy took over for the most part (he also played second and third, and was taken out for the year for the second year running on a play at second), and hit .320 with an .809 OPS. He’s a brutal fielder at second and the outfield and passable at first and third, but he could go back to first if Davis isn’t ready to go. Duda will likely play right field next year (.852 OPS) – unless Davis isn’t ready, in which case he’s back in the first base picture. Evans will struggle to maintain his spot in the bigs (.718 OPS – he really doesn’t hit right-handed pitching very well).
7. Chicago Cubs – Carlos Pena (.225 AVG / .462 SLG / .357 OBP / .819 OPS / .370 SEC)
Pena doesn’t hit for much of an average, but takes piles of walks (thus an OPS behind the Mets’ group but a secondary average well above). However, he took a one-year deal to be with the Cubs, and he may wind up the beneficiary of a desperate team after the Pujols/Fielder situation shakes out.
8. Atlanta – Freddie Freeman (.282 AVG / .448 SLG / .346 OBP / .795 OPS / .244 SEC)
I had Freeman on my fantasy team, and he really didn’t impress me all that much – he doesn’t have that much power, and doesn’t get on base a lot. He could pick up over the next few years, but he doesn’t look like the next Joey Votto to me.
9. Washington – Michael Morse/Adam LaRoche/Chris Marrero (.270 AVG / .458 SLG / .336 OBP / .793 OPS / .254 SEC)
Adam LaRoche started out 2011 as the Nationals’ first baseman, but got hurt quickly. Morse picked up the position and ran with it (.910 OPS), so now the job’s his, even though he’s not exactly an acrobat in the field. LaRoche becomes trade bait, if they can find anyone foolish enough to pick up his $8 million salary for 2012.
10. Florida – Gaby Sanchez (.266 AVG / .427 SLG / .352 OBP / .779 OPS / .262 SEC)
Sanchez isn’t exactly setting the world on fire, but he’ll do until someone better comes along. Logan Morrison could be his main competition down the road, assuming the Marlins don’t decide he’s too much of a pain in the rear to keep around.
11. Houston – Brett Wallace/Carlos Lee (.269 AVG / .418 SLG / .339 OBP / .757 OPS / .232 SEC)
Brett Wallace was the big acquisition for the Astros in 2010 (coming in the Roy Oswalt deal), although some kind soul might have said, “Hey, St. Louis, Oakland, and now Toronto have decided to trade him, so is he really that good?” Apparently not. Wallace (.703 OPS) was sent back to AAA in August, and the Astros moved Carlos Lee to first – which makes you wonder if there are any functioning parts in the upper managements’ heads. It’s not like had anything left to prove at AAA, or that anyone thought Lee would be a significant part of Houston’s future success. Yes, Lee is better suited at this point to play first base (actually, he’s better suited at this point to play the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man in a Ghostbusters remake), but why move him to first weeks after you’ve traded away your other two starting outfielders?
12. Los Angeles Dodgers – James Loney (.288 AVG / .416 SLG / .339 OBP / .755 OPS / .199 SEC)
Loney has regressed enough for the Dodgers to understand he’s not the long-term solution at first base, unless they want to duplicate the offensive prowess of Wes Parker. Problem is, I don’t know if they have any better solutions around, so he may stay another year or two.
13. Pittsburgh – Lyle Overbay / Derrek Lee / Garrett Jones (.248 AVG / .417 SLG / .321 OBP / .738 OPS / .255 SEC)
Overbay was brought in on a one-year deal for 2011, and didn’t hit. Lee came over from Baltimore at the trade deadline, and while he played well when he played, he also spent time on the DL. Jones filled in here and in the outfield. This is a challenge for the Pirates – they’d probably love to have Lee back on a cheap one-year deal, but I don’t know if they can get that done.
14. Arizona – Juan Miranda / Xavier Nady / Paul Goldschmidt (.237 AVG / .407 SLG / .310 OBP / .717 OPS / .255 SEC)
Up front, Goldschmidt is the future here – he’s 23 years old, had an .808 OPS in limited playing time, and hit well in the NLDS. Miranda and Nady are the past – heck, they may have already been lopped off the roster.
15. San Francisco – Brandon Belt / Aubrey Huff (.240 AVG / .381 SLG / .306 OBP / .687 OPS / .226 SEC)
Yikes. The Giants tried to promote Belt, but given 2010 was his first year of professional baseball, it’s not a shock he didn’t hit very well. (I think he was also on the disabled list for a time.) The question going into 2011 for the Giants was whether Huff’s bad 2009 season was an aberration, or his wonderful 2010 season was – and, well, now they know. Unfortunately, they’ll be paying Huff $10 million in 2012 and a likely $2 million buyout in 2013 for having guessed wrong.
16. San Diego – Jesus Guzman / Brad Hawpe / Jorge Cantu / Anthony Rizzo (.235 AVG / .360 SLG / .303 OBP / .663 OPS / .216 SEC)
Bad sign for San Diego when their first basemen combine for numbers around the same as a below-league average second baseman. The consolation is that Hawpe and Cantu are either gone or will be shortly, and Guzman was pretty good in limited playing time (.847 OPS, best on the Padres). The bad news is Rizzo was one of the big prizes in the Adrian Gonzalez trade, and he was horrendous (.504 OPS). But if he plays first base, Guzman has to play elsewhere – and he’s been a butcher in the minors at most other positions (he’s been around for a few years, knocking around AAA in the Oakland and San Francisco systems). Still, with as few bats as the Padres have, they have to find a spot for a good hitter somewhere.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
National League Catcher Rankings, 2011
Third year in a row I’m starting this. I’ll do my best to finish this year.
Key:
AVG – batting average (hits/times at bat)
SLG – slugging percentage (total bases/times at bat)
OBP – on-base percentage (hits + walks + times hit by pitch/total plate appearances)
OPS – slugging percentage + on-base percentage
SEC – secondary average (extra bases + walks + stolen bases/at-bats + walks)
NL Catchers
1. Arizona – Miguel Montero/Henry Blanco (.277 AVG / .481 SLG / .348 OBP / .828 OPS / .278 SEC)
Montero took a step up this year, and is pretty much neck-and-neck for the best catcher in the league with Atlanta’s Brian McCann. Blanco actually improved upon Montero’s numbers (Montero - .820 OPS, Blanco - .870), but Blanco’s also 39 years old and unlikely to hit eight home runs in a hundred at-bats again next year.
2. Atlanta – Brian McCann/David Ross (.269 AVG / .456 SLG / .347 OBP / .803 OPS / .278 SEC)
As noted before, Montero and McCann had pretty much the same season in 2011 (they were tied for on-base percentage and three points apart in slugging), so much of the difference here comes down to David Ross vs. Henry Blanco as the backup. Ross’ .761 OBP would be better than all but three NL teams. This is a fine backstop duo, and the least of Atlanta’s worries.
3. St. Louis – Yadier Molina/Gerald Laird (.293 AVG / .447 SLG / .341 OBP / .788 OPS / .221 SEC)
Molina the good showed up this year, and what has sometimes been a black hole offensively turned into a positive. Unable to hold onto his starting position with a few AL teams, Laird is a competent, if unspectacular, backup.
4. Cincinnati Reds – Ramon Hernandez/Ryan Hanigan (.275 AVG / .404 SLG / .349 OBP / .753 OPS / .211 SEC)
Second straight year of pretty good catching from this duo, and possibly the last – rookie Devin Morasco’s presence means Hernandez, at age 35, is unlikely to be resigned.
5. Colorado Rockies – Chris Ianetta/Eliezer Alfonzo/Jose Morales (.246 AVG / .388 SLG / .359 OBP / .746 OPS / .278 SEC)
Ianetta did decently in his first year not platooning with Yorvit Torrealba, although what saved him is taking 70 walks. Alfonzo and Morales were standard backups, so Colorado may be in the market for a better one for 2012.
6. Pittsburgh Pirates – Ryan Doumit/Michael McKenry/Chris Snyder (.267 AVG / .405 SLG / .330 OBP / .735 OPS / .213 SEC)
Not a strength for the Pirates, but not a weakness – except when both Doumit and Snyder were hurt. McKenry (.598 OPS) simply didn’t produce as well as the others (not that a third-string catcher should be expected to do so).
7. Milwaukee Brewers – Jonathan Lucroy/George Kottaras (.262 AVG / .405 SLG / .312 OBP / .717 OPS / .203 SEC)
A middle-of-the-pack finish is actually an improvement for the Brewers. Lucroy has stabilized the catching and should be there for a few years, although Kottaras actually had slightly better offensive stats.
8. Washington Nationals – Wilson Ramos/Ivan Rodriguez/Jesus Flores (.249 AVG / .401 SLG / .312 OBP / .713 OPS / .221 SEC)
Ramos did the same for the Nationals that Lucroy has done for Milwaukee. 15 HR and 52 RBI may not seem like a lot for some teams, but it’s a big step up for the Nats. Not sure why they’ll need Ivan Rodriguez around anymore (I assume Rodriguez is trying to hang in for 3,000 hits; he’s 156 away). Flores offers nothing of note.
9. Philadelphia Phillies – Carlos Ruiz/Brian Schneider (.258 AVG / .353 SLG / .343 OBP / .696 OPS / .187 SEC)
Major drop for the Phillies from previous years. Ruiz (.754 OPS) is slightly above league average at this point, and Brian Schneider (.502 OPS) had the lowest numbers of the 38 catchers on this list. When you’re hitting less than the Cubs’ Koyie Hill, that’s saying something. I don’t expect Schneider to be back next year.
10. San Diego Padres – Nick Hundley/Rob Johnson/Kyle Phillips (.239 AVG / .386 SLG / .305 OBP / .691 OPS / .219 SEC)
This can be broken down in two parts. Nick Hundley (.824 OPS), when he was healthy, was at the same level as Miguel Montero and Brian McCann. However, he only had 308 plate appearances. Johnson (.544 OPS) and Phillips (.548) were unsatisfactory replacements. So the Pads have to keep Hundley healthy and find more competent backups.
11. Florida Marlins – John Buck/Brett Hayes (.228 AVG / .378 SLG / .311 OBP / .688 OPS / .233 SEC)
You could see this one coming. Buck had a career year in 2009 with Kansas City (.802 OPS), so Florida gave him a three-year contract. In 2010, he regressed to his previous level (.683 OPS), which meant his backup actually outhit him slightly. But now they have Buck for two more years, which means Hayes either stays the backup and the Fish lose some of his most valuable years (he’s now 27), or they flip them and Buck becomes a very expensive reserve.
12. New York Mets – Josh Thole/Ronny Paulino (.268 AVG / .347 SLG / .332 OBP / .6791 OPS / .158 SEC)
Let’s face it, Thole was a disappointment this year. He didn’t hit the way the Mets expected, and had some issues behind the plate (although he’s not as bad a catcher as his critics claim). Paulino did nothing special, and I would say he’s not coming back except the Mets really need him to hit lefties, because Thole can’t.
13. Chicago Cubs – Geovany Soto/Koyie Hill (.220 AVG / .378 SLG / .300 OBP / .6785 SLG / .241 SEC)
Soto had a down year last year (he seems to alternate them) and didn’t take as many walks as he did in 2009. Hill has never hit (.545 OPS last year, .573 lifetime), and really should be an emergency guy stashed at AAA only, or a coach.
14. Los Angeles Dodgers – Rod Barajas/Dioner Navarro (.216 AVG / .391 SLG / .283 OBP / .674 OPS / .241 SEC)
Barajas performed as well as he was expected to – some home run power, no batting average, no walks, average defense. Navarro was traded from the Dodgers to the Rays a few years back with the reputation as a great prospect; he came back this year as a backup catcher, and that’s what he remains.
15. San Francisco Giants – Eli Whiteside/Buster Posey/Chris Stewart (.225 AVG / .333 SLG / .302 OBP / .635 OPS / .195 SEC)
I noted in this space last year that if Buster Posey got hurt the Giants would be in serious trouble – and, well, I’m sorry to say I was right. Posey was taken out for the year in a home-plate collision, and Whiteside and Stewart struggled in his stead. In fairness, Posey was only slightly above league average even before his injury, but his exit for the season put a major hurt on the Giants’ chance to repeat.
16. Houston Astros – Humberto Quintero/Carlos Corporan/J.R. Towles (.211 AVG / .293 SLG / .256 OBP / .549 OPS / .128 SEC)
Good Lord, Houston, isn’t it time to get a catcher that can hit? You’ve been in existence now for 50 years, and you’ve had a grand total, to my knowledge, of three catchers with more than 400 plate appearances who’ve put up a single-season OPS of .800 or better (Joe Ferguson in 1977, Alan Ashby in 1987, and Mitch Meluskey in 2000). That’s horrendous. Seriously, there’s no hope here for the future: Jason Castro, who missed 2011 with an ACL injury, was the great hope, and he had a .574 OPS in 2010. J.R. Towles has had an astonishing career: .859 OPS in the minors, .583 with the Astros.
Key:
AVG – batting average (hits/times at bat)
SLG – slugging percentage (total bases/times at bat)
OBP – on-base percentage (hits + walks + times hit by pitch/total plate appearances)
OPS – slugging percentage + on-base percentage
SEC – secondary average (extra bases + walks + stolen bases/at-bats + walks)
NL Catchers
1. Arizona – Miguel Montero/Henry Blanco (.277 AVG / .481 SLG / .348 OBP / .828 OPS / .278 SEC)
Montero took a step up this year, and is pretty much neck-and-neck for the best catcher in the league with Atlanta’s Brian McCann. Blanco actually improved upon Montero’s numbers (Montero - .820 OPS, Blanco - .870), but Blanco’s also 39 years old and unlikely to hit eight home runs in a hundred at-bats again next year.
2. Atlanta – Brian McCann/David Ross (.269 AVG / .456 SLG / .347 OBP / .803 OPS / .278 SEC)
As noted before, Montero and McCann had pretty much the same season in 2011 (they were tied for on-base percentage and three points apart in slugging), so much of the difference here comes down to David Ross vs. Henry Blanco as the backup. Ross’ .761 OBP would be better than all but three NL teams. This is a fine backstop duo, and the least of Atlanta’s worries.
