Here are a few short things that I don't feel like writing full posts about, either because I don't really know what to say about them, I don't really have the energy to discuss them at length, or something else. I think that covers pretty much every possibility. To be honest I don't even know why I'm writing this notes post on a September Saturday afternoon. There's football and football, sandwiched between Dr. Pepper commercials. Also there's good weather outside. Nobody will care about this post. I barely care about this post. All right, way to sell it.
- A Dustin Ackley split:
First 36 games (through July 31): 61% first-pitch strikes, 76% first-pitch fastballs
Last 37 games (since August 1): 51% first-pitch strikes, 64% first-pitch fastballs
I haven't decided what this means, if it means anything. Interestingly, Ackley saw 66% fastballs overall through July 31, and has seen 65% fastballs overall since August 1. But the first-pitch thing caught my eye. It's in our and Ackley's best interests to have him ahead in the count more often.
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Tonight's starting DH: Adam Kennedy. For the second time in three days, Adam Kennedy will start at DH. Now, this is also just Kennedy's third start in the last 12 games, so it's not like Eric Wedge is running him out there all the time, but we can go ahead and plan on three or four spectacularly uninteresting plate appearances.
This is a hard situation. We know, as fans, that Wedge can't just nail Kennedy to the bench all September long. That wouldn't be fair. Kennedy has reportedly been a team leader all season, and he's earned an honorable finish. But every at bat that Kennedy picks up at this point is an at bat that doesn't go to a younger, more interesting player that stands a chance of helping out in 2012. That's a bitter pill to swallow. There is literally no player whose performance I care less about right now than Adam Kennedy.
- Over in Atlanta, starting shortstop Alex Gonzalez is dealing with a recurring back problem. He has also, since June 16th, hit a pathetic .193 with a .510 OPS. Jack Wilson might not only make the playoffs for the first time in his career - he could make the playoffs and play a prominent role in them.
- It's time for everybody's favorite guessing game: Mystery Players Statistical Comparison! For a popular game, it should really be named better.
Pitcher A is a righty with a hard fastball, a hard slider, and an infrequent change. Pitcher B is a righty with a hard fastball, a hard slider, and an infrequent change. Both are extreme fly ballers. Pitcher A is Michael Pineda. Pitcher B is Rafael Soriano as a Mariner.BB/9 K/9 H/9 HR/9 Pitcher A 2.9 9.2 6.9 1.0 Pitcher B 2.8 9.3 7.1 0.8
Obviously, there are differences. Pineda is bigger. He throws harder. He has - so far - been healthy. I just thought this was interesting. Don't read any more into it. Don't.
- Jamey Wright hit a guy last night, which was the 141st time he's hit a guy in his career. That ranks him 25th all-time, tied with Ed Doheny and Pedro Martinez. In this paragraph, you find a similarity between Jamey Wright and Pedro Martinez.