According to PITCHf/x data at Texas Leaguers, Twins and Team USA catcher Joe Mauer posted a swinging-strike rate of just 2.4% against four-seam fastballs in 2012. As the footage here demonstrates, his swinging-strike rate against Pirates and Team Canada right-hander Jameson Taillon is higher than that at the moment.
After striking out 135 batters in 114.2 innings last year as a freshman, NC State left-hander Carlos Rodon entered the present season as one of collegiate baseball’s most notable draft-ineligible prospects.
Rodon’s first four starts of 2013 have been decidedly mixed: despite posting a 46:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio (for strikeout and walk rates of 47.4% and 8.2%, respectively) in 24.1 innings, he’s conceded four homers and 14 total earned runs — for rather a high 5.18 ERA.
Regardless of what might be to blame for Rodon’s difficulties — be it bad luck on home runs per batted ball, the lack of a third pitch with which to neutralize a right-hander’s platoon advantage, or some other cause — it’s manifestly the case that Rodon’s slider is still excellent.
Did, as fourth century theologian St. Athanasius contends in his De Incarnatione, “God [become] man so that man might become God”? It’s not for the present author to say. However, Carlos Rodon’s slider would be decent evidence on behalf of that argument.
Consider an example of same from this past Friday — in this case, to Clemson right fielder Steven Duggar:
This is action footage, first captured and then rendered into GIF form by the author, of Team USA second baseman Brandon Phillips making a decidedly above-average defensive play on a ground ball by Italian right fielder Mario Chiarini.
Humans are capable of this achievement: that’s the point of this dumb post.
Click to acquaint yourself with the truth.
The author of this post is currently enjoying a secret video stream of today’s World Baseball Classic game between North American foes Canada and Mexico.
Watching, but decidedly not enjoying, that same video stream are citizens of the internet TheFranchise29, Fjaschler, Dodgerpreacher, Gigo19, and Cj102 — all of whom would likely have made that play on which former MVP Joey Votto committed a throwing error.
Much like a young John Cusack holding his boombox aloft outside an also-young Ione Skye’s bedroom window, the author both (a) has declared for everyone to hear his feelings about right-handed Pirates prospect Phil Irwin’s curveball and (b) finds no little value in the musical stylings of Mr. Peter Gabriel.
A recent spring-training broadcast of a Red Sox-Pirates game has provided a means by which we might all reacquaint ourselves with what film critic Pauline Kael would likely describe as a “fucking tour de force” were she still alive and also filthier of mouth.
Like on this curveball to Boston shortstop Stephen Drew:
Tomorrow afternoon the present author will have the privilege of participating in the third Fangraphs Staff Ottoneu league. This despite the fact that until yesterday, I had no idea that there were two separate iterations of Jesus Montero. This despite the fact that I am not entirely certain that Julio Lugo is not still on a major league roster. And if he is, whether or not he’s worth a dollar. Despite it all, I’ll face off against many of RotoGraphs’ finest.
I may not be the everyman you deserve, dear reader, but I’m the everyman you’ve got.
In preparation for the big day, I took some time Wednesday night to participate in a mock auction. What better way, I thought, to hone my instincts against this roundtable of experts, than to match wits against the keen intellects that only Yahoo! Sports can offer. I was ready to learn.
Two hours and fifteen minutes later, the light from this screen was hurling itself on my weary retinas:
I earned my education; but perhaps I learned less about fantasy baseball than I did about myself. There are few things sadder than doing a mock auction with eleven bots.
There are situations in life where one is forced to say “hmmm.” These situations can be classified as curious, or causing curiosity. They can also be classified as perplexing, or causing perplexion. Some of these situations may best be described by the C&C Music Factory.
The video below did not cause any of these sensations for me. This video did not make me go “hmmm.”
This video of Hanley Ramirez homering off Jhoulys Chacin prompted me to go “mmmm,” a noise similar to one made after taking a bite from a delicious cut of meat, or hitting a very good drive on the golf course, or perhaps in a post-coital moment of self-actualization. There is no sense of befuddlement after seeing this video. Everything is properly fuddlded. This video does not cause mixed emotions. It may cause many emotions, but not of them mixed. They all point to the same idea: “That was an impressive thing, what I just saw.”
It is a thing that makes you go “mmmm.”
The World Baseball Classic is underway, and that means I’m way late on getting you your triennial/quadrennial Best Names Bracket. For this year’s field of 32 (with pairings randomly assigned), I made sure each WBC-qualifying nation was represented, although inevitably some countries (I’m looking at you, Netherlands) are better represented than others (*cough* USA). Click to embiggen, download, fill it out in whatever fashion you like — even if it’s just a list of each round’s winners — and send in your bracket! A CHAMPION WILL RISE!
NOTE: In order to fairly assess each matchup, creative and politically incorrect mispronunciation may be required.
NOTE (2): Pictures are provided for educational purposes ONLY and should be ignored when selecting winners; otherwise some entrants, and by some entrants I mean Odrisamer Despaigne, might enjoy an unfair advantage.
In an attempt to associate himself with something that is both larger and more sexy than his own person, the author has decided he will support Team Italy, which plays at 3pm ET against Mexico, in the World Baseball Classic.
Understanding, however, that naked displays of nationalism are irksome — and also that he is less real Italian, and more of what comedian Mike Birbiglia would call an “Olive Garden Italian” — the author has decided to express his support in the form of a comedy t-shirt (one which, in fact, appears to be officially licensed by the Rocky movie franchise).
That his life is a constant apology for itself, the author is entirely aware.
Carefully posed portraits of all of your 2013 St. Louis Cardinals.
Courtesy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and photographer Chris Lee.