3. St. Louis – Yadier Molina/Gerald Laird (.293 AVG / .447 SLG / .341 OBP / .788 OPS / .221 SEC)
Molina the good showed up this year, and what has sometimes been a black hole offensively turned into a positive. Unable to hold onto his starting position with a few AL teams, Laird is a competent, if unspectacular, backup.
4. Cincinnati Reds – Ramon Hernandez/Ryan Hanigan (.275 AVG / .404 SLG / .349 OBP / .753 OPS / .211 SEC)
Second straight year of pretty good catching from this duo, and possibly the last – rookie Devin Morasco’s presence means Hernandez, at age 35, is unlikely to be resigned.
5. Colorado Rockies – Chris Ianetta/Eliezer Alfonzo/Jose Morales (.246 AVG / .388 SLG / .359 OBP / .746 OPS / .278 SEC)
Ianetta did decently in his first year not platooning with Yorvit Torrealba, although what saved him is taking 70 walks. Alfonzo and Morales were standard backups, so Colorado may be in the market for a better one for 2012.
6. Pittsburgh Pirates – Ryan Doumit/Michael McKenry/Chris Snyder (.267 AVG / .405 SLG / .330 OBP / .735 OPS / .213 SEC)
Not a strength for the Pirates, but not a weakness – except when both Doumit and Snyder were hurt. McKenry (.598 OPS) simply didn’t produce as well as the others (not that a third-string catcher should be expected to do so).
7. Milwaukee Brewers – Jonathan Lucroy/George Kottaras (.262 AVG / .405 SLG / .312 OBP / .717 OPS / .203 SEC)
A middle-of-the-pack finish is actually an improvement for the Brewers. Lucroy has stabilized the catching and should be there for a few years, although Kottaras actually had slightly better offensive stats.
8. Washington Nationals – Wilson Ramos/Ivan Rodriguez/Jesus Flores (.249 AVG / .401 SLG / .312 OBP / .713 OPS / .221 SEC)
Ramos did the same for the Nationals that Lucroy has done for Milwaukee. 15 HR and 52 RBI may not seem like a lot for some teams, but it’s a big step up for the Nats. Not sure why they’ll need Ivan Rodriguez around anymore (I assume Rodriguez is trying to hang in for 3,000 hits; he’s 156 away). Flores offers nothing of note.
9. Philadelphia Phillies – Carlos Ruiz/Brian Schneider (.258 AVG / .353 SLG / .343 OBP / .696 OPS / .187 SEC)
Major drop for the Phillies from previous years. Ruiz (.754 OPS) is slightly above league average at this point, and Brian Schneider (.502 OPS) had the lowest numbers of the 38 catchers on this list. When you’re hitting less than the Cubs’ Koyie Hill, that’s saying something. I don’t expect Schneider to be back next year.
10. San Diego Padres – Nick Hundley/Rob Johnson/Kyle Phillips (.239 AVG / .386 SLG / .305 OBP / .691 OPS / .219 SEC)
This can be broken down in two parts. Nick Hundley (.824 OPS), when he was healthy, was at the same level as Miguel Montero and Brian McCann. However, he only had 308 plate appearances. Johnson (.544 OPS) and Phillips (.548) were unsatisfactory replacements. So the Pads have to keep Hundley healthy and find more competent backups.
11. Florida Marlins – John Buck/Brett Hayes (.228 AVG / .378 SLG / .311 OBP / .688 OPS / .233 SEC)
You could see this one coming. Buck had a career year in 2009 with Kansas City (.802 OPS), so Florida gave him a three-year contract. In 2010, he regressed to his previous level (.683 OPS), which meant his backup actually outhit him slightly. But now they have Buck for two more years, which means Hayes either stays the backup and the Fish lose some of his most valuable years (he’s now 27), or they flip them and Buck becomes a very expensive reserve.
12. New York Mets – Josh Thole/Ronny Paulino (.268 AVG / .347 SLG / .332 OBP / .6791 OPS / .158 SEC)
Let’s face it, Thole was a disappointment this year. He didn’t hit the way the Mets expected, and had some issues behind the plate (although he’s not as bad a catcher as his critics claim). Paulino did nothing special, and I would say he’s not coming back except the Mets really need him to hit lefties, because Thole can’t.
13. Chicago Cubs – Geovany Soto/Koyie Hill (.220 AVG / .378 SLG / .300 OBP / .6785 SLG / .241 SEC)
Soto had a down year last year (he seems to alternate them) and didn’t take as many walks as he did in 2009. Hill has never hit (.545 OPS last year, .573 lifetime), and really should be an emergency guy stashed at AAA only, or a coach.
14. Los Angeles Dodgers – Rod Barajas/Dioner Navarro (.216 AVG / .391 SLG / .283 OBP / .674 OPS / .241 SEC)
Barajas performed as well as he was expected to – some home run power, no batting average, no walks, average defense. Navarro was traded from the Dodgers to the Rays a few years back with the reputation as a great prospect; he came back this year as a backup catcher, and that’s what he remains.
15. San Francisco Giants – Eli Whiteside/Buster Posey/Chris Stewart (.225 AVG / .333 SLG / .302 OBP / .635 OPS / .195 SEC)
I noted in this space last year that if Buster Posey got hurt the Giants would be in serious trouble – and, well, I’m sorry to say I was right. Posey was taken out for the year in a home-plate collision, and Whiteside and Stewart struggled in his stead. In fairness, Posey was only slightly above league average even before his injury, but his exit for the season put a major hurt on the Giants’ chance to repeat.
16. Houston Astros – Humberto Quintero/Carlos Corporan/J.R. Towles (.211 AVG / .293 SLG / .256 OBP / .549 OPS / .128 SEC)
Good Lord, Houston, isn’t it time to get a catcher that can hit? You’ve been in existence now for 50 years, and you’ve had a grand total, to my knowledge, of three catchers with more than 400 plate appearances who’ve put up a single-season OPS of .800 or better (Joe Ferguson in 1977, Alan Ashby in 1987, and Mitch Meluskey in 2000). That’s horrendous. Seriously, there’s no hope here for the future: Jason Castro, who missed 2011 with an ACL injury, was the great hope, and he had a .574 OPS in 2010. J.R. Towles has had an astonishing career: .859 OPS in the minors, .583 with the Astros.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Live Blogging Baseball 9/28/11, Part 2
10:13 PM
And Prado ground out. On to the 13th, and I'm going to bed.
*****
10:10 PM
Hayward goes to third base on a wild pitch.
*****
10:05 PM
Hayward singles to open the bottom of the 12th for the Braves, and Jack Wilson bunts him over. A single should win this game for Atlanta and would send them into a one-game playoff tomorrow.
Now two out, Martin Prado at the plate.
*****
10:00 PM
Phillies do nothing in the top of the 12th inning, so the Braves can end it in the bottom of the 12th.
*****
9:57 PM
St. Louis-Houston was the last game of these four to start, and they've been done for a half-hour. Two games in extra innings, and it looks like they're finally going to get started again in Baltimore.
*****
9:54 PM
And Tampa Bay and the Yankees go to the 10th inning.
*****
9:44 PM
Phillies have runners on first and second and two outs. They're also taking out their regulars at a rapid pace -- no reason why not; this game means nothing to them, and they're better off tiring out the Braves and Cardinals anyway -- so Atlanta will have every chance to win.
And Tampa just tied the Yankees at 7.
*****
9:40 PM
Yankees don't score in the ninth inning, so going to the bottom of the ninth, they hold a slim one-run lead. They've also used nine pitchers, which may have seemed clever earlier but won't be if the game goes 14 innings or more.
*****
9:29 PM
Great catch by Michael Martinez of the Phillies in deep center off Chipper Jones. Martinez misses it, the game's over. On to the 11th inning in Atlanta, still tied 3-3.
*****
9:26 PM
I'm back. Because Tampa Bay has scored six runs in the eighth inning. Meanwhile, Michael Bourn singles to open the bottom of the tenth for Atlanta. They need him to score, because St. Louis won their game.
And Prado ground out. On to the 13th, and I'm going to bed.
*****
10:10 PM
Hayward goes to third base on a wild pitch.
*****
10:05 PM
Hayward singles to open the bottom of the 12th for the Braves, and Jack Wilson bunts him over. A single should win this game for Atlanta and would send them into a one-game playoff tomorrow.
Now two out, Martin Prado at the plate.
*****
10:00 PM
Phillies do nothing in the top of the 12th inning, so the Braves can end it in the bottom of the 12th.
*****
9:57 PM
St. Louis-Houston was the last game of these four to start, and they've been done for a half-hour. Two games in extra innings, and it looks like they're finally going to get started again in Baltimore.
*****
9:54 PM
And Tampa Bay and the Yankees go to the 10th inning.
*****
9:44 PM
Phillies have runners on first and second and two outs. They're also taking out their regulars at a rapid pace -- no reason why not; this game means nothing to them, and they're better off tiring out the Braves and Cardinals anyway -- so Atlanta will have every chance to win.
And Tampa just tied the Yankees at 7.
*****
9:40 PM
Yankees don't score in the ninth inning, so going to the bottom of the ninth, they hold a slim one-run lead. They've also used nine pitchers, which may have seemed clever earlier but won't be if the game goes 14 innings or more.
*****
9:29 PM
Great catch by Michael Martinez of the Phillies in deep center off Chipper Jones. Martinez misses it, the game's over. On to the 11th inning in Atlanta, still tied 3-3.
*****
9:26 PM
I'm back. Because Tampa Bay has scored six runs in the eighth inning. Meanwhile, Michael Bourn singles to open the bottom of the tenth for Atlanta. They need him to score, because St. Louis won their game.
Live Blogging Baseball 9/28/11
9:10 PM
Extra innings.
*****
9:08 PM
Atlanta has one out in the bottom of the ninth. Yankees and St. Louis still up 7-0. If the Braves game goes to extra innings, I'll switch to television (which means no more blogging).
*****
9:02 PM
Medlen does the job in Atlanta -- Michael Martinez pops out to end the inning. But it's now 3-3 going to the bottom of the ninth inning.
*****
9:00 PM
Kris Medlen is in for the Braves, for his second game of the year. Seriously? Well, okay, Atlanta, keep your fingers crossed.
Meanwhile, Yankees still lead 7-0 over Tampa Bay, Cardinals still lead 7-0 over Houston, and it's still raining in Boston.
*****
8:59 PM
And now Hunter Pence walks. Kimbrel's out, but since Atlanta's already used O'Flaherty and Venters (the other two-thirds of their bullpen trio), this may not help.
*****
8:56 PM
Sacrifice fly by Utley. Tied at 3.
*****
8:54 PM
Rollins walks. Bases loaded, one out, Chase Utley coming to the plate. Atlanta fans are probably a wee bit nervous.
*****
8:54 PM
2-2 on Rollins. Make it 3-2. Kimbrel is going to be the Rookie of the Year, but he won't be popular in Atlanta if he punts this.
*****
8:51 PM
Ben Francisco draws a walk. Tying run is at second base, go-ahead run at first base, one out. Jimmy Rollins at bat.
*****
8:49 PM
Carlos Ruiz at the plate for the Phillies. And he strikes out. One down.
*****
8:47 PM
Placido Polanco singles to open the ninth. Philadelphia trailing, 3-2. They have a direct stake in the outcome -- if the Braves win the wild card, they get either Milwaukee or Arizona in the first round; if the Cardinals win the wild card, they get St. Louis instead.
*****
8:45 PM
Atlanta does nothing in the bottom of the eighth inning. I'll switch to that game to listen to the top of the ninth to see if Philadelphia can score.
*****
8:43 PM
No change in the scores. I'm listening to the Tampa Bay broadcast, and they're sounding a little mournful. Yankees bringing in defensive replacements, which may be offset by the fact that they've brought in A.J. Burnett to relieve.
*****
8:34 PM
And it's raining in Baltimore. Tarp's on the field.
*****
8:26 PM
Late start. Here are the scores:
Boston 3, Baltimore 2, top of the seventh inning
Yankees 7, Tampa Bay 0, bottom of the sixth inning
Atlanta 3, Philadelphia 2, top of the eighth inning
St. Louis 7, Houston 0, top of the sixth inning
So if the games ended this way, we'd have Boston winning the AL wild card outright, and a one-game playoff tomorrow between St. Louis and Atlanta.
Oh, the picture has nothing to do with tonight's game. It's the old Memorial Stadium in Baltimore.
Extra innings.
*****
9:08 PM
Atlanta has one out in the bottom of the ninth. Yankees and St. Louis still up 7-0. If the Braves game goes to extra innings, I'll switch to television (which means no more blogging).
*****
9:02 PM
Medlen does the job in Atlanta -- Michael Martinez pops out to end the inning. But it's now 3-3 going to the bottom of the ninth inning.
*****
9:00 PM
Kris Medlen is in for the Braves, for his second game of the year. Seriously? Well, okay, Atlanta, keep your fingers crossed.
Meanwhile, Yankees still lead 7-0 over Tampa Bay, Cardinals still lead 7-0 over Houston, and it's still raining in Boston.
*****
8:59 PM
And now Hunter Pence walks. Kimbrel's out, but since Atlanta's already used O'Flaherty and Venters (the other two-thirds of their bullpen trio), this may not help.
*****
8:56 PM
Sacrifice fly by Utley. Tied at 3.
*****
8:54 PM
Rollins walks. Bases loaded, one out, Chase Utley coming to the plate. Atlanta fans are probably a wee bit nervous.
*****
8:54 PM
2-2 on Rollins. Make it 3-2. Kimbrel is going to be the Rookie of the Year, but he won't be popular in Atlanta if he punts this.
*****
8:51 PM
Ben Francisco draws a walk. Tying run is at second base, go-ahead run at first base, one out. Jimmy Rollins at bat.
*****
8:49 PM
Carlos Ruiz at the plate for the Phillies. And he strikes out. One down.
