导出博客文章We interrupt our ongoing 183-part series, The Year of the Cubs, for this
important reminder:ESPN investigators have uncovered the shocking news that 29
other teams did in fact play a regular season this year. And we just want to
assure all of you out there that we did notice. Seriously.So now heres the
proof: Its time to look back on the defining themes, numbers and memories of
every team in baseball -- except, well, that team. So maybe Bill Murray, Eddie
Vedder and John Cusack wont regard this lovely retrospective as their favorite
baseball story of the year. But for the rest of non-Cubbie Land civilization,
hey, this is for you.Youre welcome!NL EASTWashington Nationals2016 plotline: The
year Bryce Harper didnt exactly zoom by Mike Trout (but the Nats zoomed by the
Mets anyway)Back in April, we were pretty sure -- and the Nationals were even
more sure -- that their man Bryce Harper was ready to take over the world, and
theyd be riding his cruise liner all the way to October. Well, the October part
worked out great. But the Nationals would like to thank Daniel Murphy
(.347/.391/.596/.987) for kindly stepping in to perform the role of Bryce Harper
in this evenings performance, because the real Bryce Harper has had an
incredibly odd year.He has hit fewer home runs all season (24) than Brian Dozier
has hit since the All-Star break (28)! He has a lower slugging percentage (.444)
than Jonathan Villar! He has been worth approximately half as many wins above
replacement (1.8) as his rookie teammate, Trea Turner, a guy who hasnt even been
in the big leagues for 70 games! And thanks to all those walks Harper still
draws, he has managed to do something that only the legendary Adam Dunn had been
able to do in this century -- roll up a .375 on-base percentage despite a
batting average that has sunk below .245. Yeah, he has almost certainly been
playing hurt. But we never saw any of this coming.New York Mets2016 plotline:
Who kidnapped their wonderful rotation?If wed told you back on April 1 that
Robert Gsellman, Seth Lugo, Sean Gilmartin, Rafael Montero and Gabriel Ynoa
would make 13 more starts for the Mets this September than Matt Harvey, Jacob
deGrom and Steven Matz, what would you have thought? Probably not: I wonder
which of those guys will start Games 3 and 4 of the Division Series!But that has
been the unlikely story of the Mets season. A team built around its young-stud
rotation lost all its young studs except Noah Syndergaard -- no, Bartolo doesnt
count -- and survived! Incredibly, the Mets went only 29-34 in games started by
Harvey, deGrom and Matz this season. And theyre probably going to get back to
the postseason anyway. Who knew!Philadelphia Phillies2016 plot line: Back to the
futureLike pretty much all Phillies seasons in the past 129 years, this one
lasted just a little too long. Like about 120 games too long. After 41 games, a
team that started the season fending off charges of tanking somehow found itself
at 24-17. In real life. That was a better record than both of the 2015 World
Series teams owned at the time. But then, unfortunately ... the season kept
going. Whereupon the Phillies took a wrong turn and just kept going. Theyre
46-70 since then, with a minus-146 run differential. So for all the talk about
their hot prospects and bright future, what should they make of these past 116
games?The good news: They found two rotation building blocks in Vince Velasquez
(10.44 K/9 IP) and Jerad Eickhoff (.154 average against his curveball,
third-best in the NL behind Jon Lester and Madison Bumgarner). The unlikely duo
of Tommy Joseph and Freddy Galvis both hit 20-plus homers. And their bat-flip
king center fielder, Odubel Herrera, made the All-Star team. But the bad news:
Their best young pitcher, Aaron Nola, has a sprained elbow ligament and an
uncertain future. Their rising star at third base, Maikel Franco, took a step
backward. And they somehow broke their team record in strikeouts while seeing
the fewest pitches in the league. Moral of the story: They still have a lonnnggg
way to go.Atlanta Braves2016 plotline: Goodbye to Turner Field -- but not to
FreddieThe Braves soon-to-be late, great Turner Field was the scene of 38
postseason games in its 20 seasons of big league life. (Only the old Yankee
Stadium and Fenway Park hosted more in that time.) Freddie Freeman played in
just three of those games. But Freeman has towered over the final season in his
ballpark, and we havent given nearly enough love to his season. So guess what?
