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In the rush to leave the house today, I didn’t actually get the FanGraph from Sunday’s game, etc. posted before today’s thread. So, later than expected: here it is, the Heroes and Zeroes from the Giants series, and some random other chit-chat regarding Vargas. Just got back from the game - I had to bail early, but that was to pick up Mrs. SnakePit, so that’s my excuse. And since it was 12-2 at that time, I don’t feel too guilty… Full report on that tomorrow!

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Today: Homeward bound

Heroes and Zeroes
Series 50: vs Giants, on road

Webb: 8 IP, 3 H, 0 BB, 6 K, 1 ER
Edgar Gonzalez: 7 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 ER
Valverde: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 K, 0 ER
—————————–
Luis Gonzalez: 1-for-8
Lyon: 0 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 ER

I can’t help feeling I must have miscounted somewhere down the line, because it doesn’t seem right that this upcoming, final series will only be the 51st of the year. Oh, well, never mind: here, you get the quality research that you pay for. Two and a half decent starting performances, two wins; the unlucky loser is, naturally, Brandon Webb. Poor defense and the batting practice ball served up by Lyon to Alou ensured there was no W for our Cy Young man this series. Edgar Gonzalez had another sterling outing; I can’t help being concerned a little bit, as to whether he has enough plus pitches to be successful long term, but thus far…

Valverde was solid in two appearances, though only one of them was a save - and even that one was thoroughly undeserved, as I noted in the diaries. Sorry to have to mention Luis Gonzalez below the line, but this road-trip has been pretty wretched for Gonzo (5-for-29, and 1-for-17 in LA and SF). Indeed, August (.237) and September (.244) have been bad in general. One wonders if, perhaps, his mind was elsewhere? Couldn’t really blame him if that were the case. I’m pretty sure we will not see this position repeated by Luis over the weekend.

Today’s new poll question is the latest in our ongoing “Re-sign or let go?” series, this time focusing on occasionally-effective starter, Claudio Vargas. Overall, Vargas is second on the team in wins, with a 12-10 record in 30 starts, despite a 4.89 ERA [discounting one bullpen appearance]. He’s had 16 quality starts, a WHIP of 1.41 and opponents are batting .277 against him. Assuming a front four of Webb, A.N.Other, Hernandez v2.0 and EdGon, a month or so ago, I’d have been inclined to let him go without a second thought, but on his recent performances, Claudio might still prove to have some upside.

I say this, because Vargas has been surprisingly effective over the past couple of months. In his last ten starts, eight have led to him allowing three earned runs or less, with a ERA over that time of 3.75. That would be a very respectable figure for someone at the back end of our rotation, to say the least. However, there are two big questionmarks regarding him. Firstly, his inconsistency. Three months this year, his ERA has been between 5.50 and 6.00, and he seems capable of no more than three decent outings before having a horrible one. And when he’s bad…

The other knock is his ability to pitch deep into games - in thirty starts, he never pitched past the seventh inning this year, and 30% of the time, lasted five or less. This stems from a combination of several factors. He tends to take a lot of pitches to get through innings in general; he walks his fair share of people; and he doesn’t appear to have much stamina. He only reached 110 pitches once this year, and after the 90th pitch, hitters are at .308 off him this season. He hits the wall around there, and does so hard.

On the other hand It looks likely to be another seller’s market for pitching this off-season. Vargas currently only earns $1.3m, so would probably be available for a couple of million or so next year. And to be blunt, I’m unsure whether or not EnGon, or any of the other rookies (Owings, Nippert, etc.), would be a better alternative for the back of the rotation than Vargas, particularly at the start of the season. Of course, I’d probably be happiest if Juan Cruz was to step up and occupy the spot, but that currently seems unlikely. Without that, Vargas may be as good as anyone else, at least until we know who from Tucson is genuinely a better option. Discuss…

Lotus Asian Cafe & Grill was one of my favorite restaurants before they closed nine months ago.

The Edge Square “Missle” was the closest Edge Square vitola I could get to the Edge “Torpedo” so I hoped I liked it better than the Edge Square “Toro”.

Jake Peavy, RHP (10-14, 4.13)

Miguel Batista, RHP (11-7, 4.36)

The End is Nigh. Four games left in Luis Gonzalez’s career with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Who would have thought it would end like this? Well, I’m sure he’ll still receive a rousing reception, but while I entirely agree with the organization’s decision, the thought of Gonzo wearing another team’s shirt has much the same effect on my brain, as dumping cold coffee into a computer. Gonna take some getting used to, it has to be said.

But, we come to praise Luis Gonzalez, not to bury him, and Chase Field should be an old-fashioned love fest for the next four games. Standing ovation, every time he comes to the plate? I think so, and will be joining in, enthusiatically. Gonzalez means more to this franchise, and its supporters, then I think perhaps even he realises. He basically is the franchise: Johnson may have the gaudier numbers and awards, but he was largely used by fans to frighten small children. If Gonzo ran for Arizona governor, Janet Napolitano would be left munching the carpet in despair.