*****
8:47 PM
Placido Polanco singles to open the ninth. Philadelphia trailing, 3-2. They have a direct stake in the outcome -- if the Braves win the wild card, they get either Milwaukee or Arizona in the first round; if the Cardinals win the wild card, they get St. Louis instead.
*****
8:45 PM
Atlanta does nothing in the bottom of the eighth inning. I'll switch to that game to listen to the top of the ninth to see if Philadelphia can score.
*****
8:43 PM
No change in the scores. I'm listening to the Tampa Bay broadcast, and they're sounding a little mournful. Yankees bringing in defensive replacements, which may be offset by the fact that they've brought in A.J. Burnett to relieve.
*****
8:34 PM
And it's raining in Baltimore. Tarp's on the field.
*****
8:26 PM
Late start. Here are the scores:
Boston 3, Baltimore 2, top of the seventh inning
Yankees 7, Tampa Bay 0, bottom of the sixth inning
Atlanta 3, Philadelphia 2, top of the eighth inning
St. Louis 7, Houston 0, top of the sixth inning
So if the games ended this way, we'd have Boston winning the AL wild card outright, and a one-game playoff tomorrow between St. Louis and Atlanta.
Oh, the picture has nothing to do with tonight's game. It's the old Memorial Stadium in Baltimore.
Game 162
Good news -- most of the games we'll want to see are on ESPN tonight. Boston at Baltimore on ESPN, Philadelphia at Atlanta on ESPN2, and ESPN2 will switch to the St. Louis/Houston game once the first game is complete.
St. Louis did beat Houston last night, so there is a tie for both wild-card positions going into tonight's games, the last of the regular season.
Should one or both of the wild-card spots end in a tie, the one-game playoff times are set. The games would be in Tampa Bay and Atlanta, and TBS has broadcast rights to both games, so virtually anyone in the country with cable access should be able to see them.
I'll try to live blog as much as I can -- my son has tae kwon do tonight. (Priorities!)
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Live Blogging Baseball 9/27/11
9:43 PM
Jones grounds to third. Game over, and we're tied for the AL wild card going to game 162.
Meanwhile, St. Louis leads 9-6, and I'm shutting down for the night.
*****
9:42 PM
Full count, 3-2 to Adam Jones. 26 pitches for Papelbon this inning.
And one more. Foul ball. Still 3-2.
*****
9:41 PM
And a foul ball. Still 2-2.
Meanwhile, the Mets and Reds are tied in the 11th. Yeah, I know; no one cares but me.
*****
9:39 PM
1-2 on Adam Jones, and the Sox announcers think the home plate umpire should have called strike three on the last pitch. According to the MLB graph, he should have, but what are you gonna do?
Ball, outside (this one really was). 2-2 count.
*****
9:35 PM
Back in Baltimore, the Red Sox catch a break and get an out on a nubber. Now it's 8-7 (Hardy scored on the play). Tying run on second, two out. I guess they pitch to Adam Jones, but don't give him anything good to hit -- a base hit ties the game, a home run wins it.
*****
9:35 PM
Ryan Theriot just hit a triple. Cardinals lead, 8-6.
*****
9:32 PM
Vladimir Guerrero has a base hit. So runners on first and third, one out. And the O's are pinch-running for Guerrero. If the runner on first (Matt Angle) steals second, do you walk the winning run to fill the bases?
*****
9:30 PM
Five foul balls in a row on a 3-2 count. Yeah, I know there's no action in baseball. If you can't deal with it, go watch a soccer game. 95 percent more action, 93 percent of which is meaningless.
Okay, Markakis out at first, Hardy moves to second.
*****
9:27 PM
Cardinals have tied up their game on a single by Berkman and a double by Allan Craig, whoever he is. In Baltimore, J.J. Hardy singled, and Nick Markakis has worked a full count. Still nobody out. I'm surprised they haven't pinch-run for Hardy, who isn't very fast, but I guess the logic is the next guy has to be the speedy one, anyway.
*****
9:22 PM
Bottom of the ninth. Let's see if the Red Sox can hang on. Wait, J.J. Hardy has 29 home runs? When did that happen? (I've got to start following the American League more closely.)
*****
9:12 PM
I'm surprised Houston's staying in this; they have an awful, awful team. And they'll probably be awful for the next couple of years. The good news is they're in a major market (6th in population overall in the U.S.), so they should be able to dig their way out of the hole a little quicker. Nobody talks about this much, but perpetual losers like Pittsburgh and Baltimore are very small markets -- and Baltimore's right next to Washington, DC and Philadelphia, which doesn't help.
*****
9:08 PM
Side retired in the eighth inning, Boston still leads Baltimore by two, 8-6. It's nice listening to the Red Sox radio broadcast, too. I spent a lot of time listening to Mets games this summer (I got the MLB radio package over the internet, which for twenty bucks is totally worth it), but I didn't take advantage of the other teams. Quick note: if you get this during spring training, don't get frustrated -- most teams don't broadcast games over the radio in the spring. All of the regular season games for every team are available.
*****
9:04 PM
Braves have already lost their game. But St. Louis is somehow losing to Houston again. Meanwhile, the Red Sox have given up two runs in the bottom of the eighth to Baltimore.
I guess I'd prefer to see the Red Sox make the playoffs, just to avoid the endless "collapse/choke" stories. But I don't dislike the Rays, and since they've won again tonight, they aren't going away. As for the NL, I'd definitely prefer the Braves. I spent two years in North Carolina, and became sort of a Braves fan by osmosis. I know the Braves and the Mets are rivals, but the Mets had a rivalry with St. Louis in the 1980s -- and I can't stand Tony LaRussa.
*****
8:50 PM
One reason why the Yankees are so tough -- every player on their team is willing to take a walk. Three players have 75 or more. I would be willing to bet that leads the league.
*****
8:48 PM
Red Sox are finally playing a decent game, but Tampa Bay is winning as well. Atlanta is being pounded by the Phillies, and St. Louis Cardinals were tied with Houston at last check. Possible to have two ties for the wild card when the season ends tomorrow?
Jones grounds to third. Game over, and we're tied for the AL wild card going to game 162.
Meanwhile, St. Louis leads 9-6, and I'm shutting down for the night.
*****
9:42 PM
Full count, 3-2 to Adam Jones. 26 pitches for Papelbon this inning.
And one more. Foul ball. Still 3-2.
*****
9:41 PM
And a foul ball. Still 2-2.
Meanwhile, the Mets and Reds are tied in the 11th. Yeah, I know; no one cares but me.
*****
9:39 PM
1-2 on Adam Jones, and the Sox announcers think the home plate umpire should have called strike three on the last pitch. According to the MLB graph, he should have, but what are you gonna do?
Ball, outside (this one really was). 2-2 count.
*****
9:35 PM
Back in Baltimore, the Red Sox catch a break and get an out on a nubber. Now it's 8-7 (Hardy scored on the play). Tying run on second, two out. I guess they pitch to Adam Jones, but don't give him anything good to hit -- a base hit ties the game, a home run wins it.
*****
9:35 PM
Ryan Theriot just hit a triple. Cardinals lead, 8-6.
*****
9:32 PM
Vladimir Guerrero has a base hit. So runners on first and third, one out. And the O's are pinch-running for Guerrero. If the runner on first (Matt Angle) steals second, do you walk the winning run to fill the bases?
*****
9:30 PM
Five foul balls in a row on a 3-2 count. Yeah, I know there's no action in baseball. If you can't deal with it, go watch a soccer game. 95 percent more action, 93 percent of which is meaningless.
Okay, Markakis out at first, Hardy moves to second.
*****
9:27 PM
Cardinals have tied up their game on a single by Berkman and a double by Allan Craig, whoever he is. In Baltimore, J.J. Hardy singled, and Nick Markakis has worked a full count. Still nobody out. I'm surprised they haven't pinch-run for Hardy, who isn't very fast, but I guess the logic is the next guy has to be the speedy one, anyway.
*****
9:22 PM
Bottom of the ninth. Let's see if the Red Sox can hang on. Wait, J.J. Hardy has 29 home runs? When did that happen? (I've got to start following the American League more closely.)
*****
9:12 PM
I'm surprised Houston's staying in this; they have an awful, awful team. And they'll probably be awful for the next couple of years. The good news is they're in a major market (6th in population overall in the U.S.), so they should be able to dig their way out of the hole a little quicker. Nobody talks about this much, but perpetual losers like Pittsburgh and Baltimore are very small markets -- and Baltimore's right next to Washington, DC and Philadelphia, which doesn't help.
*****
9:08 PM
Side retired in the eighth inning, Boston still leads Baltimore by two, 8-6. It's nice listening to the Red Sox radio broadcast, too. I spent a lot of time listening to Mets games this summer (I got the MLB radio package over the internet, which for twenty bucks is totally worth it), but I didn't take advantage of the other teams. Quick note: if you get this during spring training, don't get frustrated -- most teams don't broadcast games over the radio in the spring. All of the regular season games for every team are available.
*****
9:04 PM
Braves have already lost their game. But St. Louis is somehow losing to Houston again. Meanwhile, the Red Sox have given up two runs in the bottom of the eighth to Baltimore.
I guess I'd prefer to see the Red Sox make the playoffs, just to avoid the endless "collapse/choke" stories. But I don't dislike the Rays, and since they've won again tonight, they aren't going away. As for the NL, I'd definitely prefer the Braves. I spent two years in North Carolina, and became sort of a Braves fan by osmosis. I know the Braves and the Mets are rivals, but the Mets had a rivalry with St. Louis in the 1980s -- and I can't stand Tony LaRussa.
*****
8:50 PM
One reason why the Yankees are so tough -- every player on their team is willing to take a walk. Three players have 75 or more. I would be willing to bet that leads the league.
*****
8:48 PM
Red Sox are finally playing a decent game, but Tampa Bay is winning as well. Atlanta is being pounded by the Phillies, and St. Louis Cardinals were tied with Houston at last check. Possible to have two ties for the wild card when the season ends tomorrow?
Monday, September 26, 2011
Live Blogging Baseball Tonight
8:29 PM
Yankees do nothing in the seventh inning. St. Louis has tacked on a run in the fifth inning, but they're still losing to Houston, 4-2.
*****
8:26 PM
Listening to the Red Sox radio broadcast -- they're obviously frustrated, but they're not homers, either. Which is as it should be. I'll never get used to listening to baseball broadcasts in the Midwest, where the announcers root for the home team. You never hear that on the East Coast, or the West Coast (the influence of Vin Scully and Russ Hodges when the Dodgers and Giants moved west).
*****
8:23 PM
And Robert Andino hits a three-run inside-the-park home run -- I missed part of it; it popped out of someone's glove when they hit the fence. 6-2, Orioles.
*****
8:20 PM
Baltimore takes the lead on Boston on a double by Chris Davis. Davis has two RBI on the night.
*****
8:19 PM
Philadelphia does nothing in the top of the seventh against Atlanta. I have no fear of anyone in the Phillie lineup; it's the pitching staff that would worry me. Milwaukee would appear to be the biggest obstacle for the Phillies to overcome, but I have to say I don't know the Diamondbacks very well.
*****
8:16 PM
Shall I ask why Baltimore is batting Mark Reynolds, who's hit 37 home runs, seventh in the lineup? Yeah, he's struck out over 190 times, but he's still probably one of their best hitters. There are reasons, I suppose, why Buck Showalter's managing his fourth team.
*****
8:13 PM
Houston now up on St. Louis 4-1, on a home run by Downs, who I've never heard of. It would pretty galling if St. Louis struggles to beat the only 100-loss team in the majors at the most crucial point of the season.
*****
8:07 PM
Houston pushes across two runs in the top of the fourth to take the lead over St. Louis. Meanwhile, Ozzie Guillen may be out as manager of the White Sox.
*****
8:05 PM
Red Sox go down very quickly in the top of the 6th inning. Alex Rodriguez leads off the top of the 6th for the Yankees -- only .276-16-62 this year? I know he missed a fair amount of time with injuries, but still...
*****
7:57 PM
Philadelphia takes the lead over Atlanta, 3-2, on a triple by Shane Victorino and a single by Raul Ibanez. I'd say Atlanta has a better chance of losing the wild card than Atlanta, given they're playing the Phillies (best record in the league) the last three games while St. Louis is at Houston (worst record in the league). Boston has a similar advantage; they in Baltimore while Tampa Bay hosts the Yankees.
*****
7:56 PM
I would be more impressed with MLB.com's Free Game of the Day if it weren't the LA Dodgers at Arizona -- a game with no playoff ramifications whatsoever.
*****
7:52 PM
Still two races yet to be decided.
Red Sox and Orioles tied in the bottom of the fifth inning, Tampa Bay beating the Yankees 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth. Red Sox hold a one-game lead.
In the National League, Philadelphia and Atlanta are tied 2-2 in the top of the sixth inning, while St. Louis leads Houston 1-0 in the top of the third inning. Atlanta holds a one-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Yankees do nothing in the seventh inning. St. Louis has tacked on a run in the fifth inning, but they're still losing to Houston, 4-2.
*****
8:26 PM
Listening to the Red Sox radio broadcast -- they're obviously frustrated, but they're not homers, either. Which is as it should be. I'll never get used to listening to baseball broadcasts in the Midwest, where the announcers root for the home team. You never hear that on the East Coast, or the West Coast (the influence of Vin Scully and Russ Hodges when the Dodgers and Giants moved west).
*****
8:23 PM
And Robert Andino hits a three-run inside-the-park home run -- I missed part of it; it popped out of someone's glove when they hit the fence. 6-2, Orioles.
*****
8:20 PM
Baltimore takes the lead on Boston on a double by Chris Davis. Davis has two RBI on the night.
*****
8:19 PM
Philadelphia does nothing in the top of the seventh against Atlanta. I have no fear of anyone in the Phillie lineup; it's the pitching staff that would worry me. Milwaukee would appear to be the biggest obstacle for the Phillies to overcome, but I have to say I don't know the Diamondbacks very well.
