Things don't appear to be improving for the Phillies' slugger. We noted in last week's report that his AVG/OBP/SLG line was a paltry .167/.294/.351, but it is now .171/.280/.357. His strikeout rate has improved by a sliver. Last week, he was on pace for 182, 199, 215, and 232 K in 550, 660, 650, and 700 PA, respectively. As we can see in the chart below, his K's are very slightly down, and his walk rate has decreased as well. He was on pace for nearly 110 in 550 PA last week, but one walk in 28 PA will do that to you.



A look at Josh Kalk's player card for Ryan Howard will show us that he has finally logged an extra-base hit on a pitch other than a straight fastball — he's now tagged a cut fastball for extra bases. He's yet to get a hit on a sinker or slider, and has only logged singles on curveballs and change-ups.

Finally, my favorite part of these reports, the comparison between his strikeout totals and those of baseball's premier starting pitchers.

Major League Baseball Strikeout Leaders

As for home runs, twelve starting pitchers have allowed more and 14 more are tied with Howard — winner of the 2006 Home Run Derby and 2006 MLB leader in home runs — with seven. Howard's teammate Brett Myers still leads the pack having allowed 12 HR this season.

Alberto Gonzalez is up for the third time this season and has the following
line at the plate: .269/.345/.346  (larrycoor/flickr)

Baltimore    

Brian Roberts - Bruised left foot, day-to-day.
Ramon Hernandez - Left wrist injury, day-to-day.
Robert McCrory - Optioned to Norfolk (AAA).
Alex Cintron - Contract purchased from Norfolk (AAA).
    
Boston    

Julio Lugo - Mild concussion, day-to-day.
Jed Lowrie - Optioned to Pawtucket (AAA).
    
Cincinnati    

Brandon Phillips - Missed 1 game (calf injury).
    
Cleveland    

Tom Mastny - Optioned to Buffalo (AAA).
Jason Tyner - Contract purchased from Buffalo (AAA).
    
Colorado    

Mark Redman - Optioned to Colorado Springs (AAA).
Greg Reynolds - Contract purchased from Colorado Springs (AAA).
    
NY Mets    

Angel Pagan - Missed 2 games (bruised left shoulder).
    
NY Yankees    

Alberto Gonzalez - Recalled from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA).
Wilson Betemit - Hamstring, 15-day DL.
    
Oakland    

Chris Denorfia - Back injury, 15-day DL (retroactive to May 7).
Rich Harden - Missed 31 games (right shoulder injury).
    
San Diego    

Joe Thatcher - Optioned to Portland (AAA).
Bryan Corey - Acquired from the Boston Red Sox.
    
San Francisco    

Ray Durham - Missed 5 games (hamstring).
    
Seattle    

Jose Vidro - Back spasms, day-to-day.
    
Tampa Bay    

Kurt Birkins - Optioned to Durham (AAA).
Gary Glover - Missed 9 games (shoulder injury).
    
Texas    

Kazuo Fukumori - Released by the Texas Rangers.
Doug Mathis - Contract purchased from Oklahoma (AAA).
Kevin Millwood - Strained right groin, 15-day DL.
    
Washington    

Chris Schroder - Recalled from Columbus (AAA).
Michael O'Connor - Optioned to Columbus (AAA).

I
was watching that episode of Costas Now where they talked about the current state of sports and media when I noticed that women were pretty much absent from the
conversation. That got me to thinking about how women were represented and
viewed in the blogosphere, as it was, in my opinion, almost a wholly
male-dominated venue for sports opinions. So, I e-mailed Sooze from Babes Love Baseball
and Lisa Horne from Straight Talk from the West Coast about that and they were gracious enough to answer some of my questions.

How did you first become interested
in sports blogging?

LISA: I was recovering from ankle
surgery and noticed an anti-Pac-10 bias going on in some discussions about how
Michigan should not have dropped in the polls when they lost to #1 Ohio State
in 2006. I just offered my two cents on a couple of blogs, and got some good
feedback from the guys. It occurred to me to write my own blog offering a
different argument than ones already presented.

