Ask Rotoman

Well, after I updated the site today by reposting the previous few days’ posts I’d been able to save, the whole thing got very messy. Maybe it isn’t Microsoft. Maybe it’s me.

When I saw today that Jimmy Haynes’ ERA had dropped below 5.00 I was sure that this was the first time since, um, high school. As you may know, his five-year scan is -$15, -$1, -$8, -$9, -$9. But, in fact, as the 2000 game by game log shows (http://espn.go.com/mlb/profiles/gamelogs/2000/pitching/5531.html) Jimmy spent most of the 2000 season with an ERA better than 5.00. In case you’re having any thoughts.

I guess Blogger has been down. I kept writing and it kept not posting it. You probably didn’t miss much. I did manage to save this gem about Castilla going to Chicago. Not.

How many times does a guy go to a new team and hit a homer in his first game? It has to be random, right? But it sure feels like it happens more often than randomness would suggest.

Rotoman’s Blog

Random notes (written on the 14th, posted on the 16th):

Bill Mueller’s injury (out 8 weeks) could prove to be a blessing for Vinny Castilla, who was reportedly the subject of a Don Baylor plea last last week. Give me Vinny, he said. In trying to remember why I drafted Vinny this spring, I remembered that he had an awesome winter in Mexico. And I wasn’t expecting much, which I suppose you could say he delivered.

The Red Sox demoted Pax Crawford (who admittedly had two bad games recently) and Tomo Ohka (who had one). David Cone and Tim Wakefield are their replacements. I suppose that when veterans a team has commited to are available there might be good reasons to give them another shot at the expense of youngsters. I think it makes more sense, however, to keep the youngsters in the majors, let them work out of the bullpen. But options make the kids expendable. My prediction: The tenure of Cone and Wakefield in the rotation will be quite short. My verdict: I still wish I had Ohka. Crawford I’m not so sure about.

Jason Marquis is a good young pitcher who made a nice start on Saturday. He doesn’t have a role as a starter, as yet, with John Smoltz returning this week. Want to know my take on Smoltz? He’s trying to take his time, but ultimately he’s rushing back. He may well have a handful of good starts, but the odds are good he isn’t going to be pitching in August.

Did you notice that Jeffrey Hammonds is hurt?

Alex Escobar is one hot streak away from solving the Mets outfield problems, at least partly. My skepticism isn’t that he can’t do it, but that the odds are against him (or any other rookie whose name isn’t Pujols). And if he struggles a little he’ll end up back in Norfolk faster than a NY minute.

MLB Latest News
Rotoman’s Blog

[5/13/2001 10:14:36 PM | Peter Kreutzer]
[5/13/2001 10:07:31 PM | Peter Kreutzer]
Random notes:

Bill Mueller’s injury (out 8 weeks) could prove to be a blessing for Vinny Castilla, who was reportedly the subject of a Don Baylor plea last last week. Give me Vinny, he said. In trying to remember why I drafted Vinny this spring, I remembered that he had an awesome winter in Mexico. And I wasn’t expecting much, which I suppose you could say he delivered.

The Red Sox demoted Pax Crawford (who admittedly had two bad games recently) and Tomo Ohka (who had one). David Cone and Tim Wakefield are their replacements. I suppose that when veterans a team has commited to are available there might be good reasons to give them another shot at the expense of youngsters. I think it makes more sense, however, to keep the youngsters in the majors, let them work out of the bullpen. But options make the kids expendable. My prediction: The tenure of Cone and Wakefield in the rotation will be quite short. My verdict: I still wish I had Ohka. Crawford I’m not so sure about.

Jason Marquis is a good young pitcher who made a nice start on Saturday. He doesn’t have a role as a starter, as yet, with John Smoltz returning this week. Want to know my take on Smoltz? He’s trying to take his time, but ultimately he’s rushing back. He may well have a handful of good starts, but the odds are good he isn’t going to be pitching in August.

Did you notice that Jeffrey Hammonds is hurt?

Alex Escobar is one hot streak away from solving the Mets outfield problems, at least partly. My skepticism isn’t that he can’t do it, but that the odds are against him (or any other rookie whose name isn’t Pujols). And if he struggles a little he’ll end up back in Norfolk faster than a NY minute.

MLB Latest News
[edit]
[5/12/2001 3:35:16 PM | Peter Kreutzer]
So much for Blogger. Friday it was down whenever I tried to comment on such crazinesses as Greg Myers DHing again! And there was something else.

Today, I’m lifted by a tie game in the sixth between the Yankees and Baltimore, and the two relievers, who are doing very well, are my guys. Towers and Boehringer.

Who do I root for?

ESPN.com: MLB Boxscore: Baltimore vs. NY Yankees

[5/13/2001 10:07:31 PM | Peter Kreutzer]
Random notes:

Bill Mueller’s injury (out 8 weeks) could prove to be a blessing for Vinny Castilla, who was reportedly the subject of a Don Baylor plea last last week. Give me Vinny, he said. In trying to remember why I drafted Vinny this spring, I remembered that he had an awesome winter in Mexico. And I wasn’t expecting much, which I suppose you could say he delivered.

