Ryan Howard

If the Mets head into next season with Bobby Parnell in their plans for the starting rotation, I'm becoming either a Phillies or Yankees fan. I can't take it anymore...I just can't. Parnell is garbage!

Continue reading "Bobby Parnell is NOT a starting pitcher."

As if the 2009 season couldn't get any worse for the Metropolitans, Pedro Martinez had to go and embarrass them on national television last night. While Tim Redding (who I can't stand) pitched his ass off for the Mets, their anemic offense couldn't help him out. The Phillies' famously potent lineup was held to just one run...

Continue reading "Pedro sticks it to his old mates"

Aaron Miles in the heated battle for the starting second base job.)

2-Philadelphia Phillies: 1B-Ryan Howard, 2B-Chase Utley, 3B-Pedro Feliz, SS-Jimmy Rollins, and C-Carlos Ruiz.

It's hard to envision an infield that can outrank one including Howard, Utley, and Rollins. All three stand tall in the top five at their respective positions, and collectively they're especially dangerous with the lumber.

Continue reading "MLB's Top Five Infields"

their longer tenure with their respective teams, but they are less worthy of MVP distinction.  Ryan Howard led the majors with 48 home runs and 146 RBI, and put the Phillies on his back by hitting .352 with 11 homers and 32 ribbies in September, despite just a .251 batting average for the season.  He was surely a major reason the Phils overtook the Mets for the division lead, but Brad Lidge’s 41-for-41 achievement in save opportunities was really the difference between October baseball and sitting at home watching the postseason.

Continue reading "MVP Award Picks"

In closing, let's look at the NL Leader in Ks. Ryan Howard (who broke Dunn's single-season K record last year with 199) leads the league with 149, eclipsing Dunn's meager 120. Howard's line for the year: .240/.327/.496, 32 HRs (tied with Dunn), 98 RBI.

Continue reading "Arizona Dunn-Backs"

illies.  Perez struck out 12 batters over 7.2 innings, including six whiffs of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, as he out-dueled Jamie Moyer, who pitched a gem of his own.  Carlos Delgado came through with the big hit, a two-run double off the previously unhittable J.C. Romero, in the eighth, and Billy Wagner nailed down the win in the ninth with his 26th save.  Fittingly, Jimmy Rollins, who did not start because he arrived an hour late to the ballpark, made the final out of the game.  After Tuesday night's ninth inning meltdown, the bullpen tossed 4.1 scoreless innings, including back-to-back saves by Wagner, and the Mets took two of three from Philadelphia, despite losing the first game of the series.  New York is now 9-4 against the Phillies this season.

Continue reading "Mets Continue to Roll Behind Delgado, ..."

nst the Phillies, Maine only allowed three baserunners (two walks, followed by a three-run homer by Ryan Howard), and his fastball looked fantastic, but he only lasted 5.2 innings, throwing 99 pitches in that span.  The reason was that of the 21 batters he faced that night, eight worked out at-bats of six pitches or more.  This inability to put hitters away early in at-bats has been Maine's biggest problem all season.  Ten of Maine's 20 starts this year have been quality starts.  In those ten starts, Maine has thrown 63.2 innings, and allowed 59 batters to work counts of six pitches or more.  In his ten non-quality starts he has allowed just as many deep counts, but in just 50.1 innings.  By fouling pitches off and and consequently making Maine throw more pitches, teams have been able to run up his pitch count and limit his inning totals.  As a result, in his ten non-quality starts, his ERA is 6.43 (compared to 2.40 in his ten quality starts), and he averages just five innings per non-quality start, as opposed to 6.1 innings per quality start.

Continue reading "Makeshift Mets Back In First, But ..."

ts.  Maine is unhittable at times (he only allowed two hits today, and only one--a home run to Ryan Howard--in his last start), but always seems to run deep counts on hitters, preventing him from going deep into games.  The Mets coaching staff and broadcast crew have noted that he gives up an uncanny amount of foul balls, which raise his pitch count regardless of how well he is pitching.  The Mets are fortunate that the All-Star break is right around the corner because between yesterday's rain delay and Maine's early exit today the bullpen has been used an alarming amount considering the Giants only scored three runs in those two games.

Continue reading "Dust Off Your Brooms, Tatis Comes Through Again"

R Billy Wagner or Bob Howry or Kerry Wood

 NL BATTING CHAMP

Jose Reyes

HOME RUN LEADER

Ryan Howard

RBI LEADER

Lance Berkman

MVP

Matt Holiday or Lance Berkman

CY YOUNG WINNER

Continue reading "2008 Major League Baseball Preview: ..."