From there, it just kind of grew. I have been blogging since late 2006, and
really enjoy the myriad of opinions sports fans have. The passion that sports
fans have is what keeps me interested, well, that, and I'm a huge sports fan. I
love college football, and that love comes from understanding all the elements that
incorporate a play. While most fans are watching the quarterback, I have my
eyes on the offensive/defensive line. That's where all the battles are won and
lost, and is the key to really understanding football.

SOOZE: I've always been
interested in writing about sports - it's my career goal - but Deadspin was the blog to inspire me, midway through the 2006
baseball season. As commenters, Lizzy and I hooked up to form the blog, and
were lucky enough to add Sarah and Melissa along the way.

 
Do your readers know you're female? If so, do you notice any
difference in the way your readers and commenters treat you as opposed to your
male counterparts? Do you credit any of your successes and failures to the fact
that you're a woman?

 
LISA: I do notice the difference in
how men treat me. It's both a good thing and a bad thing. They know I'm female
by virtue of my name and picture, although many have accused me of being a man!

Not long ago, the male-opinionated consensus was that women broadcasters were
allegedly hired due to their looks, and not knowledge. With more and more women
taking Sports Information classes, the knowledge has increased and they are now
getting hired because they know what they are talking about. It gives women
more respectability, and the “she's just a pretty face” argument has
really diminished in the last few years. It opened doors for me, and for that I
am grateful.

SOOZE: They totally know.
I haven't really noticed a difference in the way readers comment besides the
occasional anonymous jerk, but actually that they enjoy the fact that we're
female and love/know our baseball. We get more love letters than hate mail, I
guess.

 
A lot of sports blogs are obviously geared towards the
younger male audience since that's the bulk of their readership, but how do you
feel about some of the blogs that seem to objectify women? You know how they
have the “hottest sportscaster” contests or “hot pics of the
day” – how do you respond to that?

 
LISA: I think it's great! Look, if a
woman poses for a picture seductively dressed, or not wearing anything at all,
I assume she wants to have the attention. Guys will be guys and I think
it's fine to have that kind of content on sports blogs. It doesn't offend me in
the least bit.

SOOZE: We actually
objectify men just as much as they do [Ed. Note: Way to preemptively answer another one of my questions]! You know,
some men are attractive, and if they also happen to play baseball, we're going
to make mention of that. Some women are attractive, and if they also happen to
be a high school pole-vaulter, it's relevant.

 
Do you think it's harder for a female blogger to gain
traction in the blogosphere? Are people generally skeptical of a woman who
talks about sports?

 
LISA: I don't think it's harder if she
knows the sport. If she is fairly intelligent, has a good understanding of the
sport, and has good grammar, she probably has a better shot than the typical
male blogger. If she's attractive and has her picture up, I would bet the farm
she succeeds. It's every guy's fantasy; a hot chick who loves football.

 
Some men are skeptical. They simply can't believe a
woman can talk about a 23 blast or fly route without really being a guy [Ed.
Note: I have no idea what those are].
I would hazard a guess and say football is the one sport that seems to be the
hardest sell for female bloggers. Men love their football, and some can't
handle the fact that a woman may know more than them. While most men know a lot
about their own teams, they may not know a lot about other teams. The key to
getting their respect is to convey that overall knowledge (offensive schemes,
defensive schemes, play-calling, match-ups, etc) to them.

SOOZE: I think generally
people are pretty skeptical. Everyone assumes Joe Mauer is my favorite Twin
since he has the hottest sideburns in baseball, when it's actually a close tie
between Justin Morneau and Pat Neshek… both huge dorks. Mauer does have one
of the sweetest swings I've ever seen, I won't discount that. Although, I am
guilty of obsessing over Conor Jackson (and his hot bat) pretty much because
he's adorable. I may or may not have a thing for first basemen.

 
Males, obviously, make up a large percentage of sports
bloggers, but just how large is that percentage, in your estimation?

 
LISA: I have no idea, but I would
guesstimate about 95%. I would like to know how many female bloggers have
actual sports blogs rather than blogs under the guise of sports blogs. (There
are many porn/dating sites under the guise of sports blogs, so I would want to
know just what constitutes a sports blog in that count.)

SOOZE: I read somewhere it
was a 20-1 ratio in favor of the males. There is some serious quality among the
small percentage of female sports bloggers out there, though: Chicks Heart Fights is awesome, as well
as Center Field, Leave the Man Alone, Strikezones and Endzones, In A League of Her Own, I could go on and
on. We're a growing number under what some would describe as a glass ceiling,
but I like to think the sky is the limit.

