FanHouse Main http://www.fanhouse.com FanHouse Main http://www.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif FanHouse Main http://www.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2010 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ Wait 'Til Next Year: Rays Will Find Themselves in Contention Again http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/09/27/wait-til-next-year-rays-will-find-themselves-in-contention-aga/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/09/27/wait-til-next-year-rays-will-find-themselves-in-contention-aga/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/09/27/wait-til-next-year-rays-will-find-themselves-in-contention-aga/#comments Jacob Wheatley-Schaller

Filed under:

Matt GarzaAfter last year's shocking World Series appearance, the Tampa Bay Rays came into 2009 with significantly increased expectations. Most were still picking the Yankees and Red Sox to finish in the top two spots on the AL East, but in just one season the Rays had gone from laughingstock to a consensus 90-92 win team.

That hasn't worked out too well for them, as they're currently on pace to win 83 games, which would be 14 fewer than last year. That's disappointing, certainly, but their underlying performance really hasn't been that much worse.

In 2008, Tampa Bay outscored their opponents by 103 runs; so far this season, that figure is 58. So they've clearly been worse in 2009, but their run differential only suggests a four to five win discrepancy between the two years, a stark contrast from their potential drop in the win column.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]> Jacob Wheatley-Schaller jacob-wheatley-schaller 2009-09-27T20:00:00 00:00 Twins Best Hope for Real Pennant Race http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/09/18/twins-best-hope-for-real-pennant-race/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/09/18/twins-best-hope-for-real-pennant-race/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/09/18/twins-best-hope-for-real-pennant-race/#comments Jacob Wheatley-SchallerMatt Tolbert and Jason KubelOne year ago today, the Arizona Diamondbacks trailed the Dodgers by 3 1/2 games in the NL West. At the time, that was the fourth closest divisional race in the majors, with Boston, Minnesota and the Mets each being within two games of the team they were chasing. Nobody really thought a whole lot of this; with the current six-division format, we had come to take multiple competitive mid-September divisional races for granted.

That's all changed this season though. Transported into 2009, the Dodgers' '08 margin would be the most tenuous of any division lead in baseball.

Baseball Prospectus' playoff odds have five teams with at leaste a 95 percent chance of winning their division, which is nearly unprecedented at this stage of the season. For the first time in years, it's shaping up to be a pretty boring September.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]> Jacob Wheatley-Schaller jacob-wheatley-schaller 2009-09-18T15:00:00 00:00 Trio Takes Cy Young Race Down to Wire http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/09/11/trio-takes-cy-young-race-down-to-wire/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/09/11/trio-takes-cy-young-race-down-to-wire/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/09/11/trio-takes-cy-young-race-down-to-wire/#comments Jacob Wheatley-Schaller

Filed under: , ,

Adam Wainwright, Tim Lincecum, Chris Carpenter
By mid-September, there is usually a favorite for most of the MLB regular season awards. Looking around this year, there are clear frontrunners in the races for the AL MVP (Joe Mauer), AL Cy Young (Zack Greinke), NL MVP (Albert Pujols). But, even with less than 3 1/2 weeks remaining in the regular season, the race for the National League Cy Young remains muddled.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]> Jacob Wheatley-Schaller jacob-wheatley-schaller 2009-09-11T16:00:00 00:00 LVP: Who's Costing Their Team Most? http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/06/05/lvp-whos-costing-their-team-most/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/06/05/lvp-whos-costing-their-team-most/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/06/05/lvp-whos-costing-their-team-most/#comments Jacob Wheatley-Schaller

Filed under: ,

Delmon Young, Garrett Atkins
Last week in this space we looked at the players which have been most valuable through the first two months of the season. Those are the guys that always get the most press, but the other end of the spectrum -- players who are costing their teams dearly -- is really more interesting.