*****
8:16 PM
Shall I ask why Baltimore is batting Mark Reynolds, who's hit 37 home runs, seventh in the lineup? Yeah, he's struck out over 190 times, but he's still probably one of their best hitters. There are reasons, I suppose, why Buck Showalter's managing his fourth team.
*****
8:13 PM
Houston now up on St. Louis 4-1, on a home run by Downs, who I've never heard of. It would pretty galling if St. Louis struggles to beat the only 100-loss team in the majors at the most crucial point of the season.
*****
8:07 PM
Houston pushes across two runs in the top of the fourth to take the lead over St. Louis. Meanwhile, Ozzie Guillen may be out as manager of the White Sox.
*****
8:05 PM
Red Sox go down very quickly in the top of the 6th inning. Alex Rodriguez leads off the top of the 6th for the Yankees -- only .276-16-62 this year? I know he missed a fair amount of time with injuries, but still...
*****
7:57 PM
Philadelphia takes the lead over Atlanta, 3-2, on a triple by Shane Victorino and a single by Raul Ibanez. I'd say Atlanta has a better chance of losing the wild card than Atlanta, given they're playing the Phillies (best record in the league) the last three games while St. Louis is at Houston (worst record in the league). Boston has a similar advantage; they in Baltimore while Tampa Bay hosts the Yankees.
*****
7:56 PM
I would be more impressed with MLB.com's Free Game of the Day if it weren't the LA Dodgers at Arizona -- a game with no playoff ramifications whatsoever.
*****
7:52 PM
Still two races yet to be decided.
Red Sox and Orioles tied in the bottom of the fifth inning, Tampa Bay beating the Yankees 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth. Red Sox hold a one-game lead.
In the National League, Philadelphia and Atlanta are tied 2-2 in the top of the sixth inning, while St. Louis leads Houston 1-0 in the top of the third inning. Atlanta holds a one-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
What I Carry With Me at All Times, and Why
Well, almost all times.
- My wallet.
- My cell phone.
- Keys to the house and car.
- A backpack containing the following:
- iPod.
- A couple of magazines.
- The book I'm reading.
- An umbrella. (I have to get a new one; yesterday's wind and rain destroyed my old one.)
- A baseball cap. (Mostly to cover my head. Usually I wear Cubs, White Sox, Bears, or Northern Illinois. When in Rome...)
- Aspirin and allergy pills. (Always useful.)
- A pack of Life Savers. (Usually Five Flavors.)
- A couple of pens and a pad. Because you never know.
Let me explain the last one.
In December 1993, I had just started back as a senior production manager at St. Martin's Press (still the best job ever). I was working almost exclusively on Tor Books, a primarily science fiction house that SMP owns, but operates fairly independently. Tor had just launched a new imprint, Forge, for the books that weren't technically SF, horror, or fantasy. Still mostly fiction, but the occasional nonfiction book as well.
We were having a sales conference in Short Hills, NJ, which was launching the books that would appear in the Spring 1994 catalog. And the lead Forge title was The October Twelve, by Phil Rizzuto, former New York Yankee shortstop turned broadcaster, with Tom Horton. To promote the book, Rizzuto was appearing at the sales conference.
Oddly, the event Rizzuto was at didn't have many, if any, actual sales reps - I believe they were elsewhere at that point. No matter, however, Phil was going to promote the book. And he'd brought along a friend -- Yogi Berra. Right up front, they said they didn't really have a speech prepared; they would open the floor to questions.
Now, remember Phil and Yogi probably weren't aware of who they were talking to -- a room full of science fiction, fantasy, and horror editors and writers. If they knew the two of them at all, they knew Rizzuto from "Paradise From the Dashboard Light," and thought Yogi Berra was named after that cartoon character.
It quickly transpired that there were three people in the room who knew anything about baseball: the editor of the book (who would last another year), the president of the company, and me.
I don't remember what questions I asked, but I asked a lot of questions. And between the three of us, it went pretty well. And then they offered to sign autographs.
And I had brought nothing to write on, or with. No paper, no books, no newspaper, no nothing. The editor told me he'd get me a signed copy of the book, but I don't think that's coming at this point.
So I carry a couple of pens and a pad with me. Because you never know.
- My wallet.
- My cell phone.
- Keys to the house and car.
- A backpack containing the following:
- iPod.
- A couple of magazines.
- The book I'm reading.
- An umbrella. (I have to get a new one; yesterday's wind and rain destroyed my old one.)
- A baseball cap. (Mostly to cover my head. Usually I wear Cubs, White Sox, Bears, or Northern Illinois. When in Rome...)
- Aspirin and allergy pills. (Always useful.)
- A pack of Life Savers. (Usually Five Flavors.)
- A couple of pens and a pad. Because you never know.
Let me explain the last one.
In December 1993, I had just started back as a senior production manager at St. Martin's Press (still the best job ever). I was working almost exclusively on Tor Books, a primarily science fiction house that SMP owns, but operates fairly independently. Tor had just launched a new imprint, Forge, for the books that weren't technically SF, horror, or fantasy. Still mostly fiction, but the occasional nonfiction book as well.
We were having a sales conference in Short Hills, NJ, which was launching the books that would appear in the Spring 1994 catalog. And the lead Forge title was The October Twelve, by Phil Rizzuto, former New York Yankee shortstop turned broadcaster, with Tom Horton. To promote the book, Rizzuto was appearing at the sales conference.
Oddly, the event Rizzuto was at didn't have many, if any, actual sales reps - I believe they were elsewhere at that point. No matter, however, Phil was going to promote the book. And he'd brought along a friend -- Yogi Berra. Right up front, they said they didn't really have a speech prepared; they would open the floor to questions.
Now, remember Phil and Yogi probably weren't aware of who they were talking to -- a room full of science fiction, fantasy, and horror editors and writers. If they knew the two of them at all, they knew Rizzuto from "Paradise From the Dashboard Light," and thought Yogi Berra was named after that cartoon character.
It quickly transpired that there were three people in the room who knew anything about baseball: the editor of the book (who would last another year), the president of the company, and me.
I don't remember what questions I asked, but I asked a lot of questions. And between the three of us, it went pretty well. And then they offered to sign autographs.
And I had brought nothing to write on, or with. No paper, no books, no newspaper, no nothing. The editor told me he'd get me a signed copy of the book, but I don't think that's coming at this point.
So I carry a couple of pens and a pad with me. Because you never know.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Superhits '78, Part 3
The Bee Gees, “Staying Alive,” #1 (four weeks), February 5, 1978
And here come the Bee Gees songs. In fairness, we’re starting out with the best of the bunch, and a seminal song of the era that’s still played regularly on oldies stations to this day. Not everybody loves it, but it’s still a classic. And it just may have kept some people alive, at that: NPR reported in 2010 the song’s 103 beats per minute (which keeps it far away from the disco standard of 126, by the way) is nearly the same as the the recommended chest compression rate of 100 per minute – so CMTs have been taught to keep the song in their head when they perform emergency duties.
Queen, “We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions,” #4, February 5, 1978
Another classic, but for entirely different reasons. Freddie Mercury wrote “We Are the Champions” with the idea of composing a song for use at football (soccer) matches, and it’s stuck. The pounding “We Will Rock You” made for a nice double A-side, with many stations simply putting the two songs back to back (at just over 5 minutes, it was a little longer than the average single song, but not ridiculously long – “Staying Alive,” for example, clocked in only about fifteen seconds shorter by itself). Cheers used “We Will Rock You” for a classic teaser shot; here's the link from writer Ken Levine (and the video as well).
Electric Light Orchestra, “Turn to Stone,” #13, February 5, 1978
First of four chart singles from the double album Out of the Blue, and arguably ELO at its peak. Easy to dance to, but still appealing to rock fans (unlike, say, “Shine a Little Love,” the lead single off the 1979 album Discovery). Although none of the singles hit the top 10 in the United States, Out of the Blue made it to #4 and went quadruple platinum. (In fairness, the RIAA counts each sale of a double album as two since there’s two LPs inside, so that skews it a bit.) Out of the Blue was my first ELO purchase in 1979 (for the astonishing price of $3.99 at Korvettes; that was quite something for a double LP that hadn’t been remaindered), later on I found out ELO sued their distributors for releasing defective copies at discount prices. For what it’s worth, my copy’s fine.
Bill Withers, “Lovely Day,” #30, February 5, 1978
The last of Bill Withers’ hits (excluding the Grover Washington Jr. song “Just the Two of Us,” for which he supplied lead vocals but didn’t get a credit on the sleeve), this song has had more covers and samples than I could possibly list – everything from a remake off The Bodyguard soundtrack to Luther Vandross to LL Cool J. But I love the original – this guy can really hold a note.
Donna Summer, “I Love You,” #37, February 5, 1978
Clever title for a song, eh? First single from her Once Upon a Time album (released just before her total chart dominance from the summer of ’78 through early spring of 1980, where there was a total of one week without a Summer song in the top 40), and not a big hit. Still a fun song to dance to (especially when paired with “Rumour Has It,” which I believe it was on a 12-inch disco disk), and a bit of an oddity lyrically: in the fourth verse, was the lyric written that way (repeating part of the third verse and not rhyming), or did Summer just blow the lyric and no one said “We have to do a retake”? This sort of stuff bothers the crap out of me. This video shows her appearing on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson, by the way.
George Duke, “Reach for It, “ #54, February 5, 1978
Late ‘70s funk from a guy who’s played with everyone from Frank Zappa to Jean-Luc Ponty. Ironically, for a song that features the chant “Dance!” over and over again (the only other lyrics are a spoken-word intro and the beginning and a quasi-rap at the end – almost two years before the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” broke), this isn’t a very danceable tune.
Heart, “Crazy on You,” #62, February 5, 1978
You would have thought this was a bigger hit, given it’s been a staple of classic rock stations since the early 1980s. (And deservedly so.) The Wilson sisters’ message, born in the post-Vietnam era, was that the couple in question should just forget all their other issues for one night and boink. (Nancy Wilson added the rapid-fire guitar parts were inspired by The Moody Blues’ “Question.”) “Crazy on You” was actually the first single off their debut album with Mushroom Records in 1976, Dreamboat Annie, and reached #35 at that time (the followup, “Magic Man,” would really launch their careers. Two years later, Heart had bailed for Portrait Records, a subsidiary of Epic/Columbia, after Mushroom unveiled a particularly repugnant advertising campaign that would lead the unknowing to believe the Wilson sisters were lovers, and Mushroom scraped up whatever they could to make more money off their one-album wonder. First up was an album of demos and whatever else was lying around, Magazine, which the band sued to have recalled (the band then rerecorded, remixed, and re-released it a year later). The second was this song’s rerelease. Mushroom Records (also home to late ‘70s Canadian bands such as Doucette and Chilliwack, as well as ex-Fairport Convention member Ian Matthews) went out of business in 1980; the two Heart albums are still in print with Capitol Records today. The video is from the 1970s show The Midnight Special, which NBC aired on Friday nights after Johnny Carson.
Gary Wright, “Touch and Gone,” #73, February 5, 1978
Yikes. Maybe you can have too many synthesizers on one record. Third consecutive flop single from Wright, after he’d had back-to-back #2 hits in 1976 with “Dream Weaver” and “Our Love Is Alive.” (No embeddable video available.)
Earth, Wind, and Fire, “Serpentine Fire,” #13, February 12, 1978
EWF was on such a hot streak during the late ‘70s; 13 Hot 100 hits, all but one of which made the top 40, and six top 10s – nearly all of which will still make you smile when they come on the radio. “Serpentine Fire,” the lead single for All ‘n All, conked out at #13, but it’s still a good one, and it’s easily recognizable and danceable despite the slightly jittery rhythm.
Neil Diamond, “Desiree,” #16, February 12, 1978
Another “boy becomes a man” song, this time courtesy of Mr. Diamond, who you’d think would have covered this territory before. Diamond’s singles track record had been spotty after leaving Uni Records for Columbia in 1973 – only “Longfellow Serenade” made the top 10 during those five years – so this was actually one of his bigger hits before the Barbra Streisand duet later that year.
The Commodores, “Too Hot ta Trot,” #22, February 12, 1978
Knockoff of their own “Brick House” hit that had gone top 5 three months before; this is the one studio track from Commodores Live!, and it probably goosed up the sales a bit, it’s nothing special – although it does provide a break on greatest hits sets between Lionel Richie ballads.
Johnny Rivers, “Curious Mind (Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um),” #41, February 12, 1978
30th (and, to date, last) chart single for Rivers. Geez, this guy was around forever – he first started hitting the charts around the same time as The Beatles. Most of his chart hits were covers, ranging from Chuck Berry’s “Maybelline” to Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic,” and of course this one was one as well (Major Lance did the original). Not the best arrangement ever, but still a decent song.
El Coco, “Cocomotion,” #44, February 12, 1978
Typical nearly wordless disco concoction of the era. Studio band led by W. Michael Lewis and Laurin Rinder. They had a few more Hot 100 hits under different names over the course of the year, so you’ll see them again soon, whether you want to or not.
Firefall, “So Long,” #48, February 12, 1978
They sound awfully chipper considering the relationship is ending, but that’s just the way the band is. Seventh Hot 100 hit from a group made up of remnants from such bands as The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and Jo Jo Gunne, and an inspiration for – well, when Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, and Chris Hillman (three-fifths of The Byrds) got back together as a trio, Firefall’s producers were brought in to helm their debut album.
And here come the Bee Gees songs. In fairness, we’re starting out with the best of the bunch, and a seminal song of the era that’s still played regularly on oldies stations to this day. Not everybody loves it, but it’s still a classic. And it just may have kept some people alive, at that: NPR reported in 2010 the song’s 103 beats per minute (which keeps it far away from the disco standard of 126, by the way) is nearly the same as the the recommended chest compression rate of 100 per minute – so CMTs have been taught to keep the song in their head when they perform emergency duties.