The Padres come in to Phoenix tonight, clinging to a one-half game lead in the NL West, after the Dodgers won an old-fashioned slugfest in Coors earlier on today, 19-11 - someone must have punctured the humidor. So, we are certain to have their full attention at Chase this evening. And with Peavy suddenly pitching like Jake Peavy v.2005, it does not promise to be an easy outing. Last time, Batista fell victim to a case of the highly infectious terribilus inningitis that’s been doing the rounds of our starters. He allowed three runs in the first, however, then shut the Dodgers out after that, and came away with the victory.

As noted, I’ll be at the game, proudly sporting my #20 shirt, so comments will be left up to you folk. But here, as usual, are the eight events I’ll be looking out for.

1. Game time of 2:40 or less. I’ve got to pick Mrs. SnakePit up at 10pm, so that would give me time to make my way out of the park to the car, and drive to her.
2. Home run for Gonzalez. I feel pretty certain it’s gonna happen at some time over the weekend, so might as well be tonight.
3. Three rookies or more. I imagine we’ll probably see more than usual of Counsell over the weekend, but probably not quite yet. Jackson, for sure: I’m thinking Drew and Quentin will probably also start tonight. Any more will be a bonus.
4. Multi-hit game for Jackson. He’s been on a real tear of late, and a strong finish will go a long way towards giving him confidence for next year.
5. Seven-plus innings from Miggy. The man is playing for his free-agent contract, and that seems to be concentrating his mind wonderfully. Will it be here or elsewhere?
6. No K’s for Drew. He’s been getting the K rate down a bit lately, but it’s still easily the highest on the team. Peavy’s a tough customer though, so this one isn’t easy.
7. Bullpen shutout. I’m beginning to form a picture in my mind of what our relief corps will look like, and am fairly optimistic. Cruz, Slaten, Valverde, Vizcaino…that’d be a good start.
8. Victory. That’s all. Finish off my season with a win, and I’ll be happy to renew my 1/8 of a ticket in 2007.

Having worked here for a bit over two years my colleagues are proud of their ability to recognise an Australian accent when they hear one.

For months I’ve been hearing about the ‘Australian Fedex driver’ who makes deliveries early in the morning (way before I normally start). Everyone was adamant that he was an Aussie, peppering his conversation with ‘mate’ as he reputedly did. I had my doubts when he was also reported as saying ’shite’ which is a word no self respecting Australian would ever use.

My doubts were confirmed this morning when I finally met him. As broad a Yorkshire accent as one could hope to find!

Shaquille O’neal, an NBA All-Star and future hall of famer, recently sat down with NBA.com for a question & answer session several weeks after the Miami Heat won their first NBA Championship.  I’ve included a few of the more interesting questions (and answers).

How did you guys turn it up once the playoffs began and what was it during the regular season that kept you from being 5-10 games better than you were?
“It happened because we sort of veteran-ly paced ourselves. A lot of teams come out, win 15 in a row, win 20 in a row, win 70 games, but if you don’t win the whole thing, none of that matters. Our formula was very simple: beat the teams you’re supposed to beat, stay dominant at home, and stay above .500 on the road. We did that and we won 50 games. We let about nine or 10 games slip away by not focusing or just by being lazy.“

Shaq goes on to say that getting in position to do well in the NBA Playoffs; not wearing yourself out too early, being healthy and gaining homecourt advantage for as many playoff rounds as possible.  What’s interesting though, is that he says the team was “lazy“ and could’ve won more games if they were more focused.  Certainly they did well enough, winning the championship, but I think this sets a bad example for today’s youth in that it’s ok to be lazy when you’re playing.  These guys are getting paid to be out there and Shaq basically admits that they don’t try all the time; it can influence youth to get a cocky attitude.

Have you ever seen a more relentless player in this league as far as taking the ball to the basket?
No…. I told him. I said, “Look man, they talk about Kobe and T-Mac and all that. That’s where I want you to be next year. When they talk about those guys, I want them to say ‘and D-Wade.’ Not ‘Kobe, T-Mac, Carmelo, LeBron and that’s it.’ Your name has got to be in those five. No. 1, 2 or 3 at worst. You gotta be up there.”

There’s no questions that Dwayne Wade developed into a superstar during this year’s playoffs, but if you watched him during the regular season it shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone.  Wade routinely outhussled & outplayed virtually anyone and everyone that came in his path.  Wade has done very well in his short career, earning a ring before his fellow draft picks Lebron James and Carmello Anthony (and Chris Bosh).

Is Coach Riley’s situation an issue in your mind?
“It’s sort of an issue, but I haven’t addressed it and I won’t address it until it addresses me. But hell yeah, it’s an issue.“

Riley has since confirmed that he’ll return as coach of the Miami Heat, stating it was virtually a no-brainer.  Shaq certainly prefers Riley as coach.

