Musing from the Bleachers 4.10.08: Two Different Paths from Predictions of Pre-season Futility
Posted by Frank Fedele on 04.10.2008
Both teams were figuring to be dreadful this year after both finally decided that the present group was too far gone and rebuilding was necessary. One matched expectations being horrible the first week, while the other has surprised many with their play thus far. Is this surprising play sustainable and can the horrible move up to merely bad.
It was already a conceded point that the worst team in each league would be the Baltimore Orioles in the American League and the San Francisco Giants in the National League. But a funny thing happened in the first week of the season one team decided to buck that prediction, the Baltimore Orioles came storming out of the gate determined to prove the prognosticators wrong.
Baltimore Orioles
One reason the Orioles were a doomsday prediction was the division in which they reside, the American League East. Home to the 2007 World Champion Red Sox of Boston and the mighty Yankees of New York. The Tampa Rays and Toronto Blue Jays were thought to be improving, but the Orioles were in the midst of a much needed rebuilding effort.
Batting Lineup
1. B. Roberts, 2b
2. M. Mora, 3b
3. N. Markakis, rf
4. K. Millar, 1b
5. A. Huff, dh
6. L. Scott, lf
7. R. Hernandez, c
8. A. Jones, cf
9. L. Hernandez, ss
Not exactly a lineup that strikes fear in the pitchers of the American league. But at present they are hitting a robust .277, 2nd in the league at this time with 32 homers added for emphasis.
Pitching Rotation
1. J. Guthrie 5.11 ERA
2. D. Cabrera 9.00 ERA
3. B. Burres 1.29 ERA
4. S. Trachsel 3.18 ERA
5. A. Loewen 7.71 ERA
Not exactly a stellar pitching rotation, eh?? Then how are they winning the bullpen.
George Sherrill anchors a bullpen with very few big names, but they have been effective thus far. Dennis Sarfate has two wins out of the pen right now for the team and they are picking up the innings that the starters. The issue is eventually this will catch up to a team and the bullpen will start giving up runs.
Can the lineup continue at this pace also?? Probably not and Roberts, Mora and Millar will probably be trade fodder to bring in some more much needed youth. The possibility does exist that they are nowhere near as bad as first predicted and may not be the pushover they were thought to be.
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants, however, have decided to prove everybody right and be absolutely horrible in the first week. It is even possible they are worse than initially thought. If that is possible.
Lineup
1. D. Roberts, lf
2. E. Velez, 2b
3. A. Rowand, cf
4. B. Molina, c
5. F. Lewis, rf
6. J. Castillo, 3b
7. R. Aurilia, 1b
8. B. Bocock, ss
9. pitcher
Bengie Molina, cleanup hitter. I will let that sink in for you.
The best they got, the player that the other team is supposed to worry about. Yeah, right. Do we dare look at the pitching. Yes, I believe, yes we do.
Pitching Rotation
1. B. Zito 6.30 ERA
2. M. Cain 3.60 ERA
3. M. Valdez 2.25 ERA
4. K. Correia 6.00 ERA
5. J. Sanchez 15.75 ERA
Yuck. Tim Lincecum should be back in the rotation soon, but Barry Zito as an anchor is not working. This is also the strength of the team. I will give you a second.
Pitching staff = Strength
Umm, yeah.
So will they stay this awful the whole year. Quite possibly the big issue with the Giants is that they do not have a good young hitter in the lineup right now and no trade bait lurking on the team to get one. Unless you think Bengie Molina, cleanup hitter, will fetch you a prized prospect.