There's nothing to do when a guy is playing well other then watch him dominate; when a player is struggling, though, especially as much as these guys are, there's a problem that desperately needs to be solved. We'll look at the two guys who, according to FanGraphs' player values, have been even less valuable than the most high-profile case in this category, David Ortiz.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]> david ortizDavidOrtizdelmon youngDelmonYounggarrett atkinsGarrettAtkinsian stewartIanStewart Jacob Wheatley-Schaller jacob-wheatley-schaller 2009-06-05T20:45:00 00:00 Most Valuable? Here's Answer So Far http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/05/30/most-valuable-heres-answer-so-far/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/05/30/most-valuable-heres-answer-so-far/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/05/30/most-valuable-heres-answer-so-far/#comments Jacob Wheatley-Schaller

Filed under: , , ,


Now that we've almost turned the calendar to June, it's a good time to start taking some of the league leaders seriously. Emilio Bonifacio is no longer hitting .500 (he's actually all the way down to .246 after a huge first week), and most of the names atop the leaderboards are the ones you'd expect. This is especially true for FanGraphs' "Value" section, which looks at how many wins each player has been worth in all facets of the game.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]> evan longoriaEvanLongoriajoe mauerJoeMauerraul ibanezRaulIbanezzack greinkeZackGreinke Jacob Wheatley-Schaller jacob-wheatley-schaller 2009-05-30T20:00:00 00:00 Tigers' Doubted Rotation Now Roaring http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/05/22/tigers-doubted-rotation-now-roaring/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/05/22/tigers-doubted-rotation-now-roaring/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/05/22/tigers-doubted-rotation-now-roaring/#comments Jacob Wheatley-Schaller

Filed under: ,

Justin VerlanderComing into 2009, the Detroit Tigers' rotation didn't exactly look like a strength. Every member of the staff had some serious question marks, which was a big reason that very few analysts picked the Tigers to emerge victorious from the AL Central. But now, as we approach June, a few Detroit starters have answered those concerns emphatically, making the Tigers the clear favorite to win the division.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]> armando galarragaArmandoGalarragaedwin jacksonEdwinJacksonjustin verlanderJustinVerlanderrick porcelloRickPorcello Jacob Wheatley-Schaller jacob-wheatley-schaller 2009-05-22T18:30:00 00:00 On Field, Loss of Manny No Big Deal http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/05/08/on-field-loss-of-manny-no-big-deal/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/05/08/on-field-loss-of-manny-no-big-deal/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/05/08/on-field-loss-of-manny-no-big-deal/#comments Jacob Wheatley-Schaller

Filed under: , ,


The Dodgers have gotten off to a fantastic start, winning 21 of their first 30 games, including each of their first 13 at home before last night's loss to the Nationals. With none of the other four teams in the NL West getting off to even remotely comparable starts, that leaves the Dodgers six games clear of the rest of the division, and a whopping nine ahead of the team most picked to finish second back in March, Arizona.

Los Angeles' big early lead, along with the fact that they pretty clearly look like the best team in the division, had led some to declare the race over, even before Mother's Day. Obviously, losing Manny Ramirez for the next 50 games changes that equation a bit. But how much?

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]> manny ramirezmanny ramirez pedsMannyRamirezMannyRamirezPeds Jacob Wheatley-Schaller jacob-wheatley-schaller 2009-05-08T11:45:00 00:00 For Rays, It's Getting Late Early in '09 http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/05/01/for-rays-its-getting-late-early-in-09/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/05/01/for-rays-its-getting-late-early-in-09/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/05/01/for-rays-its-getting-late-early-in-09/#comments Jacob Wheatley-Schaller

Filed under: ,

It's rather strange to say that 9-14 is a disappointing start for the Tampa Bay Rays, but they've put us in that position after their incredible emergence in 2008. Predicted by most to contend for another AL East title after last year's 97-win season, Tampa Bay disappointed in April, which has people wondering whether the Rays are for real, or if last year was just a fluke.

