Around the League: The Swift Fall of Albert Pujols, Barry Bonds on Miguel Cabrera, Instant Replay

May 22, 2013

It’s been a while since we’ve checked in on some of the more interesting stories from around baseball, so

Albert Pujols chased the money. I certainly don’t blame him for it, but he left behind the people of St. Louis, where he’d been the kind of heralded legend they’d not seen since Stan Musial, in favor of a touch more money in Anaheim. Hey, what’s $20 million between friends, right? It has not been a successful move so far for the 33-year-old, whose 2012 season was unrecognizable by Pujols standards, and whose 2013 season is downright bad (.241/.314/.418). Joe Posnanski writes that the story is much worse than the struggles. The story is the decline into irrelevance. Who talks about Pujols anymore? Who cares when he steps up to the plate? Isn’t it crazy to be able to say those things about Albert Pujols? I am trained to hate Pujols by virtue of the Cardinals thing, but even I find his swift descent into obscurity really sad.

Also kind of sad: Josh Hamilton is hitting .216/.271/.351 in his first year with the Angels, who are expensive and flailing. They have become only the latest example of why buying up a bunch of free agents – even the best of the best available – can fail spectacularly. And the real problem is, when that approach fails, as it sometimes does, your organization will feel the pain for a long, long time.

Barry Bonds says that Miguel Cabrera is the best hitter in baseball (duh), but he’s no Barry Bonds (also duh, but … who says that kind of thing? Answer: Barry Bonds). My favorite paragraph in that Bob Nightengale piece is this one, which comes after Bonds says that Cabrera doesn’t have Bonds’ numbers: “Cabrera broke into the big leagues in 2003 when Bonds was winning his sixth MVP award. He’s still just 30 years old. He leads Bonds in every Triple Crown category at the same age, hitting .320 with 332 homers and 1,170 RBI. Bonds had a career .285 batting average with 259 homers and 760 RBI at the same age.” Right … but I have a suspicion that Cabrera won’t match the 1.262 OPS that Bonds somehow managed to put up from age 36 to 42.

Rob Neyer digs into the ever-changing landscape of pitch counts. The predicate for his piece is Ron Washington’s recent decision to allow Yu Darvish to throw 130 pitches – a plateau almost never reached anymore – in a game against the Tigers that the Rangers were winning comfortably. I know that the science of pitch counts remains very much “science” rather than science, but I fall very, very far on the conservative spectrum when it comes to pitcher usage. Perhaps the 2000s era Cubs have burned me for good, that being a formative stage in my baseball-reading-and-covering development. There are times, and pitchers, where I would sanction letting a guy go well over 100 pitches. But when your team has a big lead, to me, there’s just no excuse. Is the incremental difference between that starter and the bullpen really worth any additional risk at all, however small?

MLB hopes to have expanded instant replay in 2014 – which could include just about everything short of balls and strikes – but it’s a slow process of approvals and implementation. I feel like a bad baseball fan for not having a stronger opinion on instant replay, since it seems to really get some folks riled up. But I just don’t have it in me. When football expanded instant replay, I was totally in favor of it. Get the call right. Why can’t I summon that same feeling with respect to baseball? Even when the Cubs get screwed, I just accept that as part of the game. Maybe it’s the 162-game season? Maybe I feel like it’s more likely to even out in baseball than in football? Yeah, that’s probably it. Doesn’t mean I’m right, obviously.

A fascinating article on the rapid increase of pronounced defensive shifts in baseball. There is some data to suggest that the decline in offense we’ve seen over the past half decade could be thanks in part to increased shifting. Check out the numbers on the right side of the article, and note the consistently decreasing average BABIP from year to year. If that’s not due to shifting, I don’t know how else to explain it. (h/t to BN’er Josh, whose email to me about this article was aptly titled “Shifting My Pants”).

If you’ve been watching the Dodgers disintegrate from a distance, you’ll appreciate manager Don Mattingly’s comments today, collected by Bill Plunkett. The gist? The Dodgers have poorly constructed roster that was designed around BUY-ALL-THE-PLAYERS, and they are seriously lacking in “grit.”

More than you ever wanted to know about pitch-framing.

If you’re going to celebrate a game-tying or winning home run immediately and all the way up the base line, make sure it’s a home run, and not a harmless fly ball that barely reaches the warning track.

The New York Times with an awesome infographic on players on the disabled list, and the cost to their respective teams.

This FanGraphs article is worth reading and all, but, really, I just can’t stop looking at another one of the greatest gifs of all-time:

written by

Brett Taylor

Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

more cubs news

Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs Sign Brazilian-Japanese Pitcher Daniel Missaki Out of Mexican League

That's a geographic mouthful right there, and it underscores what an interesting signing this is. Stray signings throughout the year are not uncommon, particularly as injuries accumulate down on the farm and the Chicago Cubs have the ability to take...

Brett Taylor

Apr 25, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Do the Cubs Have a Scoring-Late Problem?

Once a month since August of 2016, my friends and I get together for "Supper Club." It's like book club, but instead of reading books, we go to a different restaurant in the city. Last night, we hit our 77th...

Michael Cerami

Apr 25, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 4, Astros 3 – April 24, 2024

The Cubs did all their scoring in the first, and made it stand up for the win with generally good pitching and generally good defense. Jameson Taillon looked solid again in his second start, locating well, giving up no barrels,...

Brett Taylor

Apr 25, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Dansby Swanson with a First Inning Three-Run Homer

For the second straight night, the Cubs are jumping all over the Astros in the first inning. After a couple hits from Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ to get things going, Michael Busch hit a sac fly, Christopher Morel walked,...