 
Is sexism an issue in the way sports are covered not just by
bloggers but by the mainstream media as well?

 
LISA: I think they do a pretty good
job. In fact, they cover some sports, like LPGA or WNBA, a lot more extensively
than the interest warrants. I have had the opportunity to sit in the press box
with the guys to cover some football games, and have to tell you, they treated
me like just one of the guys. In fact, they were a bit more mindful of their
language, but overall, they felt comfortable hanging with me. Or at least they
made me feel that way.

Interestingly, when I interviewed some head coaches,
they did treat me differently than my male counterparts, but it was a positive
thing. They held their eye contact with me, and turned to face me when
answering my questions. Perhaps it was the female voice coming up among all
those male voices that got their attention, but in any case, I have always been
treated with respect and courtesy from everyone. It's been a very positive
experience for me, and I haven't had any negative situations come up. It's all
good!

SOOZE: I think people like
to make it an issue. The recent shenanigans involving Carol Slezak and her
opinion on the blowup dolls in the Chicago White Sox clubhouse was tangled into
a sexist issue, while Erin Andrews is objectified every day of her life. To me,
it's a non-issue, since I was raised to believe that I could do whatever a man
could do, just as well. I'm also not easily offended, so I suppose that comes
into play.

 
Do you feel that you look at male athletes the way males
view female athletes? Do you objectify them?

 
LISA: I don't know exactly what men
are thinking when they see Anna Kournikova, but I have a pretty good idea. If I
am working, and have to interview a male athlete, their looks don't even get
noticed by me. I've got a wireless recorder and a media tablet, and I am
focused on what he is saying, and when I should ask my question, can I move to
a better spot without getting in the way of the cameramen, and I wish this guy
would quit blocking my view etc….. it's such an intense thing, you actually
forget who you are talking to in terms of looks. You are staring at a moving
mouth; that's the only way I can describe it.

SOOZE: Yes and yes. I have
no shame.

 
Do you feel male athletes are held to the same standards as
female athletes? Do you think the success and popularity of some female
athletes like Maria Sharapova and Danica Patrick is due in large part to their physical
appearances?

 
LISA: I not only believe their
popularity is in large part due to their looks, but they use their looks to get
more endorsements and popularity. It's a give and take. I expect it, and have
no problem with it, although the nude shots (i.e. Amanda Beard) are sending the
wrong message to young girls. It's one thing to use your good looks to sell a product;
it's another to use your naked body to earn money. “Sexy” is leaving
a little bit to the imagination, not baring it all. It's a fine line that, for
some women, can't be resisted to cross when there's a lot of cash involved.

 
Maria
posed for Sports Illustrated. She's not stupid…she's beautiful and can play a
mean game of tennis. Danica did a GoDaddy.com ad where
she supposedly “took it all off,” but didn't. These women know
exactly what they are doing, just as Tom Brady (Stetson Cologne) and David
Beckham (taking his shirt off) know what they are doing. They are brilliant
marketers and taking advantage of their physical characteristics to make money.
Looks sell, and they would be foolish not to cash in on their good looks before
they start getting too old. I think it's a good investment in their future, as
long as it is in good taste.

I
think that male athletes make a lot more money (i.e. success) doing what they
do because their target audience is male, which is a much larger share then
females, in the sports world. While I am female, I don't follow LPGA and WBA,
and I am their target audience. It's the nature of sports.

Are men and women judged the same? Of course not. Does it make sense? Yes. Most
sports fans are men, and unless there's a sexpot involved, guys aren't
interested in women's sports. Male athletes are considered successful if they
connect to the fans and convey a message. Pure and simple. Since most men
consider women a giant puzzle, it's no surprise that they don't connect as well
with females, thus the more difficult task of viewing them as successful as
men.

SOOZE: Danica Patrick's
success in fame likely was due to her appearance at first, but also to the
novelty of the idea of a female being a great racer, up until her first win.
She's totally legit, now. Same goes for Michelle Wie, Anna Kournikova, etc. As
far as Maria Sharapova goes, she has proven her skill as a tennis player, so
her looks are a bonus. I do think she has created some new tennis fans, though.