First off, there are a couple external factors that have negatively affected Tampa Bay in the early going. Residing in the AL East, it has to deal with a difficult schedule all the way through, but the first month was particularly tough. According to the advanced projection systems (PECOTA and CHONE), the average winning percentage of their opponents in the season's first month was .524. Over their final 139 games that SOS will drop slightly, down to .514.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]> b.j. uptonB.j.Uptonscott kazmirScottKazmir Jacob Wheatley-Schaller jacob-wheatley-schaller 2009-05-01T21:00:00 00:00 Mariners Might Have Staying Power http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/04/23/mariners-might-have-staying-power/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/04/23/mariners-might-have-staying-power/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/04/23/mariners-might-have-staying-power/#comments Jacob Wheatley-Schaller

Filed under: ,


In 2008 the Seattle Mariners, projected by many to contend with the Angels for the AL West title, suffered through a miserable season, finishing the year 61-101. Because of that disappointment -- they ended the season 39 games behind first place L.A. -- people were generally down on their prospects in '09. So when they started hot out of the gate, 9-6 and 2 1/2 games clear of the rest of the division, it took many by surprise.

For a variety of reasons, though, it's really not all that shocking. First and foremost, it's only 15 games; I mean, come on, even the Pirates are 9-6. But there were also a number of reasons to think that Seattle would be significantly improved entering the season.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]> carlos silvaCarlosSilvaendy chavezEndyChavezerik bedardErikBedardfranklin gutierrezFranklinGutierrezken griffey jr.KenGriffeyJr.mike sweeneyMikeSweeneyrussell branyanRussellBranyan Jacob Wheatley-Schaller jacob-wheatley-schaller 2009-04-23T10:00:00 00:00 Expectations Ray-sed in Tampa Bay http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/03/28/expectations-ray-sed-in-tampa-bay/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/03/28/expectations-ray-sed-in-tampa-bay/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/03/28/expectations-ray-sed-in-tampa-bay/#comments Jacob Wheatley-Schaller

Filed under: , ,


FanHouse continues its 2009 MLB Preview with a look at the Tampa Bay Rays.

Although they ended up falling short at the end, 2008 was the year of the Rays. After being the butt of jokes for the first 10 years of its existence, Tampa Bay turned an impressive collection of baseball talent into an impressive team, finally assembling a competent bullpen, and utilizing some position shifts to put a much improved defense on the field. With the pieces in place, everything came together, and the Rays increased their win total by 31 games on their way to winning both the AL East and AL pennant.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]> 2009 mlb preview2009MlbPreviewadam kennedyAdamKennedyb.j. uptonB.j.Uptonbrian shouseBrianShousecarl crawfordCarlCrawfordcliff floydCliffFloyddavid priceDavidPriceedwin jacksonEdwinJacksoneric hinskeEricHinskegabe kaplerGabeKaplergrant balfourGrantBalfourjason bartlettjason hammeljason isringhausenJasonBartlettJasonHammelJasonIsringhausenjeff niemannJeffNiemannmatt joyceMattJoycemorgan ensbergMorganEnsbergpat burrellPatBurrellrocco baldelliRoccoBaldellitrever millerTreverMiller Jacob Wheatley-Schaller jacob-wheatley-schaller 2009-03-28T16:00:00 00:00 A Sixth Sense for Upsets http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/17/a-sixth-sense-for-upsets/ http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/17/a-sixth-sense-for-upsets/ http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/17/a-sixth-sense-for-upsets/#comments Jacob Wheatley-Schaller

Filed under: ,


Over the past few months, Bracketology Busters has broken down potential brackets and examined teams that were significantly more or less talented than their projected seeds. With the real thing now here, we'll continue with the same type of analysis, just with less speculation.

Today we'll take a look at an incredible quirk in this year's bracket -- the four No. 6 seeds are arguably stronger than any other seeded group, save the four seeds each at Nos. 1 and 2.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]> Jacob Wheatley-Schaller jacob-wheatley-schaller 2009-03-17T06:00:00 00:00 Missouri Rescues a Bubble Team to Be Named Later http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/14/missouri-rescues-a-bubble-team-to-be-named-later/ http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/14/missouri-rescues-a-bubble-team-to-be-named-later/ http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/14/missouri-rescues-a-bubble-team-to-be-named-later/#comments Jacob Wheatley-Schaller

Filed under: ,

Baylor made quite a run in Oklahoma City this week, but in the end they came up a game short. After beating Nebraska, Kansas, and Texas to reach the Big 12 title game, the Bears saw their tournament hopes end on Saturday with a loss to Missouri.