Brett Taylor

Apr 24, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Welcome Back to Iowa, Brennen Davis: Rocket Homer in His First Game Post-Rehab

What a road it's been - continues to be - for Cubs outfield prospect Brennen Davis. The former top prospect was on a rocket ship to Triple-A in 2021, and then mostly lost the last two years to various injuries....

Brett Taylor

Apr 24, 2024

Chicago Cubs

CRAAAAAP: Cody Bellinger to the Injured List (UPDATES)

So much for all those words of optimism and negative X-rays. After colliding with the outfield wall last night, Cody Bellinger fractured his rib (Update: It's actually TWO fractured right ribs) and will hit the injured list today. Chicago Cubs...

Michael Cerami

Apr 24, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs Lineup: What is it, June 2023?

CUBS LINEUP — The Chicago Cubs took Game 1 against the Houston Astros in convincing fashion last night. So tonight, they'll go for the quick series win against Spencer Arrighetti at Wrigley Field (it'd be a good idea to win...

Michael Cerami

Apr 24, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Bellinger Optimistic Post-Injury, Busch’s Defense, Almonte Stock Rising, Tauchman Slugging, and Other Cubs Bullets

Ed. Note: Since this article was published, a CT scan revealed a rib fracture for Cody Bellinger, who is now on the Injured List. You can find all the details of that news in our most recent article right here....

Michael Cerami

Apr 24, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Cubs Outfield Prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong Coming Up

With Cody Bellinger headed to the Injured List with a rib fracture, the Cubs are in need of another outfielder: center field prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong is coming back up to the big leagues for the second time. https://twitter.com/670TheScore/status/1783217891195625709 Crow-Armstrong, 22,...

Brett Taylor

Apr 24, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Is Mike Tauchman the Best Player in Baseball? An Exploration

Hey, we're just having some early-season fun. So allow me to present the 'Mike Tauchman Is Clearly Better Than' list. As of this moment, Mike Tauchman has ... ... a higher wRC+ (151) than Pete Alonso, Fernando Tatis Jr., and...

Brett Taylor

Apr 24, 2024

Chicago Blackhawks

YES!! Blackhawks, Alex Vlasic Agree on Six-Year Extension (Reports)

We've been waiting for it. Begging for it. And now, it's done. The Chicago Blackhawks have agreed to a contract extension to keep defenseman Alex Vlasic in the fold for a long time. Vlasic has reportedly agreed to a six-year,...

Tab Bamford

Apr 25, 2024

Picks

Yankees vs. Athletics Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, April 25, 2024

The New York Yankees (17-8), led by the red-hot Anthony Rizzo and his two-game homer streak, are -272 favorites to pick up a win over the Oakland Athletics (9-16) Thursday at 7:05 PM ET, live from Yankee Stadium and broadcast...

Data Skrive

Apr 25, 2024

NFL

Prioritizing the Cleveland Browns NFL Draft: Top 5 Positions to Address NOW

As the NFL Draft approaches, the Cleveland Browns are at a pivotal juncture, with the opportunity to bolster their roster through strategic selections. The draft presents a prime opportunity for the Browns to address key positions that could significantly impact...

Andy Molitor

Apr 25, 2024

Picks

Yankees vs. Athletics Probable Starting Pitchers – April 25

The New York Yankees (17-8) face the Oakland Athletics (9-16) at home at 7:05 PM ET on Thursday.The probable starters are Nestor Cortes Jr. (1-1) for the Yankees and Alex Wood (0-2) for the Athletics.Yankees vs. Athletics Pitcher Matchup and...

Data Skrive

Apr 25, 2024

Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams Shares Who He’d Take With the No. 9 Pick

The Chicago Bears drafting Caleb Williams with the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft is a foregone conclusion. However, what happens with the Bears' other first-round pick is anything but a lock. One name we haven't discussed much as...

Luis C. Medina

Apr 25, 2024

Betting

Nuggets at Lakers Odds, LeBron and Jokic Props, and More for Tonight

The Denver Nuggets hold a 2-0 lead over the Lakers as their series continues tonight. Check out the odds for the game along with some props for LeBron James and Nikola Jokic as the NBA playoffs roll on. Nuggets at...

Sam Russell

Apr 25, 2024

Betting

Latest 2024 NFL Draft Specials, Top Props, and More For the First Round Tonight

As the 2024 NFL Draft unfolds tonight, the sports betting landscape is buzzing with anticipation. Fans and bettors alike are gearing up for one of the most exciting events in the football calendar, with a plethora of draft specials, prop...

Andy Molitor

Apr 25, 2024

Betting

What is a Spread Bet? Understanding the Popular Bet Type

One of the most popular bets in all of sports betting is the spread. What is it? A spread bet is a wager on the margin of victory in a game. Let's dive into the popular bet type and break...

Sam Russell

Apr 25, 2024

The Kansas City Chiefs have the 32nd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

NFL

2024 Kansas City Chiefs Big Board: Potential First-Round Fits Including Receiver and Tackle

What does one back-to-back Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs team do the next year in the NFL Draft? It’s highly speculated that they will fill their pass-catching holes with an elite wide receiver, or possibly bolster the offensive line...

Jennifer Eakins

Apr 25, 2024

Picks

Best NBA Prop Bets Today – Thursday, April 25, 2024

Today's NBA playoff slate has three exciting matchups in store. Among those games is the Denver Nuggets squaring off against the Los Angeles Lakers.Keep reading and you'll discover NBA player prop bets for each and every matchup on today's slate...

Data Skrive

Apr 25, 2024

Around the League: The Swift Fall of Albert Pujols, Barry Bonds on Miguel Cabrera, Instant Replay

Read More

more cubs news

Latest News

more cubs news

Most Popular

Most Popular

Latest News

Most Popular

Most Popular