Thats about to change.While playing on a 92-loss team, in the middle of what was
one of baseballs worst lineups for most of the year, the Braves sweet-swinging
first baseman has managed to lead the league in extra-base hits (81). (The only
other Braves to do that in the past 50 years: Hank Aaron and Dale Murphy.) And
just three other Braves since 1900 have had an 80-XBH season with a slash line
as good as Freemans .306/.404/.572. They would be Aaron, Chipper Jones and Tommy
Holmes. But thats not all. Youll find Freeman in the top three in the league in
slugging, OPS, OPS+, times on base and wins above replacement. So in the past
year, he has gone from wrist-surgery candidate to Human Trade Rumor to a man
with an outside MVP case. And lets just say thatll work!Miami Marlins2016
plotline: Hope turns to sadnessIt was a year of so much promise. It ended in so
much tragedy. So how do the Marlins ever get over the loss of Jose Fernandez? Is
that even possible?In the final season of his all-too-short life, Fernandez
struck out 253 hitters in just 182? innings. That computes to a strikeout rate
of 12.49 per nine innings, the third-best by any right-handed pitcher in the
history of baseball. And the record will show that over his four big league
seasons, he struck out an astonishing 31.2 percent of all the hitters he faced.
That ranks No. 1 among every starting pitcher who ever took the mound (and threw
400 innings or more).Jose Fernandez was that special. But it wasnt talent alone
that makes him so irreplaceable. The charisma. The smile. The ability to touch
people of all ages, all cultures, all walks of life. The story behind his
incredible journey to this time and place. He was a once-in-a-lifetime gift to a
franchise that embraced everything about him. Now his death leaves a hole the
Marlins cant possibly fill. And neither can their entire heartbroken sport.NL
CENTRALSt. Louis Cardinals2016 plotline: Redbirds dig the long ballThe 2016
Cardinals may not pitch quite like they used to. And they may not catch the ball
quite like they used to. But well say this for them: Theyve perfected their home
run trots. They lead the league in homers -- after finishing 11th in homers last
year. And thats just the half of it.For one thing, theyve already become the
first National League team in history to have eight players hit at least 15 home
runs. For another, they have a shot, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, to
become just the sixth team since 1900 to hit 90 more home runs one year than the
year before. And then there is this mind-blowing stat: Their pinch hitters have
combined (along with a .324/.387/.601 slash line that gives them roughly the
same OPS as Mike Trout) for 16 home runs in 238 at-bats. Which means Cardinals
pinch hitters have a better home run ratio (one every 14.9 ABs) than the man who
leads the league in homers, Nolan Arenado (one every 15.1). Right. Of course
they do!Pittsburgh Pirates2016 plotline: When do the stars come out?All any team
asks as it heads into a season is that its stars be stars. So if Andrew
McCutchen had won an MVP award and Gerrit Cole had won a Cy Young for the 2016
Pirates, no one in Pittsburgh would have been shocked. But now that theyve seen
what those two stars actually wound up doing this year? Now that was shocking.As
our buddy David Schoenfield wrote last month, McCutchens fall from one of
baseballs best players to a .255/.337/.432 kind of guy is pretty much
unprecedented for a player with his career path. Everyone has denied that hes
hurting. But he clearly hasnt been the same since an early-season thumb injury.
Cole, on the other hand, made three trips to the disabled list (the past two for
an elbow strain). Which helps explain his rough second half (2-6, 5.48 ERA). But
it doesnt make the Pirates miss their fourth straight trip to the postseason any
less.Milwaukee Brewers2016 plotline: Catch a whiff of thisHey, its the Year of
the Strikeout. So who embodies that trend better than the 2016 Brewers, a team
with an offense that seems about to set the all-time record for most whiffs in a
season any minute now? But a lot more went on here than just relentless swinging
and missing.Jonathan Lucroy was traded to Cleveland. Oh wait, no he wasnt. But
he still headed out the door (to Texas). Ryan Braun almost got traded for Yasiel
Puig. But in the end, he never went anywhere. Jonathan Villar, a fellow most
baseball fans still wouldnt know from Jonathan Hornblower, was closing in on
joining Rickey Henderson, Joe Morgan and Eric Davis in the 20-homer, 60-steal
club. Junior Guerra (9-3, 2.81 ERA) turned into one of the greatest 31-year-old
rookies of all time. Center fielder Keon Broxton caught everything between Lake
Michigan and Bud Seligs house. And Tyler Thornburg turned himself into a closer
by allowing 32 hits in 64? innings. So if you look past all the Ks, this is a
team putting some pieces in place.Cincinnati Reds2016 plotline: The pen wasnt
mightier than the first basemanOn one hand, theres Joey Votto. Hes a big fan of
Life After the All-Star Break. His slash line since the break: .410/.495/.663.