Because of their disappointing 5-11 regular season conference record, Baylor is extremely unlikely to hear their name called on Sunday evening. That means there's one more at-large spot than there would've been if they had won, which is very good news for the Creightons and Marylands of the world.

No. 14 Missouri 73, Baylor 60: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]> demarre carrollDemarreCarrolllacedarius dunnLacedariusDunn Jacob Wheatley-Schaller jacob-wheatley-schaller 2009-03-14T20:20:00 00:00 Maryland Upset Keeps Hope Alive http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/13/maryland-upsets-wake-forest-to-keep-hope-alive/ http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/13/maryland-upsets-wake-forest-to-keep-hope-alive/ http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/13/maryland-upsets-wake-forest-to-keep-hope-alive/#comments Jacob Wheatley-Schaller

Filed under:

After finishing just 7-9 in ACC regular season play, the Maryland Terrapins needed yet another big win to remain in the NCAA tournament discussion.

Their win over Wake Forest in the ACC tourney quarterfinals on Friday night is exactly what they needed. At worst, the Terps will be prominently featured in the discussion on Saturday afternoon, and even if they lose on Saturday Maryland now has a good chance of receiving a bid.
Maryland 75, No. 8 Wake Forest 64: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]> Jacob Wheatley-Schaller jacob-wheatley-schaller 2009-03-13T21:25:00 00:00 It's Bedlam as Oklahoma Goes Down http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/12/another-big-12-power-goes-down-oklahoma-state-upends-the-sooner/ http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/12/another-big-12-power-goes-down-oklahoma-state-upends-the-sooner/ http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/12/another-big-12-power-goes-down-oklahoma-state-upends-the-sooner/#comments Jacob Wheatley-Schaller

Filed under:

James AndersonThroughout the regular season, three teams separated themselves from the pack in the Big 12. But after not even two full days, two of those teams -- Kansas this afternoon, and now Oklahoma -- have been eliminated from the conference tournament.

It was a crazy environment in Oklahoma City, coupled with some fiery emotions and a bizarre ending. But in the end it was Oklahoma State taking down Blake Griffin and the Sooners, 71-70.


Oklahoma State 71, No. 6 Oklahoma 70: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]> blake griffinBlakeGriffinbyron eatonByronEatonjames andersonJamesAndersontony crockerTonyCrocker Jacob Wheatley-Schaller jacob-wheatley-schaller 2009-03-12T21:45:00 00:00 Baylor Takes Down Kansas http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/12/baylor-takes-down-kansas/ http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/12/baylor-takes-down-kansas/ http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/12/baylor-takes-down-kansas/#comments Jacob Wheatley-Schaller

Filed under:

Baylor had a very disappointing regular season, bringing back the majority of last season's 21-11 (9-7 in the Big 12) squad, yet going 5-11 in conference play. Fortunately for Baylor, everyone starts anew in the conference tournament, and the Bears have taken advantage, following up Wednesday night's win over Nebraska with a shocking 71-64 victory over No. 1 seed Kansas Thursday afternoon.


Baylor 71, Kansas 64: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]> Jacob Wheatley-Schaller jacob-wheatley-schaller 2009-03-12T14:45:00 00:00 Big 12 Tournament Preview: Hoping For No More Surprises http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/11/big-12-tournament-preview-hoping-for-no-more-surprises/ http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/11/big-12-tournament-preview-hoping-for-no-more-surprises/ http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/11/big-12-tournament-preview-hoping-for-no-more-surprises/#comments Jacob Wheatley-SchallerLeo Lyons, Blake Griffin, Sherron CollinsThings haven't gone quite according to plan in the Big 12 this year, but it's still been another successful year for the conference. As expected, Oklahoma has been a force to be reckoned with, led by national player of the year favorite Blake Griffin.

But while Texas has failed to meet expectations after the departure of D.J. Augustin, two surprising contenders have emerged.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]> blake griffinBlakeGriffin Jacob Wheatley-Schaller jacob-wheatley-schaller 2009-03-11T08:00:00 00:00 Tribe Hoping Things Even Out in '09 http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/03/09/tribe-hoping-things-even-out-in-09/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/03/09/tribe-hoping-things-even-out-in-09/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/03/09/tribe-hoping-things-even-out-in-09/#comments Jacob Wheatley-Schaller

Filed under: , ,


FanHouse continues its 2009 MLB Preview with a look at the Cleveland Indians.

