Steven King's Love of Baseball

Steven King had a nice article about Baseball's greed and the crazy TV schedule that is truly ruining baseball for the next generation.  Honestly 600 people showed up for a Florida/Atlanta game.  If the next generation doesn't watch the game does that mean the game has no next generation?  Ughhh why does the holder's of America's game given it all away to the NFL.  It isn't all that difficult.  The game is America's game.   Why do the old men who run the game so resistant to ideals that might make the game greater?  When the hated Scott Boras mentioned the concept of going to a 9 game World Series and having the first two games at a neutral site allowing for a giant spectacle why not give it a shot?  A mean back in ancient baseball history they used to play 9 games.  Anyway wake up and make the game accessible.  Let it grow!

Manny Being Manny (The Onion of Course...)

This is just great....

Rox Talk

Another 4-2 week against the Dodgers and Reds. The Roxs currently stand at 61-71. Eight games back from division leading D-backs in third place. Currently 36-30 at home and 25-41 on the road, the Roxs have been outscored by its opponents 620-680 (expected wins is 60 versus historical wins at 62). On pace for 75 wins with 761 runs scored and 827 runs against.

Weekly WPA leaders (overall as well):

Well 30 games to play with 15 at home and 15 on the road. If they statistically play out the year then they will go 14 - 16. They have 9 games against the Giants (4), 6 against the Padres (3), 3 against Houston (2), 3 against Atlanta (2), 3 against LA (1), and 6 against the D-backs (1). The number in parenthesis is the wins we should have if we statistically play out the rest of the year. So basically all signs point to a 74 - 75 win season. Trying to be positive, I think they can probably take 2 more wins agains the Giants and three more from the D-Backs which would mean 17 - 13 down the stretch. Could we go 20 - 10 down the strectch and get to .500? That would be awesome but starting pitching consistency would really be needed. 12 starts from our 4th and 5th starter! By the way the Denver Post has an interesting story from Woody Paige who brought forth that the Roxs have the best division record since June 3! Whoppee if we could just throw out those pesky first two months of the season!

If I Was Commissioner

Teams seem be sorting themselves out. Biggest surprise has to be the Rays and in retrospect one has to wonder why it took so long for them to finally start winning? I mean they have had great draft picks over the years. You would have to assume that eventually something good would happen but to make such a bold leap so quickly. Could you imagine a Cubs Rays World Series and if the Cubs would happen to lose...yikes!

Rox Talk

A 4-2 week against the D-Backs and Nats. The Roxs currently stand at 57-69. Eight games back from division leading D-backs in third place. Currently 34-29 at home and 23-40 on the road, the Roxs have been outscored by its opponents 591-654 (expected wins is 57 versus historical wins at 59). On pace for 73 wins with 760 runs scored and 841 runs against.

Weekly WPA leaders (overall as well):

The inconsistency of this season is just plain maddening. Up and down, win and losing streaks, offense then pitching. There just doesn't seem to be rhyme or reason to this season. As a fan you get a little excited and think the corner has been turned only to have them fall on their face for the next few games. Gotta love baseball...

Rox Talk

A 2-5 week against the Nats and Padres. Tough week and have to admit this pretty much ends the any sort of hope that the Roxs can make a run of it. To go 2-5 against the two worst teams in baseball and have it done at home is just pathetic. The Roxs currently stand at 53-67. Eight games back from division leading D-backs in third place. Currently 33-27 at home and 20-40 on the road, the Roxs have been outscored by its opponents 557-628 (expected wins is 53 versus historical wins at 56). On pace for 72 wins with 747 runs scored and 847 runs against.

Weekly WPA leaders (overall as well):

Last Sunday was Faith Day? Faith Day? Guess this was the 4th annual one at the ballpark. Look I don't have any problem having promotions but I think the whole ideal is a bit funny especially with one of the Monforts leading the way. Does Monfort think that simply faith (i.e. Rockies fans, baseball) going to win baseball games for you. Somehow I think God might have better things on his mind than what the Roxs are doing on any given day. Of course that is a good thought, who would God root for? Maybe last year the Roxs had a little luck but to carry this thought it would seem the Monforts and the Roxs are kind of like that televangelist. You know the ones that plead for your money, take it for their own purposes, and not really give anything back. Two million fans show up and all we get is a lousy 54 wins? Maybe a little more work and a little less faith and we could build a winning ball club.

July is in the Books

July is in the Books

49 - 61 after four months of baseball. The Roxs definately picked things up going 11 - 2 at home (6 - 8 on the road). Not for sure what is up with the Roxs and the road. They seem to be slipping into that old habit of playing terrible on the road again. On pace to only win about 26 games on the road! So let's look at the numbers:

Historical Winning Percentage vs Pythagorean Winning Percentage:

Wow look at that no July swoon! Playing 11 - 2 at home certainly helped. Maybe the All Star break helped too. Too bad we tanked in April and May. We might have made ground in a traditional bad month.

Runs Scored vs Runs Allowed Historical:

Wow as bad as we were in June we made up for it in July. Obviously one reason July has been so hard on the Roxs is they seem to have difficulty scoring in past years but not this year. Pitching continues to also be a bright spot which is kind of strange because if you listen to the pundits they seem to indicate the pitching has been the Roxs problem. If you look below to me it is and always has been the hitting that has let the Roxs down this year.

The lines are just arbitary set points I used to base my preseason prediction. Pitching is right where it needs to be but the offense...yikes! What does all this mean, well look at the graph below on predicted wins (versus last year) and I think it tells the whole story!

Rox Talk

A 3-4 week against the Pirates and Marlins. Tough up and down week, but did conclude the road trip with a winning record which is good. With about 2 months to go and 49 games left the Roxs have to go 30 - 19 to get to .500 and 32 - 17 to get to 83 wins (my projection? or was it 85 wins?). Anyway not impossible but with a lot of games left against the division, which we seem to have difficult winning against it will be tough. We do have 28 games at home which helps and with 7 games against the Nats, 3 against the Reds, 3 against the Astros, and a series in Atlanta. Maybe 30 - 19 isn't too tough to get to? The Roxs currently stand at 51-62. Seven games back from division leading D-backs in third place. Currently 31-22 at home and 20-40 on the road, the Roxs have been outscored by its opponents 523-578 (expected wins is 51 versus historical wins at 52). On pace for 73 wins with 750 runs scored and 829 runs against.

Weekly WPA leaders (overall as well):

No movement on the trade front..

If I Was Commissioner

Things are starting to space out a bit. Looking at these standings I just can't believe how bad baseball is out West and in the Washington DC area!