Amazing. If he keeps this up, he could be just the sixth player since the
invention of All-Star breaks to hit .400 after one. And he has a shot to join
Ted Williams and Barry Bonds as the only men to hit .400, with a .500 on-base
percentage, post-ASG. But you might recall Votto also had a .535 OBP last year
in the second half! Want to guess the only men to do that two years in a row?
Yep. Williams (1941-42) and Bonds (2001-02). Wow.But ... on the other hand,
theres that Reds bullpen. Holy moly. If we disqualify the Rockies from this
competition, you can make an argument that no NL bullpen has ever taken the
beating this pen has taken: a 5.04 ERA, 31 losses, 24 blown saves and 99 gopher
balls served up. Since the dawn of the modern save rule, there are a handful of
other NL bullpens that have absorbed that many losses, with an ERA that high.
But 99 homers? No NL bullpen ever has done that. Matter of fact, only two have
even come within 25 of that. So how do you spell relief? Not like this!NL
WESTLos Angeles Dodgers2016 plotline: Has there ever been a first-place team
like this?Maybe you can explain the wild and crazy season that led the NL West
champs, the Dodgers, to the top of the standings. But were not sure we can.They
got better (38-24) after Clayton Kershaw got hurt than before he got hurt
(41-36)? Yup. ... They havent had the same five starters go around the rotation
twice, in the same order, in over three months? That would also be true,
amazingly enough. ... Speaking of starters, theyve ripped through 15 starting
pitchers this season? Hey, of course they have. Before last season, only one
playoff team in the division-play era (the 1989 Giants) had ever used that many
starters in one year. Now the Dodgers have done it two seasons in a row! ... So
its only fitting that Dave Roberts just became the first manager ever to hook
two different pitchers in one year who had gotten through at least seven hitless
innings. If youre busy reinventing the concept of starting pitching, it goes
with the territory! ... Finally, if this team hasnt set a record for program
sales, it isnt for lack of trying. The Dodgers made more than 200 roster moves
this season. We kid you not. We counted them ourselves. Thats more than eight a
week! ... Whoa. What a year.San Francisco Giants2016 plotline: Was it still an
even year after July?The historians will always be able to remind us that the
team with the best record at the 2016 All-Star break was not the Cubs. It was
those San Francisco Giants, of course (at 57-33) -- because hey, it was an even
year, right? And thats what they do.Until they stopped doing it, that is. No
team in history has ever had the best record in baseball before the All-Star
break and the worst record in baseball after the All-Star break. And thanks to
the Twins ability to keep relentlessly losing, the Giants will probably escape
that fate. But just barely. On the other hand, do they even want to know that
just five teams in the division-play era ever missed the playoffs after starting
57-33 or better? Thats a fact. And two of them were the 1978 Red Sox team that
lost to the Bucky Dent Yankees in a tiebreaker classic and the 1993 Giants team
that won 103 games but went home because they did that in the last season before
the invention of wild cards. So if the Giants dont make it into at least the
second wild-card spot, we can only see one good thing that could come out of
that: They wont have to answer any more odd-year/even-year questions for the
rest of their lives.Colorado Rockies2016 plotline: The young and the
altitude-lessDont look now, but theres something happening here, in the thin air
of mile-high baseball. All of a sudden, the Rockies have some young dudes who
can change the course of this franchise.Trevor Story is 23. He was leading the
league in home runs before he hurt his thumb. ... David Dahl is 22. All he did
was get a hit in the first 17 major league games he ever played in. ... Jon Gray
is 24. In his first full season in the big leagues, hes piled up 185 strikeouts
in 168 innings -- which would be the greatest strikeout ratio (10.09 per 9 IP)
in Rockies history. ... Tyler Anderson is 26 and left-handed. Guess who leads
all Rockies starters in ERA at Coors Field? Yessir, its him. Hes at 3.00 after
12 home starts. No one else is under 4.00. ... And theres one other player we
ought to mention. Hes 25 years old. Hes the best defensive third baseman on
earth. And hes about to lead the league in homers for the second year in a row.