Coming off a 96-win season in 2007, the Indians were expected to be one of the stronger teams in the AL last year. Cleveland looked like it was going to compete with the Tigers all year for the division crown. They had Victor Martinez, one of the best catchers in the league, along with a 1-2 punch of CC Sabathia and Fausto Carmona atop the rotation. As always, there were some concerns, including fifth starter Cliff Lee, whose 2007 ERA was 6.29. But on the whole, it looked like it was going to be a pretty good year.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]> 2009 mlb preview2009MlbPreviewcarl pavanoCarlPavanocc sabathiaCcSabathiacliff leeCliffLeefausto carmonaFaustoCarmonafranklin gutierrezFranklinGutierrezjoe smithJoeSmithkelly shoppachKellyShoppachkerry woodKerryWoodluis valbuenaLuisValbuenamark derosaMarkDerosasal fasanoSalFasanoshin-soo chooShin-sooChootravis hafnerTravisHafnervictor martinezVictorMartinez Jacob Wheatley-Schaller jacob-wheatley-schaller 2009-03-09T17:00:00 00:00 Oklahoma Can't Keep Up With Missouri http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/04/oklahoma-cant-keep-up-with-missouri/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/04/oklahoma-cant-keep-up-with-missouri/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/04/oklahoma-cant-keep-up-with-missouri/#comments Jacob Wheatley-Schaller

Filed under: , ,

It's incredible to still be saying this March 4, but before Wednesday night's game against Missouri the Oklahoma Sooners hadn't been faced with a real road test while at full strength all season. They didn't play any potential NCAA Tournament teams on the road in non-conference play, and Blake Griffin was injured in the first half of their game in Austin.

That finally changed when they went into Columbia, and while they didn't embarrass themseleves, the Sooners sure didn't have the look of a national title contender in their 73-64 loss to Mizzou.

No. 15 Missouri 73, No. 4 Oklahoma 64: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]> blake griffinBlakeGriffindemarre carrollDemarreCarroll Jacob Wheatley-Schaller jacob-wheatley-schaller 2009-03-04T23:30:00 00:00 Bracketology Busters: Beware the Bruins http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/04/bracketology-busters-beware-the-bruins/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/04/bracketology-busters-beware-the-bruins/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/04/bracketology-busters-beware-the-bruins/#comments Jacob Wheatley-Schaller

Filed under: , ,

Each week, ESPN's Joe Lunardi predicts the NCAA tournament field if the season ended today. While he's good at this, Lunardi only focuses on past performance, and wins and losses. Bracketology Busters looks at which teams should be expected to perform significantly better or worse than their projected seeds.

This week we'll look at a team that's seen their perception drop after a great three-year stretch, but is primed to make yet another late season run.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]> ben howlandBenHowlanddarren collisonDarrenCollisonjoe lunardijosh shippJoshShippjrue holidayJrueHolidayUCLA Jacob Wheatley-Schaller jacob-wheatley-schaller 2009-03-04T15:45:00 00:00 Bracketology Busters: Memphis Blues http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/25/bracketology-busters-memphis-blues/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/25/bracketology-busters-memphis-blues/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/25/bracketology-busters-memphis-blues/#comments Jacob Wheatley-Schaller

Filed under: ,

Each week, ESPN's Joe Lunardi predicts the NCAA tournament field if the season ended today. While he's good at this, Lunardi only focuses on past performance, and wins and losses. Bracketology Busters looks at which teams should be expected to perform significantly better or worse than their projected seeds.

This week in Bracketology Busters we'll look at a couple teams that are both currently projected to be No. 2 seeds, but are going in dramatically different directions at this stage of the year. Today, it's a team that was front and center a year ago, but has been largely ignored this season despite performing at a similarly high level.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]> Jacob Wheatley-Schaller jacob-wheatley-schaller 2009-02-25T14:20:00 00:00