Shaq also commented on a recent trip to China where he’s doing a shoe deal w/ Li-Ning, one of China’s biggest stars.  For now, the shoes are only going to be sold in China.

Read more at NBA.com…

I finally finished my 05/06 Japan trip, complete with pictures.

I think the La Gloria Cubana “Wavell” is one of those cigars aging works against rather than for.

Record: 75-83. Change on last season: +1
Rookies in starting lineup: 4

That didn’t suck. Not quite the dominating performance I was hoping for, but we did the necessary damage against Sanchez, Vargas gave us a quality start, and our bullpen… Well, unlike our last couple of losses, our relief corps managed to avoid doing a collective impression of Kurt Warner, and did not throw the whole thing away late for once. We win the series, and the victory lets us finish the road-trip at 4-5, which is not awful. Not brilliant, but not awful.

The D’backs sprang out to an early lead in the first, when Jackson reached on an error, and Byrnes uncorked his 25th homer of the year. The Giants tied it in the second on their own two-run shot, and took the lead on a double steal in the fourth. However, Arizona loaded the bases with nobody out in the sixth, after three straight singles; Byrnes grounding out but husted enough to avoid a double-play. [His three RBIs on the day, tie him with Tracy and Jackson for the team lead, all three men having driven in 77 runs going to the final series against the Padres.] Sanchez then uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Hudson to score the go-ahead run. Arizona tacked two more on in the ninth, pinch-hit RBIs by Callaspo and Hairston.

Meanwhile, Vargas was being solid on the mound, allowing only four hits and two walks in 6.2 innings of work - his two sacrifice bunt attempts, however, ended in a K and a double play, so more work there over the winter, Claudio. He did run into trouble in the seventh, loading the bases before departing with the tying run at third to make way for Slaten. He calmly got the third out to escape further trouble; Vizcaino pitched a scoreless eighth. Valverde came in for the ninth, and allowed a single, but kept the tying run away from the plate - we’d undoubtedly have seen Roidman come to the plate if that had happened - and picked up his first save in exactly two weeks.

An efficient performance from the offense: we only had eleven base runners (seven hits, two walks, Easley got hit and Jackson, as noted, reached on an error) but more than half of them ended up trotting across home-plate, which is a decent conversion rate. One was erased on a double-play, and four got left on base. Jackson was the only one to get two hits; Eric Byrnes stole second and third on Sanchez, giving him 25 for the year, matching his HR total. His membership of the “25/25″ club is a credible achievement: only Soriano (46 HR, 41 SB) and Rollins (25 HR, 36 SB) have done it in the majors so far this year. Damon would be in with two more HR, while Sizemore need three steals by season end.

Tracy and Gonzo both were given the day off, and replaced by Easley and Byrnes respectively. Chad was still bothered by the tendonitis in his knee, and is expected to coast gently towards the end of the season. Not quite the case for Luis, of course: there’d be a riot if he didn’t play every inning of every game during the upcoming home-stand. However, we did get Orlando Hudson back; he was actually with the team yesterday, after returning from a break to take care of business, but Melvin skipped him in the line-up Tuesday.

Thanks to azdb7, VIII, trevjohnson, jeremy and the hooky-playing Just Me for their feedback on the the last road game for this year. The victory leaves us one behind the Giants, and one ahead of the Rockies, with four to play. We end the season with a record of 37-44 away from home, which is four games down on last year. In 2005, we went 41-40, and were actually a little better on the road than at (then) BOB.

       HOME   ROAD  Diff  1998  34-47  31-50   +3  1999  52-29  48-33   +4  2000  47-34  38-43   +9  2001  48-33  44-37   +4  2002  55-26  43-38  +12  2003  45-36  39-42   +6  2004  29-52  22-59   +7  2005  36-45  41-40   -5  2006  38-39  37-44   +3 (so far)

The Padres and Dodgers must be feeling fairly chipper about their playoff chances, as neither the Cardinals nor the Mets are exactly surging into the post-season. The Cardinals’ issues have been well-documented, though they at least won tonight, scoring three in the eighth to beat San Diego 4-2, just when it looked like another loss was looming. But they are still playing awful baseball at the moment. And after getting drubbed 12-0 yesterday, the Mets got shelled 13-1 by Atlanta tonight: most worrying for New York, Martinez was hammered, allowing seven runs in 2.2 innings in his last start before the playoffs. In his three games since coming back, he’s 0-3 and has given up fourteen runs in 10.2 innings: not what you want from your ace at all, and he may miss the NLDS entirely. Maybe a Padres-Dodgers NLDS is not out of the question?

Anyway, Fangraphs plus Heroes and Zeroes will follow tomorrow. I’ll be at the game Thursday night, to bid my farewell in person to Gonzo; breaking out the #20 shirt for the occasion, which promises to be quite memorable.

Credit: Jim Wright

Before we left for the Pitchfork Festival in July, I had Aug. 2 circled on my calendar because Pete Yorn was playing a show in Scottsdale. Somewhat surpisingly, that sold out weeks before the date (and before we got tickets), …