Queen, “We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions,” #4, February 5, 1978
Another classic, but for entirely different reasons. Freddie Mercury wrote “We Are the Champions” with the idea of composing a song for use at football (soccer) matches, and it’s stuck. The pounding “We Will Rock You” made for a nice double A-side, with many stations simply putting the two songs back to back (at just over 5 minutes, it was a little longer than the average single song, but not ridiculously long – “Staying Alive,” for example, clocked in only about fifteen seconds shorter by itself). Cheers used “We Will Rock You” for a classic teaser shot; here's the link from writer Ken Levine (and the video as well).
Electric Light Orchestra, “Turn to Stone,” #13, February 5, 1978
First of four chart singles from the double album Out of the Blue, and arguably ELO at its peak. Easy to dance to, but still appealing to rock fans (unlike, say, “Shine a Little Love,” the lead single off the 1979 album Discovery). Although none of the singles hit the top 10 in the United States, Out of the Blue made it to #4 and went quadruple platinum. (In fairness, the RIAA counts each sale of a double album as two since there’s two LPs inside, so that skews it a bit.) Out of the Blue was my first ELO purchase in 1979 (for the astonishing price of $3.99 at Korvettes; that was quite something for a double LP that hadn’t been remaindered), later on I found out ELO sued their distributors for releasing defective copies at discount prices. For what it’s worth, my copy’s fine.
Bill Withers, “Lovely Day,” #30, February 5, 1978
The last of Bill Withers’ hits (excluding the Grover Washington Jr. song “Just the Two of Us,” for which he supplied lead vocals but didn’t get a credit on the sleeve), this song has had more covers and samples than I could possibly list – everything from a remake off The Bodyguard soundtrack to Luther Vandross to LL Cool J. But I love the original – this guy can really hold a note.
Donna Summer, “I Love You,” #37, February 5, 1978
Clever title for a song, eh? First single from her Once Upon a Time album (released just before her total chart dominance from the summer of ’78 through early spring of 1980, where there was a total of one week without a Summer song in the top 40), and not a big hit. Still a fun song to dance to (especially when paired with “Rumour Has It,” which I believe it was on a 12-inch disco disk), and a bit of an oddity lyrically: in the fourth verse, was the lyric written that way (repeating part of the third verse and not rhyming), or did Summer just blow the lyric and no one said “We have to do a retake”? This sort of stuff bothers the crap out of me. This video shows her appearing on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson, by the way.
George Duke, “Reach for It, “ #54, February 5, 1978
Late ‘70s funk from a guy who’s played with everyone from Frank Zappa to Jean-Luc Ponty. Ironically, for a song that features the chant “Dance!” over and over again (the only other lyrics are a spoken-word intro and the beginning and a quasi-rap at the end – almost two years before the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” broke), this isn’t a very danceable tune.
Heart, “Crazy on You,” #62, February 5, 1978
You would have thought this was a bigger hit, given it’s been a staple of classic rock stations since the early 1980s. (And deservedly so.) The Wilson sisters’ message, born in the post-Vietnam era, was that the couple in question should just forget all their other issues for one night and boink. (Nancy Wilson added the rapid-fire guitar parts were inspired by The Moody Blues’ “Question.”) “Crazy on You” was actually the first single off their debut album with Mushroom Records in 1976, Dreamboat Annie, and reached #35 at that time (the followup, “Magic Man,” would really launch their careers. Two years later, Heart had bailed for Portrait Records, a subsidiary of Epic/Columbia, after Mushroom unveiled a particularly repugnant advertising campaign that would lead the unknowing to believe the Wilson sisters were lovers, and Mushroom scraped up whatever they could to make more money off their one-album wonder. First up was an album of demos and whatever else was lying around, Magazine, which the band sued to have recalled (the band then rerecorded, remixed, and re-released it a year later). The second was this song’s rerelease. Mushroom Records (also home to late ‘70s Canadian bands such as Doucette and Chilliwack, as well as ex-Fairport Convention member Ian Matthews) went out of business in 1980; the two Heart albums are still in print with Capitol Records today. The video is from the 1970s show The Midnight Special, which NBC aired on Friday nights after Johnny Carson.
Gary Wright, “Touch and Gone,” #73, February 5, 1978
Yikes. Maybe you can have too many synthesizers on one record. Third consecutive flop single from Wright, after he’d had back-to-back #2 hits in 1976 with “Dream Weaver” and “Our Love Is Alive.” (No embeddable video available.)
Earth, Wind, and Fire, “Serpentine Fire,” #13, February 12, 1978
EWF was on such a hot streak during the late ‘70s; 13 Hot 100 hits, all but one of which made the top 40, and six top 10s – nearly all of which will still make you smile when they come on the radio. “Serpentine Fire,” the lead single for All ‘n All, conked out at #13, but it’s still a good one, and it’s easily recognizable and danceable despite the slightly jittery rhythm.
Neil Diamond, “Desiree,” #16, February 12, 1978
Another “boy becomes a man” song, this time courtesy of Mr. Diamond, who you’d think would have covered this territory before. Diamond’s singles track record had been spotty after leaving Uni Records for Columbia in 1973 – only “Longfellow Serenade” made the top 10 during those five years – so this was actually one of his bigger hits before the Barbra Streisand duet later that year.
The Commodores, “Too Hot ta Trot,” #22, February 12, 1978
Knockoff of their own “Brick House” hit that had gone top 5 three months before; this is the one studio track from Commodores Live!, and it probably goosed up the sales a bit, it’s nothing special – although it does provide a break on greatest hits sets between Lionel Richie ballads.
Johnny Rivers, “Curious Mind (Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um),” #41, February 12, 1978
30th (and, to date, last) chart single for Rivers. Geez, this guy was around forever – he first started hitting the charts around the same time as The Beatles. Most of his chart hits were covers, ranging from Chuck Berry’s “Maybelline” to Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic,” and of course this one was one as well (Major Lance did the original). Not the best arrangement ever, but still a decent song.
El Coco, “Cocomotion,” #44, February 12, 1978
Typical nearly wordless disco concoction of the era. Studio band led by W. Michael Lewis and Laurin Rinder. They had a few more Hot 100 hits under different names over the course of the year, so you’ll see them again soon, whether you want to or not.
Firefall, “So Long,” #48, February 12, 1978
They sound awfully chipper considering the relationship is ending, but that’s just the way the band is. Seventh Hot 100 hit from a group made up of remnants from such bands as The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and Jo Jo Gunne, and an inspiration for – well, when Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, and Chris Hillman (three-fifths of The Byrds) got back together as a trio, Firefall’s producers were brought in to helm their debut album.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Leif Garrett, “Runaround Sue,” #13, January 22, 1978
Leif Garrett was a typical “teen idol” singer who’s now known better today for his on-and-off drug issues that what he actually did to make himself famous. “Runaround Sue” was the second single from his self-titled debut album released in late 1977 (eight of the 10 songs on the album were remakes of songs made over 10 years earlier, ranging from the standard “That’s All” to the Billy J. Kramer hit “Bad to Me,” written by Lennon & McCartney), and they all sound pretty similar: multitracked vocals, swoopy strings, etc. Basically, it was the same playbook Donny Osmond worked from at the beginning of the decade – which is no surprise, given producer Michael Lloyd had been a VP at MGM Records during Donny’s heyday. (Did I mention that Lloyd either wrote or cowrote the other two songs?) Anyway, it is what it is. By the way, this was the only video I could embed of this – don’t ask me why it has nothing but Kristy McNichol pictures, I have no idea.
Kansas, “Point of Know Return,” #28, January 22, 1978
Given all the airplay this song got, I would have thought it was a bigger hit – perhaps I was listening to WPLJ more then, or perhaps it came back after the song was blown away (sorry) by the second single, “Dust in the Wind.” Still a catchy song 30 years later, and no doubt a key song during Kansas’ concerts at state fairs and the like. Gotta love this video – it’s so ‘70s.
Stevie Wonder, “As,” #36, January 22, 1978
By January 1978, it had been over a year since Songs in the Key of Life was released, and Motown was still pumping out singles. This was the fourth Top 40 hit from Stevie’s magnum opus after “I Wish,” “Sir Duke,” and “Another Star.” (“Isn’t She Lovely” got tons of radio airplay, but Wonder never authorized Motown to release it as a single.) Nothing wrong with this song; more likely it didn’t get much of a label push. By the way, that wasn’t Stevie banging away on a Fender Rhodes in the original version; it’s Herbie Hancock.
Donny & Marie Osmond, “You’re My Soul and Inspiration,” #38, January 22, 1978
And speaking of Donny Osmond, this was his 31st Hot 100 hit of the ‘70s (just the ninth for Marie, however), and, yes, it’s a remake of an oldie. Out of print, and it suffers from the typical Donny & Marie duet issue: most duets are written as love songs between the singers; it sounds a little icky when it’s being sung between a brother and a sister. (Saturday Night Live did a sketch in 1982, featuring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Marie and Gary Kroeger as Donny, that took that ick factor to the extreme.)
Marilyn Scott, “God Only Knows,” #61, January 22, 1978
Another one that’s out of print. Marilyn Scott has had (and continues to have) success as a jazz vocalist. It’s a remake of the 1966 Beach Boys hit from Pet Sounds; it has an interesting arrangement but won't eclipse the original.
Sammy Hagar, “You Make Me Crazy,” #62, January 22, 1978
Post-Montrose and pre-Van Halen, Sammy charted with this song that could easily have been mistaken for an Andrew Gold or Stephen Bishop tune. Which is probably why we never hear it nowadays, even though it’s still in print – who wants a wimpy Sammy Hagar when we can have the one on “Poundcake” and “Why Can’t This Be Love?”
The Ramones, “Rockaway Beach,” #66, January 22, 1978
Well, you have to give Sire Records credit for trying. The Ramones’ second of three Hot 100 singles (all from the album Rocket to Russia) may not be their most recognizable song (“I Wanna Be Sedated”? “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School”? “Blitzkreig Bop”?), but it’s had a long shelf life – my son recognized it instantly as a “chase theme” song from an episode of What’s New, Scooby-Doo? Ruh-roh.
Al Green, “Belle,” #83, January 22, 1978
Green’s last Hot 100 entry in the 1970s came a bit before he temporarily stopped recording secular music. It’s a fine song, if a bit similar to some of his previous efforts. It’s likely being on the small Hi Records label (which didn’t have a lot of other artists at this point) started to slow his career momentum down; Green had also become an ordained pastor, which refocused his energies. He stopped performing and recording secular music altogether in favor of gospel a year after “Belle,” but has since balanced both genres.
Randy Newman, “Short People,” #2, January 29, 1978
Hard to believe the guy who’s known now for such family-friendly fare as “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and “We Belong Together” was a controversial figure due to this song, which was clearly – clearly – a lampoon of the reasons why we dislike some people and not others. It’s a terrific joke, and made Newman, who previously could best be described as a cult figure, into a household name. I’m actually just as familiar with the parody of this parody, Chevy Chase’s 1980 song “Short People,” which keeps the melody but changes the lyrics to sing the praises of those who are height-challenged (“They don’t take up much space/You can get a dozen in a car”).
Paul Simon, “Slip Slidin’ Away,” #5, January 29, 1978
Paul Simon took what amounted to a five-year break between the Still Crazy After All These Years album and One-Trick Pony (which was both a failed movie starring Mr. Simon and a somewhat more successful soundtrack of them same); this song and “Stranded in a Limousine” were the only two songs Simon released during that period. The two of them were on the 1977 Greatest Hits, Etc., which was released to let Simon fulfill his contractual obligations to Columbia Records; all of his releases since then have been on Warner Brothers (although now the back catalog has gone back to Columbia – if anyone can figure out the music industry, please let me know). In any case, this is a memorable lyrics grafted onto a gospel tune, and certainly stands up to his other work.
Styx, “Come Sail Away,” #8, January 29, 1978
Styx’s first big hit on their primary label, A&M (their previous top 10 hit, “Lady,” was on the much smaller Wooden Nickel Records), and it’s been an AOR staple ever since. Styx’s overall oeuvre is a matter of personal taste (me: eh), but if their fans were polled, this would probably be their quintessential track.
Leo Sayer, “Easy to Love,” #36, January 29, 1978
Easy to love, but hard as hell to listen to. The second single off his Thunder in My Heart album, and sung mostly in falsetto (remember, The Bee Gees were breaking sales records doing the same at this time) barely scraped into the Top 40, as had the title track two months before. That was a big comedown from the two #1 hits he’d notched in 1977, “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” and “When I Need You.” No doubt a big money loser for Chrysalis Records, which probably pressed a sizeable number of copies assuming Sayer’s star would continue to ascend; I remember seeing this album in cut-out racks for years.
Kenny Rogers, “Sweet Music Man,” #44, January 29, 1978
Gentle and basically uninteresting ballad from just before the time when Kenny Rogers would dominate the pop and country charts. This was a top 10 country hit, but too contemplative for a major crossover.
Rose Royce, “Ooh Boy,” #72, January 29, 1978
After scoring a #1 hit with their debut single “Car Wash” in early 1977, this group struggled to maintain momentum, and this single fit right in – it sounds as if it could have been a Motown release from 10 years before. As a result, it missed the top 40 by a mile (their last chart single, "Love Don't Live Here Anymore," would be far more successful). Solidly produced by Norman Whitfield, but nothing that would make anyone jump out of their chair.
Kellee Patterson, “If It Don’t Fit, Don’t Force It,” #75, January 29, 1978
The first of this series to go into a very special subset: That’s What She Said. (This was an era with lots of double-entendre song titles, most of which didn’t chart terribly highly.) Patterson hailed from Gary, Indiana, becoming popular there around the same time as The Jackson 5. She recorded a few albums with minor labels (one in the mid-1990s in a jazz vein); this was her only Hot 100 entry. It was tempting to say this was a disco one-shot without hearing it; it’s actually more of a soul/funk piece, and certainly deserved to be heard.