. . .

Much
thanks to Lisa and Sooze for being so gracious as to answer my questions. Don’t
forget to check Sooze out at Babes Love Baseball, and Lisa at Straight
Talk from the West Coast.

As the title suggests, I’m pretty livid at the moment. You’ve heard of a poison pen? Well, this keyboard is about to get toxic. I’m laying aside what little analytical skills I possess and am shooting straight from the hip. This is going to be all over the map dealing with everything from sabermetrics to collusion and it’s all about the Toronto Blue Jays doing everything in their power to waste one of the finest pitching staffs the franchise has ever employed.


This is a rant–you’ve been forewarned.  

I have stated on a great many occasions that I am a bit of a sabermetric apostate. I feel very strongly about the new level of positive understanding sabermetrics has brought to the sport but there’s a lot more than numbers, adjusted or otherwise, to fully understand the game.

Let’s look at the Toronto Blue Jays offense objectively…

They have a catcher that is above league average offensively (Gregg Zaun’s OPS+ is 105), their first baseman (Lyle Overbay), while off to a slow start enjoys a solid .387 OBP and an OPS+ of 113. Their current keystone has a slick fielding second baseman in Aaron Hill who wields an almost league average stick while shortstop David Eckstein’s sub par percentages are offset by his solid situational hitting…

Sit.          BA    OBP   SLGTot.         .246  .315  .322RISP         .303  .343  .394Men on       .277  .306  .383__3          .333  .333  .33312_          .500  .500 2.000_2_          .286  .333  .286_23          .375  .375  .375__3 LT 2 out .333  .429  .3332 Out/RISP   .455  .538  .727

Yes, he struggles with the sacks juiced and late and close but he’s one of the few Jays that are not rally-killers.

Third base was initially manned by a league average-ish bat (and is now handling duties at SS) and is currently occupied by their best hitter (Scott Rolen’s OPS+ is 165) The Jays CF and RF (Vernon Wells and Alex Rios) are both comfortably above league average and both are solid defenders. DH Matt Stairs, while in a mild slump the last two weeks (although slugging .462 over that span) is also above league norms. Overall, the Blue Jays are above league average in getting men on base (5th in the AL and 2nd in the AL East).

This sounds like a serviceable lineup–right?

Well, their next to last in runs scored and first in the majors by a good margin in grounding into double plays.

In short, they suck … badly. The numbers tell us that they should be above league average at this point in runs scored but to date they have played 38 games and scored five runs or fewer in 30 of them and four runs or less in 24 games. The Jays have scored three runs or less in half of their contests.

It’s pretty much a team wide phenomenon…

Sit.          BA    OBP   SLGTot.         .254  .332  .369RISP         .209  .297  .284Men on       .242  .322  .350__3          .208  .317  .22912_          .231  .298  .3371_3          .182  .260  .273_2_          .194  .331  .245_23          .250  .263  .281__3 LT 2 out .257  .287  .329__3 2 out    .156  .261  .2212 Out/RISP   .180  .298  .255

Adding to my frustration is that the Jays seemingly take the first pitch with men on base more often than not. I do know that no team in the division (I didn’t check the rest of the AL) swings at first pitches less often than the Jays. However, they hit .316/.333/.434 with the count 0-0, and .226/.245/.301 with the count 0-1. More often than not in 2008, that first pitch is a strike. It’s almost that the entire lineup is tentative, looking not to make an out rather than getting a hit. I am not advocating that they become hyper-aggressive but they’re allowing the pitcher to dictate the at bat with disastrous results (47 double plays).

Put simply, they’re scared, they’re tight, and instead of trying to win they’re trying not to lose, instead of attacking they’re counterpunching.

I remember last season the amount of heat I took for criticizing Frank Thomas for looking to walk rather than hit (THT June 22, 2007)–especially with men on base often passing on very hittable pitches. The sabermetric orthodoxy informed me that I didn’t understand how runs are scored–he had a .370 OBP!! Thomas himself stated that his mindset was wrong and would adjust accordingly. When I initially made that point, Thomas was batting .226/.370/.392, after he made the adjustment–.310/.381/.539. Walks are good–hits are better but I see almost the entire lineup looking to reach base leaving the driving in runners for the next guy up.     