That would be Nolan Arenado. The face of the franchise. ... So does anyone else
think theres a future here, after reading all that? You would be correct!San
Diego Padres2016 plotline: Suspended animationWhen we asked one NL executive
what stood out to him about the 2016 Padres, he laughed and quipped: Can I get
back to you in 30 days? But in truth, theres nothing fun and lighthearted to see
here. The general manager of the Padres got suspended by Major League Baseball,
without pay, for 30 days -- over improper handling of medical information
supplied to the Boston Red Sox before the trade that sent pitcher Drew Pomeranz
to Boston. And all you need to know about that suspension is that the widespread
reaction in other front offices was: Thats all he got? Thirty days?As Buster
Olney reported, multiple sources have told ESPN that the Red Sox were not the
only team that complained. And whether or not those complaints lead to further
discipline, this is one GM who has a lot of work to do with his peers to restore
credibility.Arizona Diamondbacks2016 plotline: Seemed like a good idea at the
timeWhen the Diamondbacks handed Zack Greinke 206.5 million bucks last December,
they were pretty darned happy with themselves. When they traded the No. 1 pick
in the draft (Dansby Swanson), their best defensive outfielder (Ender Inciarte)
and pitching prospect Aaron Blair for Shelby Miller, they were just as
delighted. They were the talk of baseball, all right -- until the season
started.Then Miller (2-12, 6.52 ERA) pitched himself into Cy Yuk territory -- if
not Centerpiece of the Worst Trade in History territory. Greinkes ERA in his
new, not-so-friendly home park, is nearly 5.00. And, incredibly, he has given up
more runs (44) in just his 13 starts in Arizona than he gave up all last season,
home and away, in 32 starts as a Dodger (43). And how has it worked out for
their team? Theyve spent exactly three days over .500 all season -- and they
could wind up 30 games under .500. Thats how. Well, they did what they did with
only the finest intentions -- but wow.AL EASTBoston Red Sox2016 plotline:
Caution -- crooked numbers ahead What team rolls out the best offense in
baseball? We can just stop that debate now, OK? The Red Sox are going to score
nearly 900 runs this season -- and no one else in the American League is going
to score 800. Theyve scored 108 more runs than the next-closest AL team
(Cleveland). And that puts them on the verge of becoming just the second AL team
in the past 65 years to outscore the AL runner-up by more than 100 runs. (The
other: Last years Blue Jays.)So how have the Red Sox done it? Well, theyre the
only team in baseball -- and the first since the 2005 Indians -- to get 50
extra-base hits from seven different players. ... They have three of the top
five (Mookie Betts, Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz) in the AL batting race. ... And
Betts and Pedroia should wind up as the only teammates with 200 hits apiece. ...
In other news, Betts could win the MVP award. Hanley Ramirez could win the
Comeback Player of the Year award. And Ortiz -- who leads the entire sport in
slugging, OPS, doubles and extra-base hits -- is merely having the Greatest
Farewell Season of All Time. So theres so much thunder emanating from this team,
they ought to be televised by the Weather Channel.Toronto Blue Jays2016
plotline: Are we sure this is a hockey town?We could hit you with all sorts of
numbers here -- from a team that has six mashers with 20-plus homers, two
starters (Aaron Sanchez and J.A. Happ) who have won over 80 percent of their
decisions and an underrated rotation that leads the American League in quality
starts. But are you ready for number that best tells the story of the 2016 Blue
Jays? Here goes: 3,382,299.No, thats not how many home runs theyve hit. Its the
number of lovestruck fans who have bought tickets to sit in the Rogers Centre
and crank up the greatest ballpark atmosphere in baseball. The Blue Jays havent
drawn this many people into their home sweet dome since Joe Carters famous homer
dropped to earth in 1993. Theyre about to lead the American League in attendance
for the first time in over two decades. And theyve drawn more than 40,000 people
to 36 of their past 38 home games (not even counting those three home games in
Seattle last week). Amazing what can happen when a team flips this many bats,
smokes this many baseballs into the fifth deck and assembles this many big
personalities on one roster. Eh?Baltimore Orioles2016 plotline: Mumbo Trumbo The
man who is going to lead the major leagues in home runs plays for the Orioles --
because, well, of course he does. That man would be Mark Trumbo (currently up to
46 dingers), who would be following last years leader, Chris Davis, who followed
the previous years leader, Nelson Cruz. Unless somebody roars from behind to
take the lead this weekend, the Orioles are going to become the first team in
history to have three different big boppers top the majors in home runs in three
consecutive seasons. But its their backstory that makes that even more
astounding.Cruz, youll recall, showed up in Baltimore as a late-breaking,
heavily discounted free agent, in 2014. And Davis arrived from Texas in 2011 via
a not-very-ballyhooed trade for Koji Uehara. So the Orioles have long been
renowned for discovering classic Camden Yards swings in the old bargain bin. But
Trumbo has out-bargained them all, coming over in an offseason deal for a backup
catcher (Steve Clevenger). Then, naturally, he went out and had a season (46 HR,
169 whiffs, just 1.3 wins above replacement) in which, essentially, he was more
Chris Davis-esque than even Chris Davis. And on a team where just about
everybody except the bat boys hits 20, 30 or 40 homers, boy, was he a perfect
fit.New York Yankees2016 plotline: A tale of two seasons -- Dr. A-Rod and Mr.