Leif Garrett was a typical “teen idol” singer who’s now known better today for his on-and-off drug issues that what he actually did to make himself famous. “Runaround Sue” was the second single from his self-titled debut album released in late 1977 (eight of the 10 songs on the album were remakes of songs made over 10 years earlier, ranging from the standard “That’s All” to the Billy J. Kramer hit “Bad to Me,” written by Lennon & McCartney), and they all sound pretty similar: multitracked vocals, swoopy strings, etc. Basically, it was the same playbook Donny Osmond worked from at the beginning of the decade – which is no surprise, given producer Michael Lloyd had been a VP at MGM Records during Donny’s heyday. (Did I mention that Lloyd either wrote or cowrote the other two songs?) Anyway, it is what it is. By the way, this was the only video I could embed of this – don’t ask me why it has nothing but Kristy McNichol pictures, I have no idea.
Kansas, “Point of Know Return,” #28, January 22, 1978
Given all the airplay this song got, I would have thought it was a bigger hit – perhaps I was listening to WPLJ more then, or perhaps it came back after the song was blown away (sorry) by the second single, “Dust in the Wind.” Still a catchy song 30 years later, and no doubt a key song during Kansas’ concerts at state fairs and the like. Gotta love this video – it’s so ‘70s.
Stevie Wonder, “As,” #36, January 22, 1978
By January 1978, it had been over a year since Songs in the Key of Life was released, and Motown was still pumping out singles. This was the fourth Top 40 hit from Stevie’s magnum opus after “I Wish,” “Sir Duke,” and “Another Star.” (“Isn’t She Lovely” got tons of radio airplay, but Wonder never authorized Motown to release it as a single.) Nothing wrong with this song; more likely it didn’t get much of a label push. By the way, that wasn’t Stevie banging away on a Fender Rhodes in the original version; it’s Herbie Hancock.
Donny & Marie Osmond, “You’re My Soul and Inspiration,” #38, January 22, 1978
And speaking of Donny Osmond, this was his 31st Hot 100 hit of the ‘70s (just the ninth for Marie, however), and, yes, it’s a remake of an oldie. Out of print, and it suffers from the typical Donny & Marie duet issue: most duets are written as love songs between the singers; it sounds a little icky when it’s being sung between a brother and a sister. (Saturday Night Live did a sketch in 1982, featuring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Marie and Gary Kroeger as Donny, that took that ick factor to the extreme.)
Marilyn Scott, “God Only Knows,” #61, January 22, 1978
Another one that’s out of print. Marilyn Scott has had (and continues to have) success as a jazz vocalist. It’s a remake of the 1966 Beach Boys hit from Pet Sounds; it has an interesting arrangement but won't eclipse the original.
Sammy Hagar, “You Make Me Crazy,” #62, January 22, 1978
Post-Montrose and pre-Van Halen, Sammy charted with this song that could easily have been mistaken for an Andrew Gold or Stephen Bishop tune. Which is probably why we never hear it nowadays, even though it’s still in print – who wants a wimpy Sammy Hagar when we can have the one on “Poundcake” and “Why Can’t This Be Love?”
The Ramones, “Rockaway Beach,” #66, January 22, 1978
Well, you have to give Sire Records credit for trying. The Ramones’ second of three Hot 100 singles (all from the album Rocket to Russia) may not be their most recognizable song (“I Wanna Be Sedated”? “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School”? “Blitzkreig Bop”?), but it’s had a long shelf life – my son recognized it instantly as a “chase theme” song from an episode of What’s New, Scooby-Doo? Ruh-roh.
Al Green, “Belle,” #83, January 22, 1978
Green’s last Hot 100 entry in the 1970s came a bit before he temporarily stopped recording secular music. It’s a fine song, if a bit similar to some of his previous efforts. It’s likely being on the small Hi Records label (which didn’t have a lot of other artists at this point) started to slow his career momentum down; Green had also become an ordained pastor, which refocused his energies. He stopped performing and recording secular music altogether in favor of gospel a year after “Belle,” but has since balanced both genres.
Randy Newman, “Short People,” #2, January 29, 1978
Hard to believe the guy who’s known now for such family-friendly fare as “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and “We Belong Together” was a controversial figure due to this song, which was clearly – clearly – a lampoon of the reasons why we dislike some people and not others. It’s a terrific joke, and made Newman, who previously could best be described as a cult figure, into a household name. I’m actually just as familiar with the parody of this parody, Chevy Chase’s 1980 song “Short People,” which keeps the melody but changes the lyrics to sing the praises of those who are height-challenged (“They don’t take up much space/You can get a dozen in a car”).
Paul Simon, “Slip Slidin’ Away,” #5, January 29, 1978
Paul Simon took what amounted to a five-year break between the Still Crazy After All These Years album and One-Trick Pony (which was both a failed movie starring Mr. Simon and a somewhat more successful soundtrack of them same); this song and “Stranded in a Limousine” were the only two songs Simon released during that period. The two of them were on the 1977 Greatest Hits, Etc., which was released to let Simon fulfill his contractual obligations to Columbia Records; all of his releases since then have been on Warner Brothers (although now the back catalog has gone back to Columbia – if anyone can figure out the music industry, please let me know). In any case, this is a memorable lyrics grafted onto a gospel tune, and certainly stands up to his other work.
Styx, “Come Sail Away,” #8, January 29, 1978
Styx’s first big hit on their primary label, A&M (their previous top 10 hit, “Lady,” was on the much smaller Wooden Nickel Records), and it’s been an AOR staple ever since. Styx’s overall oeuvre is a matter of personal taste (me: eh), but if their fans were polled, this would probably be their quintessential track.
Leo Sayer, “Easy to Love,” #36, January 29, 1978
Easy to love, but hard as hell to listen to. The second single off his Thunder in My Heart album, and sung mostly in falsetto (remember, The Bee Gees were breaking sales records doing the same at this time) barely scraped into the Top 40, as had the title track two months before. That was a big comedown from the two #1 hits he’d notched in 1977, “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” and “When I Need You.” No doubt a big money loser for Chrysalis Records, which probably pressed a sizeable number of copies assuming Sayer’s star would continue to ascend; I remember seeing this album in cut-out racks for years.
Kenny Rogers, “Sweet Music Man,” #44, January 29, 1978
Gentle and basically uninteresting ballad from just before the time when Kenny Rogers would dominate the pop and country charts. This was a top 10 country hit, but too contemplative for a major crossover.
Rose Royce, “Ooh Boy,” #72, January 29, 1978
After scoring a #1 hit with their debut single “Car Wash” in early 1977, this group struggled to maintain momentum, and this single fit right in – it sounds as if it could have been a Motown release from 10 years before. As a result, it missed the top 40 by a mile (their last chart single, "Love Don't Live Here Anymore," would be far more successful). Solidly produced by Norman Whitfield, but nothing that would make anyone jump out of their chair.
Kellee Patterson, “If It Don’t Fit, Don’t Force It,” #75, January 29, 1978
The first of this series to go into a very special subset: That’s What She Said. (This was an era with lots of double-entendre song titles, most of which didn’t chart terribly highly.) Patterson hailed from Gary, Indiana, becoming popular there around the same time as The Jackson 5. She recorded a few albums with minor labels (one in the mid-1990s in a jazz vein); this was her only Hot 100 entry. It was tempting to say this was a disco one-shot without hearing it; it’s actually more of a soul/funk piece, and certainly deserved to be heard.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Superhits '78; Part 1
Since I've been listening to lots of music from 1978 while putting together a CD set, I thought other people might want to hear what people were listening to that year as well.
Bob Welch, “Sentimental Lady,” #8, January 8, 1978
Welch made a smart move by recycling one of his best Fleetwood Mac songs for his first solo album (after two flop LPs with a power trio, Paris, which no doubt confused his fans). He made a better move by bringing in Mac mates Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, and Lindsey Buckingham (who joined the band after Welch left, actually replacing him) to work on the song. Nowadays Welch has no communication with them (apparently he was excluded from the membership list for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame), but back then anything any member of Fleetwood Mac appeared on pretty much guaranteed a Top 20 hit. The resulting publicity (plus a paucity of other rock albums at the time) made Welch’s album French Kiss a surprise smash.
Bay City Rollers, “The Way I Feel Tonight,” #24, January 8, 1978
The Rollers’ last Top 40 entry – heck, their last entry on the American singles charts at all – is a drippy ballad that could have been recorded by half the artists in the Arista stable (no surprise; the album was produced by Harry Maslin, who later produced many of Air Supply’s hits). Hard to believe they made four studio albums after this one.
Diana Ross, “Gettin’ Ready for Love,” #27, January 8, 1978
Given that “Love Hangover” had been a huge #1 hit nine months before, the first single from Ross’ new album peaking below the top 20 was kind of a disaster. One of the problems Ross has always had is she almost never sticks with the same producers from one album to the next, so you never get the same sound. This was produced by Richard Perry after Carly Simon and Ringo Starr, but before The Pointer Sisters, so he probably didn’t have a handle on how to handle middle-of-the-road R&B just yet. It’s also a little too “girly,” given Ross was nearly 34 years old at the time.
Cheech & Chong, “Bloat On (Featuring The Bloaters),” #41, January 8, 1978
Parody of The Floaters’ “Float On” and a salute/warning to overeating, which probably would have benefited by appearing on an album quickly after its release (C&C had some label issues, so the single came out on Ode Records, but didn’t appear on an album until two years later on Warner Brothers). Comedy records were having a tough time making Top 40, and the belching at the top and end of the record probably put off some radio stations. Shame, since it’s pretty funny on the whole, and is a good reminder that Tommy Chong is also a damn good musician – he’d been in the Motown band Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers (“Does Your Mother Know About Me”) for a long time, including when they were known as Four [gross euphemism for black men] and a [gross euphemism for a Chinese man].
Cheech & Chong And The Bloaters. Bloat On.1977 by capitainfunkk
KC & The Sunshine Band, “Wrap Your Arms Around Me,” #48, January 8, 1978
The start of a fallow period for KC and the guys – five of their previous seven singles went to either #1 or #2, but this started a run of six singles that didn’t break Top 30. It doesn’t sound significantly different than the others, so it’s hard to say why, except maybe market oversaturation – too much disco from other artists, and too much KC in too short a period.
Eric Carmen, “Boats Against the Current,” #88, January 8, 1978
Pretty but inconsequential mopey ballad that suffered in comparison with Carmen’s big hit in a similar vein, “All by Myself.” I’m sure a few people were wondering, “Is this the same guy from The Raspberries?”
David Castle, “The Loneliest Man on the Moon,” #89, January 8, 1978
Never heard this one before looking it up on YouTube; it's out of print. And, well, it's definitely different. Castle's one and only hit.
The Alan Parsons Project, “Don’t Let It Show,” #92, January 8, 1978
A good ballad that never should have been released as a single, from their breakthrough album I Robot. It took a couple of years for Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson to write songs that would work on Top 40 radio.
Player, “Baby Come Back,” #1, January 15, 1978
Standard pop-rock single notable because a lot of people thought it was Hall & Oates. It has a little similarity to “She’s Gone,” I suppose, but while lead singer Peter Beckett has a similar range to Daryl Hall, he has none of the latter’s vocal characteristics. Huge hit from RSO Records in between huge hits from their Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.
Dolly Parton, “Here You Come Again,” #3, January 15, 1978
Parton’s first big Top 40 pop hit, but the singer-songwriter went elsewhere for this one; it’s written by Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, who had been around since the Brill Building in the early 1960s. Parton’s voice was certainly unique for top 40 radio at the time; a lot of listeners (like myself) undoubtedly thought she was a new artist, and didn’t realize she’d been hitting the country charts for 10 years.
Rod Stewart, “You’re in My Heart (The Final Acclaim),” #4, January 15, 1978
Stewart’s big hit off Foot Loose and Fancy Free, near the peak of his popularity, and back when he actually wrote what he sang. I hated this song when it first came out, and I’m still put off by the lyrics today(yes, “lyrical” and “physical” rhyme, but man, is that an awkward lyric). Not even sure who’s it’s written to – the disparaged “big-bosomed lady with the Dutch accent” is clearly his ex Britt Eklund, but I don’t think it was Alana Hamilton, whom he would marry in 1979, that was in his heart at the time.
Shaun Cassidy, “Hey Deanie,” #7, January 15, 1978
Oh good, Eric Carmen again. Except he only wrote this one. Cassidy’s third and last Top 10 hit, as the momentum from The Hardy Boys Mysteries was starting to wear down. Not a bad piece of pop-rock, actually; Cassidy’s songs were a little less agonizing than those of other teen idol pop stars. (Yes, I’m talking to you, Leif Garrett and Donny Osmond.)
Wings, “Girls School,” #33, January 15, 1978
Here’s one most of us in the good ol’ USA missed altogether. This was released as the B-side of “Mull of Kintyre,” McCartney’s tribute to his Scottish home, which was a gigantic hit all over the world, hitting #1 in five countries (and it’s still the fourth-biggest selling single in the UK ever). But here in America, it held no interest – so DJs flipped the single over and started playing the trifle “Girls School” instead. That broke Top 40 (barely), but considering how hot the band had been over the previous few years, it was considered a flop. It was left off the subsequent album London Town (as was “Mull of Kintyre”), and has only been released since (to my knowledge) on a 1993 London Town rerelease. Wikipedia also notes Capitol Records’ lack of promotional enthusiasm for Paul that year helped lead to his temporary exit for Columbia Records in 1979.
Peter Frampton, “Tried to Love,” #41, January 15, 1978
Last and least of the three singles from I’m in You, following the title track and a remake of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours).” 1978 wasn’t a particularly good year for Frampton, who had this “hit” and his acting debut in the wretched Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band movie (well, I’ve heard it’s wretched; I’ve never actually seen it) to his credit. If Mick Jagger's on the record, he's buried in the mix.
Millie Jackson, “If You’re Not Back in Love by Monday,” #43, January 15, 1978
Odd that an R&B star with a taste for raunchy lyrics would have a big hit with a Merle Haggard ballad, but 1970s music was nothing if not unpredictable. Jackson’s career has been long and varied, but this song was one of her bigger hits, and also one of her last. She should have had a hit with her 1985 duet with Elton John, “Act of War,” but it started up slowly in the US and Geffen Records left it off the subsequent LP Ice on Fire. (It’s still pretty hard to find here.)