Could it be the fixation on OBP is hurting the Jays’ offense? After all, getting on base is good because that’s how you score runs therefore the lineup is so fixated on reaching base that they’re allowing the pitcher to dictate the at bat. The Jays have grounded into 29 of their double plays when even or behind on the count (excluding 0-0 counts). I can’t help but wonder if working counts and looking for walks with men on base is giving the pitcher a huge advantage by putting Toronto batters into counts where they have to swing at what the pitcher wishes to throw which is resulting in all these twin-killings.

I can’t see these double plays as being a statistical fluke when I see the hitters’ approach with men on base. Pardon me for invoking the overused and overstated “grit,” “fire,” and “desire” clichés but in big situations I’m seeing the Jays squeezing the sawdust from their bats trying desperately not to screw up. I don’t see the proverbial “eye-of-the-tiger” where you almost see the batter pity the pitcher for what he is about to do to him. Other than Scott Rolen and Matt Stairs I really haven’t witnessed many Blue Jays hitters want to be the guy up when the big hit is needed. More often than not I see a hybrid of Frank Thomas early in 2007 coupled with the recent post season versions of Alex Rodriguez from the lineup.

What I observe strikes me as a very risk averse approach where the batter only tries to hit when a base on balls suddenly seems unlikely–unfortunately when this occurs the pitcher already has the advantage and things end up poorly for the home nine.

Getting back to Frank Thomas for a moment–back in the early 1990’s when he annually was topping the century mark in runs, RBI and walks folks often invoked his approach as being similar to Ted Williams. In both cases, they went up to the plate looking for a pitch to murder. They would foul off good pitches and if that ’pitch to kill’ never materialized they would simply walk down to first base. Both men were OBP gods but they weren’t such because they were OBP oriented guys–they were such because they were tremendous hitters who accepted the base on balls as the consolation prize and not the entire reason for the at bat.             

I think that this is the malaise affecting the Jays' hitters. They go up to the plate looking for the consolation prize rather than the jackpot thinking that while, they‘re not getting the big prize, the consolation prize is better than nothing. What the Jays need however is for one of the more talented hitters to begin thinking jackpot because when you get right down to it, consolation prizes are for those who do not finish in first place.

The Jays have jackpot minded pitchers but not hitters and its incumbent on J.P. Ricciardi to get the Blue Jays somebody with both the ability and the desire to hit the jackpot if nobody else emerges besides Rolen. Matt Stairs is a useful bat but he isn’t the level of player needed. Ricciardi needs to stop rummaging around the slot machine looking for enough consolation prizes that perhaps he can hit the jackpot without inserting a coin and pulling the arm. Ricciardi is doing everything with the slot machine but that–he is shaking it, bumping it, looking underneath and behind it, blowing on it, kicking it, nudging it just so long as he doesn’t have to gamble anything.

This is what has convinced me beyond any doubt that there is collusion going on as regards Barry Bonds. The Jays have an obvious problem with an obvious solution. Yet Ricciardi looks to a cast-off from a team desperately needing offense and the minor league system of a team in rebuilding mode for answers to Toronto’s incredible offensive ineptitude.

Here’s the thing, when the offensively challenged Padres release Jim Edmonds, the Blue Jays already poor offense loses Vernon Wells, the hitless wonder Seattle Mariners release Brad Wilkerson, contending AL teams have struggling DH’s and players like Jody Gerut, the aforementioned Brad Wilkerson and Kevin Mench are what teams look to for solutions (and you can bet the Wells’ injury will be handled in similar fashion–hey J.P. do you want Jacob Brumfield’s phone number?) then something isn’t kosher.

Barry Bonds may a cheating slime ball but guess what? If there’s collusion going on then the owners are no better and what is worse is that I will go to my grave believing that the Blue Jays’ organization cheated the fans out of a post season berth by agreeing to an illegal collusion. As far as I’m concerned, J.P. Ricciardi threw the 2008 season by not doing everything in his power to win–even breaking rules to accomplish this end.

If an arbitrator rules that MLB colluded against Barry Bonds then J.P. Ricciardi’s claims about his integrity are a sham and that the organization cheated and defrauded its fans. If they think the fan base would react poorly to seeing Bonds in the powder blues then just imagine what they will think when they learn the club deliberately tanked the 2008 season.

