By Dalton Del Don – Senior Writer
Nice to see Brian McCann show some signs of life Wednesday, because he’s been one of the more disappointing players so far in 2007. After a second half to the 2006 season that saw him hit .324/.372/.630 and a hot couple of first weeks this season, McCann’s bat has fallen asleep. After the first two games this year, he has just one home run and a poor .317 OBP during May. While he may have been playing a bit over his head last year, I still like his chances from here on out. He has 16 doubles and great plate discipline (20/15 K/BB ratio), so more power and a better batting average are sure to follow. And hopefully soon.
It’s probably too late, but targeting Conor Jackson would be a smart move right now. After an awful April (618 OPS), he’s really turned it around this month (932 OPS) and should continue being a major asset while hitting at Chase Field. He recently reached 700 at-bats for his career, a number that often begins a time when hitters start “getting it.” Think third-year for wide receivers in football. Batting second in the lineup may not lead to gaudy RBI totals, but he has scored 12 runs over the last 11 games. He’s also seen his BA increase 42 points over the last 10 contests. The 15/23 K/BB ratio puts him in elite territory as far as plate discipline is concerned.
Rafael Soriano has a 0.63 WHIP and .111 batting average against this season. He’s allowed 15 baserunners while striking out 24 batters. Horacio Ramirez, meanwhile, has a 14/18 K/BB ratio over 40.1 innings. The fact a soft-tosser who couldn’t even succeed in Atlanta is getting knocked around in the AL should surprise no one, as GM Bill Badvasi has really outdone himself this time. In fantasy leagues, the trade would have been vetoed, yet this guy has one of the 30 most important jobs in major league baseball?
As if working on Memorial Day wasn’t bad enough, I got a speeding ticket as well. Going 68 mph in a 55-zone, I wouldn’t know if I could have talked my way out of it because I refused to give this guy the pleasure of watching me grovel. This was one of those officers that became a cop after being picked on throughout high school. Good stuff, and by that I mean just the opposite.
One of the only watchable things on ESPN these days is “American Gladiators” on ESPN Classic. The show has aged beautifully, and I find it difficult to change the channel when stumbling upon it at night. Joe Theismann does a much better job as the color commentator here than any NFL gig he’s had since. The star of the program is Malibu – “260 lbs of twisted steel and sex appeal.” It’s impossible to watch this clip too many times.
A revealing story about Ty Cobb.
And finally, I’ll leave you with some interesting stats from major league teams through the first two months of the season:
The Yankees have just four saves as a team this year, with one coming Wednesday.
The Tigers lead all of baseball with 292 runs scored.
Before Wednesday’s mini outburst, the Cardinals ranked dead last in MLB in runs scored, home runs, stolen bases and had the worst ERA in the NL.
The Mets have 60 stolen bases, and the next closest team has 42.
The Padres’ ERA of 2.97 easily paces the league, while the Devil Rays’ 5.50 ERA disgraces the game. San Diego’s team WHIP of 1.14 is crazy impressive.
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