John Denver, “How Can I Leave You Again,” #44, January 15, 1978
One in a string of flop singles for Denver after 1975. Before that, he’d had four #1s (“Sunshine on My Shoulders,” “Annie’s Song,” “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” and “I’m Sorry”), a #2, and a #5 out of seven singles (the only lesser hit was the #13 “Sweet Surrender”). After the #13 “Fly Away” in early 1976, however, the world seemed to tire of Denver simultaneously, and he never again registered a Top 20 hit. This is a pretty confessional, but nothing that would make anyone jump out of their chair and run to the local record store.
Al Martino, “The Next Hundred Years,” #49, January 15, 1978
Seriously? Al Martino charted in 1978? The last of his long run of charts hits, and a little gimmicky at that. Love the video thought -- from the old show Dinah!
Cat Stevens, “Was Dog a Doughnut,” #70, January 15, 1978
So odd you have to wonder if Stevens was tired of the pop music grind long before his conversion. Eons from “Morning Has Broken.”
Ronnie Milsap, “What a Difference You’ve Made in My Life,” #80, January 15, 1978
Bleurgh. One of those songs that would have made me reach for the next push button on the car radio the second it started to play (not that WABC or WNBC were playing this song anyway). One in a tremendous string of Top 10 country hits that ran unbroken between 1974 and 1991, but as far as the pop charts were concerned, an unsuccessful followup to 1977’s “It Was Almost Like a Song.”
Bob Welch, “Sentimental Lady,” #8, January 8, 1978
Welch made a smart move by recycling one of his best Fleetwood Mac songs for his first solo album (after two flop LPs with a power trio, Paris, which no doubt confused his fans). He made a better move by bringing in Mac mates Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, and Lindsey Buckingham (who joined the band after Welch left, actually replacing him) to work on the song. Nowadays Welch has no communication with them (apparently he was excluded from the membership list for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame), but back then anything any member of Fleetwood Mac appeared on pretty much guaranteed a Top 20 hit. The resulting publicity (plus a paucity of other rock albums at the time) made Welch’s album French Kiss a surprise smash.
Bay City Rollers, “The Way I Feel Tonight,” #24, January 8, 1978
The Rollers’ last Top 40 entry – heck, their last entry on the American singles charts at all – is a drippy ballad that could have been recorded by half the artists in the Arista stable (no surprise; the album was produced by Harry Maslin, who later produced many of Air Supply’s hits). Hard to believe they made four studio albums after this one.
Diana Ross, “Gettin’ Ready for Love,” #27, January 8, 1978
Given that “Love Hangover” had been a huge #1 hit nine months before, the first single from Ross’ new album peaking below the top 20 was kind of a disaster. One of the problems Ross has always had is she almost never sticks with the same producers from one album to the next, so you never get the same sound. This was produced by Richard Perry after Carly Simon and Ringo Starr, but before The Pointer Sisters, so he probably didn’t have a handle on how to handle middle-of-the-road R&B just yet. It’s also a little too “girly,” given Ross was nearly 34 years old at the time.
Cheech & Chong, “Bloat On (Featuring The Bloaters),” #41, January 8, 1978
Parody of The Floaters’ “Float On” and a salute/warning to overeating, which probably would have benefited by appearing on an album quickly after its release (C&C had some label issues, so the single came out on Ode Records, but didn’t appear on an album until two years later on Warner Brothers). Comedy records were having a tough time making Top 40, and the belching at the top and end of the record probably put off some radio stations. Shame, since it’s pretty funny on the whole, and is a good reminder that Tommy Chong is also a damn good musician – he’d been in the Motown band Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers (“Does Your Mother Know About Me”) for a long time, including when they were known as Four [gross euphemism for black men] and a [gross euphemism for a Chinese man].
Cheech & Chong And The Bloaters. Bloat On.1977 by capitainfunkk
KC & The Sunshine Band, “Wrap Your Arms Around Me,” #48, January 8, 1978
The start of a fallow period for KC and the guys – five of their previous seven singles went to either #1 or #2, but this started a run of six singles that didn’t break Top 30. It doesn’t sound significantly different than the others, so it’s hard to say why, except maybe market oversaturation – too much disco from other artists, and too much KC in too short a period.
Eric Carmen, “Boats Against the Current,” #88, January 8, 1978
Pretty but inconsequential mopey ballad that suffered in comparison with Carmen’s big hit in a similar vein, “All by Myself.” I’m sure a few people were wondering, “Is this the same guy from The Raspberries?”
David Castle, “The Loneliest Man on the Moon,” #89, January 8, 1978
Never heard this one before looking it up on YouTube; it's out of print. And, well, it's definitely different. Castle's one and only hit.
The Alan Parsons Project, “Don’t Let It Show,” #92, January 8, 1978
A good ballad that never should have been released as a single, from their breakthrough album I Robot. It took a couple of years for Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson to write songs that would work on Top 40 radio.
Player, “Baby Come Back,” #1, January 15, 1978
Standard pop-rock single notable because a lot of people thought it was Hall & Oates. It has a little similarity to “She’s Gone,” I suppose, but while lead singer Peter Beckett has a similar range to Daryl Hall, he has none of the latter’s vocal characteristics. Huge hit from RSO Records in between huge hits from their Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.
Dolly Parton, “Here You Come Again,” #3, January 15, 1978
Parton’s first big Top 40 pop hit, but the singer-songwriter went elsewhere for this one; it’s written by Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, who had been around since the Brill Building in the early 1960s. Parton’s voice was certainly unique for top 40 radio at the time; a lot of listeners (like myself) undoubtedly thought she was a new artist, and didn’t realize she’d been hitting the country charts for 10 years.
Rod Stewart, “You’re in My Heart (The Final Acclaim),” #4, January 15, 1978
Stewart’s big hit off Foot Loose and Fancy Free, near the peak of his popularity, and back when he actually wrote what he sang. I hated this song when it first came out, and I’m still put off by the lyrics today(yes, “lyrical” and “physical” rhyme, but man, is that an awkward lyric). Not even sure who’s it’s written to – the disparaged “big-bosomed lady with the Dutch accent” is clearly his ex Britt Eklund, but I don’t think it was Alana Hamilton, whom he would marry in 1979, that was in his heart at the time.
Shaun Cassidy, “Hey Deanie,” #7, January 15, 1978
Oh good, Eric Carmen again. Except he only wrote this one. Cassidy’s third and last Top 10 hit, as the momentum from The Hardy Boys Mysteries was starting to wear down. Not a bad piece of pop-rock, actually; Cassidy’s songs were a little less agonizing than those of other teen idol pop stars. (Yes, I’m talking to you, Leif Garrett and Donny Osmond.)
Wings, “Girls School,” #33, January 15, 1978
Here’s one most of us in the good ol’ USA missed altogether. This was released as the B-side of “Mull of Kintyre,” McCartney’s tribute to his Scottish home, which was a gigantic hit all over the world, hitting #1 in five countries (and it’s still the fourth-biggest selling single in the UK ever). But here in America, it held no interest – so DJs flipped the single over and started playing the trifle “Girls School” instead. That broke Top 40 (barely), but considering how hot the band had been over the previous few years, it was considered a flop. It was left off the subsequent album London Town (as was “Mull of Kintyre”), and has only been released since (to my knowledge) on a 1993 London Town rerelease. Wikipedia also notes Capitol Records’ lack of promotional enthusiasm for Paul that year helped lead to his temporary exit for Columbia Records in 1979.
Peter Frampton, “Tried to Love,” #41, January 15, 1978
Last and least of the three singles from I’m in You, following the title track and a remake of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours).” 1978 wasn’t a particularly good year for Frampton, who had this “hit” and his acting debut in the wretched Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band movie (well, I’ve heard it’s wretched; I’ve never actually seen it) to his credit. If Mick Jagger's on the record, he's buried in the mix.
Millie Jackson, “If You’re Not Back in Love by Monday,” #43, January 15, 1978
Odd that an R&B star with a taste for raunchy lyrics would have a big hit with a Merle Haggard ballad, but 1970s music was nothing if not unpredictable. Jackson’s career has been long and varied, but this song was one of her bigger hits, and also one of her last. She should have had a hit with her 1985 duet with Elton John, “Act of War,” but it started up slowly in the US and Geffen Records left it off the subsequent LP Ice on Fire. (It’s still pretty hard to find here.)
John Denver, “How Can I Leave You Again,” #44, January 15, 1978
One in a string of flop singles for Denver after 1975. Before that, he’d had four #1s (“Sunshine on My Shoulders,” “Annie’s Song,” “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” and “I’m Sorry”), a #2, and a #5 out of seven singles (the only lesser hit was the #13 “Sweet Surrender”). After the #13 “Fly Away” in early 1976, however, the world seemed to tire of Denver simultaneously, and he never again registered a Top 20 hit. This is a pretty confessional, but nothing that would make anyone jump out of their chair and run to the local record store.
Al Martino, “The Next Hundred Years,” #49, January 15, 1978
Seriously? Al Martino charted in 1978? The last of his long run of charts hits, and a little gimmicky at that. Love the video thought -- from the old show Dinah!
Cat Stevens, “Was Dog a Doughnut,” #70, January 15, 1978
So odd you have to wonder if Stevens was tired of the pop music grind long before his conversion. Eons from “Morning Has Broken.”
Ronnie Milsap, “What a Difference You’ve Made in My Life,” #80, January 15, 1978
Bleurgh. One of those songs that would have made me reach for the next push button on the car radio the second it started to play (not that WABC or WNBC were playing this song anyway). One in a tremendous string of Top 10 country hits that ran unbroken between 1974 and 1991, but as far as the pop charts were concerned, an unsuccessful followup to 1977’s “It Was Almost Like a Song.”
Friday, February 25, 2011
Here’s another article trying to open up a can of worms about Mike Quade being chosen manager of the Chcago Cubs over Ryne Sandberg.
Yes, Ryne Sandberg is a hero in these parts. He’s a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. All but a couple of games in his career were played in a Chicago Cubs uniform. (He’s going to manage the Phillies’ AAA team – he was originally traded to the Cubs from the Phils as a throw-in, with Larry Bowa going to Chicago and Ivan DeJesus to Philadelphia.) And all of his accolades are deserved. He’s a good guy, and deserves a chance to manage in the big leagues someday.
But let’s make two points here:
- Mike Quade also deserves a chance to manage. Sandberg’s managed in the minors for four years, the last year with the Cubs’ AAA team. Quade managed in the minors for 17 years, nine of which were at the AAA level. He also spent three and a half years as a Cubs coach and three years as an Oakland Athletics’ coach. So in terms of experience, Quade wins that one.
- Sandberg is a baseball Hall of Famer, but what happens to managers?
They get fired. And it doesn’t happen often to a team hero like Sandberg has been to the Cubs. And when it does happen, it’s not pretty.
I’ve come up with a list of 11 members of the Hall who have also managed in the big leagues. And only one really managed in the same place where he achieved all his success as a player. Here’s the list, in reverse chronological order:
Frank Robinson
Eddie Mathews
Bob Lemon
Yogi Berra
Lou Boudreau
Ted Williams
Joe Cronin
Bill Terry
Mel Ott
Frankie Frisch
Rogers Hornsby
Boudreau, Cronin, Terry, Ott, Frisch, and Hornsby were all player-managers for significant portions of time. (And all were pretty successful in both roles with the exception of Ott, who never finished above third place and supposedly inspired successor Leo Durocher to comment “Nice guys finish last.”)
Ted Williams never managed the Red Sox, just in Washington and Texas. Bob Lemon never managed the Indians, just in Kansas City, Chicago, and New York.
Eddie Mathews was a star for the Milwaukee Braves, but managed the Atlanta Braves. He only played in Atlanta for a year near the tail end of his career.
Frank Robinson had some great years with the Orioles, and managed the Orioles, but wasn’t exclusive to either team – the O’s were the second of five teams he played for, and the third of four teams he managed.
Yogi Berra – ah, here’s the issue. He managed the Yankees in 1964, won the pennant, just barely lost the World Series – and was fired anyway. Understandably bitter, he went over to the Mets and achieved some success as a coach and manager. Back over to the Yanks, he coached for another eight years, then managed the team again for a year and change – and was fired again, just 15 games into the season, despite assurances from George Steinbrenner he’d be given a real shot at managing the team. He wouldn’t set foot in Yankee Stadium again for nearly 15 years.
It wasn’t pretty. Just as I’m sure it wasn’t pretty when the Packers fired Bart Starr as their coach. After nine seasons. During which he made the playoffs once, and had an overall record of 52-76-3.
Look, I don’t know if Mike Quade’s going to be a great manager, or if Ryne Sandberg will be, or both, or neither. Quade had a good quarter-season at the end of 2010, but that’s usually pretty meaningless. (The Angels had a run of firing managers mid-season, the new guy did well in August and September, they’d be impressed and give him a two- or three-year deal, and the team would be lousy for the next year and a half – until they’d fire the manager mid-season and start the cycle over.)
But I know, all other things being equal I’d rather take a chance with a guy with more experience, and if he fails have no problem in letting him go, that going with a guy that I’d hate to fire because he was a superstar for the team for years and years. It’s not worth the messy divorce.
Yes, Ryne Sandberg is a hero in these parts. He’s a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. All but a couple of games in his career were played in a Chicago Cubs uniform. (He’s going to manage the Phillies’ AAA team – he was originally traded to the Cubs from the Phils as a throw-in, with Larry Bowa going to Chicago and Ivan DeJesus to Philadelphia.) And all of his accolades are deserved. He’s a good guy, and deserves a chance to manage in the big leagues someday.
But let’s make two points here:
- Mike Quade also deserves a chance to manage. Sandberg’s managed in the minors for four years, the last year with the Cubs’ AAA team. Quade managed in the minors for 17 years, nine of which were at the AAA level. He also spent three and a half years as a Cubs coach and three years as an Oakland Athletics’ coach. So in terms of experience, Quade wins that one.
- Sandberg is a baseball Hall of Famer, but what happens to managers?
They get fired. And it doesn’t happen often to a team hero like Sandberg has been to the Cubs. And when it does happen, it’s not pretty.