The Red Sox demoted Pax Crawford (who admittedly had two bad games recently) and Tomo Ohka (who had one). David Cone and Tim Wakefield are their replacements. I suppose that when veterans a team has commited to are available there might be good reasons to give them another shot at the expense of youngsters. I think it makes more sense, however, to keep the youngsters in the majors, let them work out of the bullpen. But options make the kids expendable. My prediction: The tenure of Cone and Wakefield in the rotation will be quite short. My verdict: I still wish I had Ohka. Crawford I’m not so sure about.

Jason Marquis is a good young pitcher who made a nice start on Saturday. He doesn’t have a role as a starter, as yet, with John Smoltz returning this week. Want to know my take on Smoltz? He’s trying to take his time, but ultimately he’s rushing back. He may well have a handful of good starts, but the odds are good he isn’t going to be pitching in August.

Did you notice that Jeffrey Hammonds is hurt?

Alex Escobar is one hot streak away from solving the Mets outfield problems, at least partly. My skepticism isn’t that he can’t do it, but that the odds are against him (or any other rookie whose name isn’t Pujols). And if he struggles a little he’ll end up back in Norfolk faster than a NY minute.

MLB Latest News
[edit]
[5/12/2001 3:35:16 PM | Peter Kreutzer]
So much for Blogger. Friday it was down whenever I tried to comment on such crazinesses as Greg Myers DHing again! And there was something else.

Today, I’m lifted by a tie game in the sixth between the Yankees and Baltimore, and the two relievers, who are doing very well, are my guys. Towers and Boehringer.

Who do I root for?

ESPN.com: MLB Boxscore: Baltimore vs. NY Yankees

Random notes:

Bill Mueller’s injury (out 8 weeks) could prove to be a blessing for Vinny Castilla, who was reportedly the subject of a Don Baylor plea last last week. Give me Vinny, he said. In trying to remember why I drafted Vinny this spring, I remembered that he had an awesome winter in Mexico. And I wasn’t expecting much, which I suppose you could say he delivered.

The Red Sox demoted Pax Crawford (who admittedly had two bad games recently) and Tomo Ohka (who had one). David Cone and Tim Wakefield are their replacements. I suppose that when veterans a team has commited to are available there might be good reasons to give them another shot at the expense of youngsters. I think it makes more sense, however, to keep the youngsters in the majors, let them work out of the bullpen. But options make the kids expendable. My prediction: The tenure of Cone and Wakefield in the rotation will be quite short. My verdict: I still wish I had Ohka. Crawford I’m not so sure about.

Jason Marquis is a good young pitcher who made a nice start on Saturday. He doesn’t have a role as a starter, as yet, with John Smoltz returning this week. Want to know my take on Smoltz? He’s trying to take his time, but ultimately he’s rushing back. He may well have a handful of good starts, but the odds are good he isn’t going to be pitching in August.

Did you notice that Jeffrey Hammonds is hurt?

Alex Escobar is one hot streak away from solving the Mets outfield problems, at least partly. My skepticism isn’t that he can’t do it, but that the odds are against him (or any other rookie whose name isn’t Pujols). And if he struggles a little he’ll end up back in Norfolk faster than a NY minute.

MLB Latest News

So much for Blogger. Friday it was down whenever I tried to comment on such crazinesses as Greg Myers DHing again! And there was something else.

Today, I’m lifted by a tie game in the sixth between the Yankees and Baltimore, and the two relievers, who are doing very well, are my guys. Towers and Boehringer.

Who do I root for?

ESPN.com: MLB Boxscore: Baltimore vs. NY Yankees

Shawn Chacon got slaughtered by Cincinnati in his first outing, but he did strike out eight in five innings, in Colorado. In his second start he faced Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh and gave up 6 ER in 1.1 IP without striking out a soul.

Tonight, ESPN.com: MLB Boxscore: NY Mets vs. Colorado he shut down the Mets. Now, I know that’s not a true test. The Mets are weak. But this game was played in Colorado and Chacon allowed no earned runs in eight innings, reducing his ERA from 17.55 to 7.98. Which is probably where it will stay.

After all, we’re talking about a Colorado pitcher (who isn’t Mike Hampton).

A few of you have asked me what a blog is (though most of you thought the name was utterly appropriate).

The name comes from BLOGGER, a website that offers up diary-writing software, on the web. While the diary aspect of the blog is appealing, what really makes it sing for my purposes is the way the software is accessed.

While I’m browsing, reading about Steve Parris’ tough luck against Oakland, or Frank Thomas’s tough luck in this world, all I have to do is right click. One of the right-click menu choices is “Blog This”. I select it and a little wordprocessing window opens up.

Actually, there are no formatting helpers here, though I can insert html code if I remember how. Anyway, I can write what I will, press “post and publish” and the site is updated.

Which is a whole lot more immediate and friendly than trying to get the same material posted using Front Page.

Something else you should know: The Blog page isn’t password protected. It doesn’t have to be since no one but members know about it. The URL is www.peter.kreutzer.com/blogger.htm

Geez, why won’t the Cards send him down and give him a chance to succeed? This must be tough love, right? It isn’t like he’s helping them win games. But as much as he might hate riding the busses of Double-A for a month or three, wouldn’t that be preferable to this?

Stop the madness. Sometimes a shrink isn’t enough.

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