Best Regards

John

This article was reposted … the reader comment is below:

When the product on the field doesn't even approach the best it could be - and not because of the interference of other teams or lack of money - the integrity of the game has been weighed and found wanting. When a majority of teams are acting against their self interests in not nibbling at a guy who offers them substantial improvement without even the cost of prospects, I'm not even gonna watch their minor league product.

Nice guys who aren't good enough to play major league level baseball should not be on the field. As long as they are, every GM who remarks about not signing Barry Bonds for some clubhouse intangible reason is a lying sack of sh it. And they all can go rot.

Like the Mariners, Blue Jays, and Padres place in the standings -followed by their attendance. Well deserved.

I kinda understand the Indians, I mean Hafner has $57 million through 2012 which puts them in a similar position to the Giants and Zito. Hard to take that writeoff. But nearly every other team? Cmon.–Rick

• Dan Uggla hit 2 solo home runs and scored 3 times, and Jeremy Hermida had 2 hits, a home run, and 2 RBI as the Marlins won their 7th straight by beating the Nationals, 5-4.
• Jose Reyes went 3-for-5 with 2 stolen bases and 2 runs scored, and Carlos Beltran doubled, homered, and drove in 3 runs as the Mets downed the Reds, 8-3. Jeff Keppinger reached base 3 times for Cincinnati.
• B.J. Upton and Akinori Iwamura each had 3 hits, and Carl Crawford added 2 singles, a 3-run home run, and 2 stolen bases as the Rays outlasted the Angels, 8-5. Torii Hunter had 3 hits, a triple, and 2 RBI for Los Angeles.
• Brian Bannister pitched 2-hit ball over 8 scoreless innings, and four different Kansas City hitters picked up 2 hits apiece as the Royals shut out the Orioles, 4-0.
• Ryan Braun smacked 2 solo home runs, and J.J. Hardy singled and doubled twice to lead the Brewers to a 5-3 win over the Cardinals. Jeff Suppan allowed just one run over 7 innings for the Milwaukee win.
• Jack Cust and Jack Hannahan each reached base 4 times, Mark Ellis singled and hit 2 doubles, and Emil Brown hit a 3-run home run as the A's doubled up the Rangers, 12-6. Oakland's Rich Harden was hit hard in his return from the disabled list, giving up 5 runs on 8 hits and 4 walks in just 3 2/3 innings. Josh Hamilton doubled and tripled, and Ian Kinsler had 3 hits for Texas.
• Reed Johnson and Derrek Lee went deep, and Darryl Ward hit a pinch-hit 2-run double to break an 8th inning tie as the Cubs swept away the Diamondbacks, 6-4. Conor Jackson tripled and drove in 2 runs for Arizona.
• Benjie Molina had 2 hits and scored twice, and Aaron Rowand reached base 4 times, but it was Steve Holm's 2-run homer in the last of the 7th inning that propelled the Giants to a 4-3 win over the Phillies.
• Tad Iguchi had 3 hits, Scott Hairston and Khalil Greene each hit home runs, and Chris Young stuck out 7 while allowing just one run in 6 innings as the Padres knocked off the Rockies, 6-1.
• Ichiro Suzuki and Jose Lopez each collected 3 hits, and Raul Ibanez hit a 2-run homer as the Mariners defeated the White Sox, 6-3. Orlando Cabrera had 4 hits for Chicago.
• Hunter Pence went 3-for-4 with a walk and 2 RBI, and Shawn Chacon pitched 6 solid innings as the Astros battled back to score 6 runs in the 8th inning against Jonathan Broxton to shock the Dodgers, 8-5. Blake DeWitt and Andre Ethier each had 3 hits, and Hiroki Kuroda left the game after allowing just one run on 3 hits over 6 2/3 innings.
• Craig Monroe hit a 3-run home run in the 2nd inning and launched a solo blast in the 7th, and Justin Morneau went 3-for-3, scored twice, and walked as the Twins held on to edge the Red Sox, 9-8. Alex Cora had 3 hits, and Coco Crisp tripled, homered, and drove in 3 runs for Boston.

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