8.13.2007

Colorado Rockies - Week 19

A 5-2 week against the Brewers and Cubs. Two Central leaders battling it out. The Roxs fortunately got both of them in a slump. A series sweep against the brew crew and a split with the lovable losers. Another good week for the Roxs who are still hanging around and have moved ahead of the Dodgers and moved into 3rd, 5.0 out of first and 2.0 out of the wild card race. The Roxs currently stand at 61 - 56. Currently 35-23 at home and 26-33 on the road, the Roxs have outscored its opponents 601-555 (expected wins is 63 versus historical wins at 54). The Roxs outscored opponents 61 - 31 this week alone! On pace for 84 wins (getting into Wild Card territory. Big West Coast road trip with 3 in San Diego and 3 in LA. A sweep in SD would put us in 2nd and well LA is always tough. One thing I read this week was how Arizona was doing it? They currently have been outscored 502 - 523 and yet have a 67 - 52. Having been outscored their expected win total is only 57 so they are playing 10 games over their collective heads. What does this mean? Well I hope the law of averages starts to catch up with them. 10 games over means they been really lucky! One other interesting note from last week. Tim Harikkala's last start was in 1996! 11 years between starts...way he pitched probably going to be another 11 years! Roxs graphical wins (home in Purple, away in grey)


Few other issues for the week. Bonds became the HR king...thank god he didn't do it in Colorado or against the Roxs. Don't really have an opinion on him breaking the record. Didn't watch don't care to. Not a Bonds fan but glad he is no longer front and center in the baseball world. As with any era in baseball, things come and go. Performance enhancement was just another issue that baseball will have to endure much like integration, gambling, and salary issues. The link below is a decent article and I like one of his conclusions,


In this way 756 is a sign of our times, in which there are no longer any truths, only perspectives, opinions, fragments, and the kind of anti-foundational stuff that gave night tremors to Nietzsche, Foucault, et al. - Brian Gunn @ Baseball Analysts

Another interesting point is Jason Whitlock's take. I had no ideal who Jason was but heard him as a fill in for Jim Rome and he is an opinionated educated sports commentator. Bottom line the Media hates Bonds and controversy sells news so in the news cycle we live in it is easy to vilify an athlete and sweep the bigger issues aside.

To end on a postive note...on Mike and Mike in the Morning...they interviewed a boyhood Braves hero for many, Dale Murphy. An on the cuff hall of famer who at least kept the Braves afloat for many a year in the 80s when not much was going on in Atlanta. It was always a disappointment that he was cast off before the Braves made their spectacular playoff run. Throw in the fact that he had a cup of coffee with the Roxs in 1993 and bottom line is he is what is good about baseball.

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Used the neat tool to compare players at FanGraphs and compared Murphy to Todd Helton and uh oh Todd might not have too much slugging power left!











Roxs weekly WPA leaders:

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