ANAHEIM ANGELS Signed INF Luis Rivera to a minor league contract with a spring training NRI. [1/15] Agreed to terms with RHP Mark Petkovsek on a one-year contract, avoiding arbitration. [1/18] Agreed to terms with RHP Steve Sparks on a one-year contract, avoiding arbitration. [1/19] Nothing major here, although you have to wonder why signing…
Felipe Alou‘s annual assembly of a solid pitching staff out of kids and retreads is as sure a thing as a crappy Fall lineup on CBS. However, last year may have been the most challenging of any of his seven seasons as manager of the Expos. Five of the eleven pitchers who started games for…
The biggest off-season move prior to the 1998 season was Boston’s acquisition and subsequent signing of Pedro Martinez. He didn’t come cheaply–first costing the Red Sox &oumu;berprospect Carl Pavano, and then a $75 million, six-year contract–but he was absolutely the type of pitcher that Jimy Williams had to have if the Red Sox were to…
ANAHEIM ANGELS Signed OF Matt Luke to a one-year contract. [1/12] Luke isn’t the world’s worst spare outfielder, except that he isn’t really a good match for the Angels. Left-handed power isn’t something a team with Mo Vaughn and Erstad and Edmonds needs, and a fifth outfielder who gets on base (like Orlando Palmeiro) is…
ANAHEIM ANGELS Re-signed pitcher Jack McDowell and infielder Randy Velarde to one-year contracts. Signed infielder Craig Shipley to a minor-league contract. [12/7] Designated pitcher Allen Watson for assignment. [12/12] Acquired pitcher Mark Petkovsek from the St. Louis Cardinals for a PTBNL (who turned out to be catcher Matt Garrick). Designated catcher Ben Molina for assignment….
Pitcher Usage and Result Patterns? What are these, you ask? This is the end result of a conversation the two of us started up in the spring on how to evaluate starting pitchers in terms of how they’re used by their managers, and what that means in terms of results. We wanted to generate a…
Pitcher Usage and Result Patterns? What are these, you ask? This is the end result of a conversation the two of us started up in the spring on how to evaluate starting pitchers in terms of how they’re used by their managers, and what that means in terms of results. We wanted to generate a…
Pitcher Usage and Result Patterns? What are these, you ask? This is the end result of a conversation the two of us started up in the spring on how to evaluate starting pitchers in terms of how they’re used by their managers, and what that means in terms of results. We wanted to generate a…
OFFENSE Braves (Team EqA: 275, 3rd in the NL) Walt Weiss SS .280/.386/.343 .272 EqA Keith Lockhart 2B .257/.311/.388 .243 EqA Chipper Jones 3B .313/.404/.547 .323 EqA Big Cat Galarraga 1B .305/.397/.595 .326 EqA Ryan Klesko LF .274/.359/.473 .287 EqA Javy Lopez C .284/.328/.540 .289 EqA Andruw Jones CF .271/.321/.515 .285 EqA Michael Tucker RF…
Now that we’ve dispensed with Jon Miller‘s antics (since when did we give up the cherished taboo on saying "no hits" in the middle of no-hitters in progress?), on to Georgia… OFFENSE For the first time in their post-’45 history, the Cubs didn’t lead the league in scoring to get themselves into the playoffs. Their…
ANAHEIM ANGELS Recalled C Ben Molina from Vancouver. [9/17] Purchased C Chad Kreuter from the White Sox. [9/18] Placed C Charlie O’Brien on the 60-day DL (broken thumb). [9/18] With Phil Nevin’s sprained ankle and O’Brien’s season over, the Angels scrambled to fill in behind the plate, and the Sox were nice enough to oblige….
ANAHEIM ANGELS Activated INF Craig Shipley from the DL. [9/4] Recalled LHP Jarrod Washburn from Vancouver. [9/8] Acquired 1B Mark Johnson from Cincinnati for a PTBNL. [9/11] Nothing too surprising here, although Washburn, like Steve Sparks, earned better consideration than he’s gotten for the Angels’ rotation down the stretch. I’m at a loss to explain…
ANAHEIM ANGELS Activated C Charlie O’Brien from the DL; recalled 2B Justin Baughman, RHP Jason Dickson, LHP Mike Holtz, and 1B Chris Pritchett from Vancouver; recalled RHP Steve Sparks and OF Reggie Williams from Midland (AA). [9/1] Almost everyone here has contributed to the Angels in one way or another during the course of the…
ANAHEIM ANGELS Acquired LF/1B Gregg Jefferies from the Phillies for a PTBNL; activated RHP Ken Hill from the DL; optioned RHP Steve Sparks to Midland (AA); recalled RHP Jeff Schmidt from and placed him on the 15-day DL (shoulder); transferred RHP Mike Freehill from the 15- to the 60-day DL; selected INF Gar Vallone from…
TOP TEN TEAMS Yankees Astros Braves Padres Red Sox Mets Indians Cubs Angels Rangers Its probably just me, but I’ll take the Astros’ combination of power, patience, pitching, defense, managing, you name it, over the tried-and-true Braves. Since I’m expecting the Mets to stay in front of the Cubs for a wildcard, I don’t expect…
ANAHEIM ANGELS Activated 1B/OF Darin Erstad from the DL; optioned 1B Chris Pritchett to Vancouver. [8/19] Activated INF Paco Martin from the DL; placed INF Craig Shipley on the 15-day DL, retroactive to 8/20 (strained hamstring). [8/21] Pritchett’s brief appearance was a nice reminder that the minor leagues, even in systems like the Angels’, have…