I’ve come up with a list of 11 members of the Hall who have also managed in the big leagues. And only one really managed in the same place where he achieved all his success as a player. Here’s the list, in reverse chronological order:
Frank Robinson
Eddie Mathews
Bob Lemon
Yogi Berra
Lou Boudreau
Ted Williams
Joe Cronin
Bill Terry
Mel Ott
Frankie Frisch
Rogers Hornsby
Boudreau, Cronin, Terry, Ott, Frisch, and Hornsby were all player-managers for significant portions of time. (And all were pretty successful in both roles with the exception of Ott, who never finished above third place and supposedly inspired successor Leo Durocher to comment “Nice guys finish last.”)
Ted Williams never managed the Red Sox, just in Washington and Texas. Bob Lemon never managed the Indians, just in Kansas City, Chicago, and New York.
Eddie Mathews was a star for the Milwaukee Braves, but managed the Atlanta Braves. He only played in Atlanta for a year near the tail end of his career.
Frank Robinson had some great years with the Orioles, and managed the Orioles, but wasn’t exclusive to either team – the O’s were the second of five teams he played for, and the third of four teams he managed.
Yogi Berra – ah, here’s the issue. He managed the Yankees in 1964, won the pennant, just barely lost the World Series – and was fired anyway. Understandably bitter, he went over to the Mets and achieved some success as a coach and manager. Back over to the Yanks, he coached for another eight years, then managed the team again for a year and change – and was fired again, just 15 games into the season, despite assurances from George Steinbrenner he’d be given a real shot at managing the team. He wouldn’t set foot in Yankee Stadium again for nearly 15 years.
It wasn’t pretty. Just as I’m sure it wasn’t pretty when the Packers fired Bart Starr as their coach. After nine seasons. During which he made the playoffs once, and had an overall record of 52-76-3.
Look, I don’t know if Mike Quade’s going to be a great manager, or if Ryne Sandberg will be, or both, or neither. Quade had a good quarter-season at the end of 2010, but that’s usually pretty meaningless. (The Angels had a run of firing managers mid-season, the new guy did well in August and September, they’d be impressed and give him a two- or three-year deal, and the team would be lousy for the next year and a half – until they’d fire the manager mid-season and start the cycle over.)
But I know, all other things being equal I’d rather take a chance with a guy with more experience, and if he fails have no problem in letting him go, that going with a guy that I’d hate to fire because he was a superstar for the team for years and years. It’s not worth the messy divorce.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Will One of the Mets' Big Three Return?
The Big Three of 1996, that is.
Long, long ago, the New York Mets had three brilliant pitching prospects that everyone figured couldn't miss. They were to challenge Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and John Smoltz of the Braves for starting superiority within a few years. Guaranteed.
Except it didn't happen. All three had major arm issues -- possibly brought on by throwing too many innings at too young an age (which was allegedly manager Dallas Green's idea), possibly not. In any case, Bill Pulsipher washed out of the major leagues altogether, Paul Wilson put together a few so-so years with Cincinnati, and Jason Isringhausen was turned into a reliever -- and was traded to Oakland for Billy Taylor during the 1999 stretch run. Which turned out to be a big mistake, as Isringhausen became a star closer for the Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals.
Now Isringhausen is back in the Mets' camp and looking to latch on as a bullpen guy. He likely wouldn't be a closer (although he might be used as such to keep Francisco Rodriguez's option year from vesting -- if Frankie closes 54 games this year, it happens), but he'd be a veteran arm. It might happen.
I've written before about the Mets picking up players past their prime and expecting great things. No one is expecting great things from Jason Isringhausen at this point. He's not going to save 30 games. He won't be on the mound at the end of October when the Mets win the World Series. It's not going to happen.
But it would be nice to see him make a small comeback with the team that got him started, and for the Mets to get a small return on a long-ago (but not forgotten) investment.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
2011 Cardinals Already in Trouble
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting Adam Wainwright is being examined for what may be a "significant" elbow injury.
The Cardinals already have enough trouble with Albert Pujols still unsigned beyond this season, but let's put that to the side. They finished in second last year with Pujols, Matt Holliday, Chris Carpenter, and Wainwright all reasonably healthy. If Wainwright misses a significant period of time, they'll have a hard time contending.
The Cardinals have built a team with a few legitimate superstars (see above) and a lot of role players (their double-play combo this year will be Skip Schumaker and Ryan Theriot). Losing one of the superstars for an extended length of time changes the equation; it also means, come June or July, the Cardinals might be more willing to deal Pujols to a team that can sign him for what he wants (read: Yankees) rather than keeping him and getting draft picks.
We'll see what happens.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Why I Like the Naperville Public Library
Beside the long hours they're open, the convenience of their old books at ridiculous prices -$1 for a hardcover and 50 cents for a paperback is the going rate, but sometimes they go for as cheap as a quarter or a dime.
And so, tonight, I expanded my baseball collection:
Veeck, As in Wreck (Veeck/Linn) -- The autobiography of Bill Veeck, which I've been meaning to read for years.
Mind Game: How to Boston Red Sox Got Smart, Won a World Series, and Created a New Blueprint for Winning (Baseball Prospectus/Goldman) -- The problem with some books is they wind up looking ridiculous in retrospect (and a lot of them wind up going up for sale at the library as a result). For example, I had a chance to buy Tim McCarver's book, The Perfect Season - Why 1998 Was Baseball's Greatest Year, but time has shown that year was, in fact, its most steroidal (is that a word?). This one, by the usually reliable guys at BP, should last.
Blue Skies, Green Fields: A Celebration of 50 Major League Baseball Stadiums (Rosen) -- Coffee table book (not really well designed, unfortunately) featuring great stadiums of the past and present. I haven't seen this very often, so I was happy to find it hear.
Ed Barrow: The Bulldog Who Built the Yankees' First Dynasty (Levitt) -- Published by University of Nebraska Press, which means it's a labor of love for the author. Barrow was the VP/GM of the Yankees from the 1920s through late 1940s.
Yankee for Life: My 40-Year Journey in Pinstripes (Murcer/Waggoner) -- Yeah, I can't stand the Yankees, but Murcer was a good guy, and one of the few reasons to watch the team in the early 1970s (when they featured an infield of Danny Cater, Horace Clarke, Gene Michael, and Jerry Kenney).
Built to Win: Inside Stories and Leadership Strategies From Baseball's Winningest GM (Schuerholz/Guest) -- probably not the first book I'll read, but he did build a fantastic run of Braves teams.
Total spent: five dollars.
Yes, I'm a happy man tonight.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
2010 National League Catchers
Catchers are underrated – many teams settle for guys who can call a good game and have “intangibles.” But what a team really wants is a guy (or guys) who can reach an .800 OPS and can call a good game, as well as pitchers who hold runners on well.
Stats:
BA – batting average
OBP – on-base percentage
SLG – slugging average
OPS – on-base percentage + slugging average
SEC – secondary average (created by Bill James to indicate how many runs a player will produce, it’s extra bases on base hits + walks + stolen bases / at-bats + walks)
Rankings are in order of OPS.
1. Brian McCann, Atlanta (.269 BA / .375 OBP / .453 SLG / .828 OPS / .302 SEC)
Yes, the days when a catcher would be among the very best hitters in the NL are long gone. McCann’s been the best the NL has to offer the last two years, and probably will continue to do so. Warning: his power has dipped a bit. Note McCann also has the top secondary average in the league – he’s easily the best option here.
2. Carlos Ruiz/Brian Schneider, Philadelphia (.286 BA / .386 OBP / .431 SLG / .817 OPS / .256 SEC)
Give the Phillies a lot of credit here – they have a good platoon catching system at a cheap price (Ruiz and Schneider combined made a bit over 3 million last year.) The best catching prospect, Sebastian Valle, played A ball last year and both Ruiz and Schneider are signed for 2011, so don’t expect changes.
3. Ramon Hernandez / Ryan Hanigan / Corky Miller, Cincinnati (.292 BA / .369 OBP / .424 SLG / .793 OPS / .217 SEC)
This is kind of a fluke – Hernandez’s numbers were a little higher than normal, Hanigan’s a lot higher. Hanigan’s 30, so last year’s .300 average probably represented an outlier year. Miller’s a journeyman catcher. All three are back for 2011.
4. Buster Posey / Bengie Molina / Eli Whiteside, San Francisco (.281 BA / .335 OBP / .439 SLG / .773 OPS / .215 SEC)
Yeah, Buster Posey’s going to be great, but that wasn’t all him. He doesn’t take a lot of walks, which is a little worrisome. Molina’s now in Texas, and Whiteside’s not going to be a viable regular, so the Giants better hope Posey’s healthy.
5. Geovany Soto / Koyie Hill, Chicago Cubs (.253 BA / .341 OBP / .417 SLG / .759 OPS / .267 SEC)
If Soto had stayed healthier, this number would have been higher – Hill had a .552 OPS, Soto .890, which would have topped Brian McCann for #1 in the league. But Soto missed 57 games and only had a little over 400 plate appearances. Cubs have to upgrade the backup position if that continues to happen, because if they have Hill behind the plate for 50-70 games a year, they won’t win anything.
6. Miguel Montero / Chris Snyder / John Hester, Arizona Diamondbacks (.245 BA / .333 OBP / .419 SLG / .752 OPS / .270 SEC)
Montero won the job after a fine 2009 season, but struggled with injuries last year. Snyder was dealt to the Pirates midyear, so he’s out of the rotation. Hester’s around but isn’t really a factor; Henry Blanco has been signed as the backup, but he turns 40 in August, so the D-Backs are in trouble if Montero suffers a serious injury.
7. Miguel Olivo / Chris Ianetta, Colorado Rockies (.246 BA / .316 OBP / .428 SLG / .744 OPS / .268 SEC)
Ianetta was one of the top catchers in the NL in 2009, so the Rockies let platoon partner Yorvit Torrealba go in favor of Olivo. Ianetta wasn’t the same player in 2010, but Olivo stepped up a bit, so the results were fairly similar. Olivo signed with Seattle, so Ianetta needs to step it up this year.
8. Yorvit Torrealba / Nick Hundley, San Diego Padres (.261 BA / .327 OBP / .396 SLG / (.723 OPS / .223 SEC)
Surprisingly decent offensive contribution from this position. No one expected much from Hundley, and Torrealba was the lesser half of a platoon in Colorado, but they kept the position from being a problem. Torrealba signed with Texas, so Hundley will have the full-time job.
9. Russell Martin / A.J. Ellis / Rod Barajas / Brad Ausmus, Los Angeles Dodgers (.256 BA / .348 OBP / .350 SLG / .698 OPS / .208 SEC)
The Dodgers finally realized Russell Martin wasn’t worth the money they would have had to pay him and let him go (the Yankees ridiculously paid $4 million to have him be Jorge Posada’s backup/successor). Barajas will supply his usual home runs-and-nothing else, with Dioner Navarro as the backup. I thought Brad Ausmus retired, but he’s still on the roster.
10. Jonathan Lucroy / George Kotteras / Gregg Zaun, Milwaukee Brewers (.237 BA / .311 OBP / .364 SLG / .675 OPS / .219 SEC)
Zaun was supposed to be the starter, but got hurt and was gone for the year in mid-May. Lucroy wasn’t ready yet, but he established himself pretty well. Kotteras is a standard backup guy, but the Brewers have also brought in Wil Nieves from Washington, for reasons unknown.
11. Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals (.262 BA / .329 OBP / .342 SLG / .671 OPS / .172 SEC)
This is another “Tony LaRussa must know something we don’t” entry, because most teams would be looking for someone else about now, while the Cardinals are going to pay him $5 million next year. I know he’s a great defensive catcher, and last year was a bit of a dropoff for him, but that’s still an awful lot of money for not a lot of output.
12. Rod Barajas / Josh Thole / Henry Blanco, New York Mets (.241 BA / .298 OBP / .372 SLG / .670 OPS / .194 SEC)
Most of the low on-base percentage is due to Barajas taking eight walks in 249 ABs in the first half of the season. Thole put up a .723 OPS in 202 ABs in the second half, which is a good sign. However, that came down to .743 against righties and .343 against lefties (admittedly, he only faced a southpaw 30 times), so the Mets nabbed Ronny Paulino, who has an .881 career OPS against lefties. This seems a better idea than the doofus blogger who lamented not outbidding the Yankees for Russell Martin.
13. Ryan Doumit / Chris Snyder / Jason Jaramillo, Pittsburgh Pirates (.220 BA / .304 OBP / .357 SLG / .661 OPS / .220 SEC)
Another of many areas the Pirates need to fix. Doumit’s pretty decent when healthy, which isn’t often enough. Snyder was dreadful after coming over from Arizona in midseason, but he’s still likely a better option than the light-hitting Jaramillo.
14. Ronny Paulino / Brad Davis / John Baker / Brett Hayes, Florida Marlins (.238 BA / .297 OBP / .353 SLG / .650 OPS / .189 SEC)
Paulino is a little stretched as a regular, but he was better than most of the other options the Marlins have. Baker is counted on to be the starter this year, which is likely a reach. I loved Davis in Midnight Express.
15. Ivan Rodriguez / Wil Nieves, Washington Nationals (.248 BA / .279 OBP / .336 SLG / .616 OPS / .129 SEC)
Hard to believe this wasn’t the worst catching pair in the league last year. Rodriguez was once on track for the Hall of Fame, but he may be ruining his chances in his quest to play more seasons than any other catcher (this will be his 20th). Nieves has moved on to Milwaukee, so someone else will have to back Rodriguez up.
16. Humberto Quintero / Jason Castro, Houston Astros (.222 BA / .272 OBP / .304 SLG / .577 OPS / .139 SEC)
I don’t think the Astros, in their 50 years of existence, have ever had an All-Star catcher. I know they’ve never had one who’s hit 20 homers. Anyway, Castro is now the catcher of the future, now that it’s been established J. R. Towles can’t his big league pitching (.830 OPS in AAA, .600 in the majors), unfortunately Castro was just as bad last year (.573 OPS). At least they’re not talking about bringing Brad Ausmus back.
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