SanchezAddition by subtraction may be a murky mathematical concept. But every
once in awhile, its a totally real baseball concept. So for your consideration,
friends, we would like to present the fascinating story of the 2016 Yankees. By
the time theyd finished their big pre-deadline sellathon of Aroldis Chapman,
Andrew Miller and Carlos Beltran, they were just another .500 team (52-52), 104
games into their season. Then, a few days later, they announced they were
booting that Alex Rodriguez guy out the nearest fire escape. And what happened
with every subtraction? Magic happened. How about that?Theyre five games over
.500 since The Sell-off. And we would tell you thats totally crazy, except then
we remembered the two words that explain everything: Gary Sanchez. Their rookie
catcher didnt hit his first home run until Aug. 10. And now he has 20! Our
friends from the Elias Sports Bureau tell us that his 20 homers are the most by
any player in history who hit zero homers before Aug. 1. They also tell us that
the only Yankees who ever to hit 20 home runs between Aug. 10 and the end of any
season were two nobodies named Babe Ruth (1927) and Roger Maris (1961). And then
theres this: If Sanchez hits two more this weekend, he would tie Beltran for the
team lead. According to Elias, only two players in the live ball era have ever
led a team in homers (or tied) despite hitting none for that team before August:
Mark Whiten, for the 1995 Phillies (11) and Danny Litwhiler, for the 1946 Braves
. OK, come to think of it, were going to use that word, crazy, after
all.Tampa Bays Rays2016 plotline: The Archery lessonYou think wins is an
overrated stat? Hey, How about losses? We could probably get Chris Archer to
testify for the prosecution in that case! The Rays ace owns a better ERA (4.02)
this year than David Price (who is 17-9), Zack Greinke (who is 13-7) and Adam
Wainwright (who is 13-9). But a lot of good that has done him. Its still going
to say, on the old stat sheet, that Chris Archer lost 19 games this season. And
in this goofy world we live in, how many people will remember to look past that
and check out how he actually pitched?He may go down as the first 19-game loser
since Darrell May in 2004. But he also almost led the league in strikeouts (with
233, second behind Justin Verlander). And we only uncovered three pitchers in
modern history who could relate to that. Your complete list of pitchers (besides
Archer) who lost 19 games or more, led their league in losses and punched out
that many hitters: Phil Niekro (20 losses, 262 K in 1977), Mickey Lolich (19
losses, 230 K in 1970) and Big Ed Walsh (20 losses, 258 K in 1910). But if you
think Archers loss total is unjust, he might want to check out Ed Walshs
baseball-reference page sometime. Big Eds ERA the year he lost 20? Would you
believe 1.27? Nice offense!AL CENTRALCleveland Indians2016 plotline: It wasnt
the rotation after allFor a team that America concluded long ago was built
around its spectacular rotation, the Indians sure have found a bunch of other
ways to win. Just nobody outside Ohio seems to have caught on.You could win a
lot of free beverages down at the local tavern from folks who have no idea that
the Indians are second in the AL in runs scored. But thats an actual fact. ...
Theyre also the only team in their league with four players who have stolen at
least 15 bases. But word of that hasnt appeared to spread, either. ... Their
team leader in OPS is, of course, Tyler Naquin. ... Their team leader in RBIs,
Mike (Party At) Napoli, is a fellow who had never driven in 100 runs in 10
previous big league seasons. ... The guy who might have turned out to be their
most important player, Jose Ramirez, has started games at four positions. ...
And they just keep on winning, even though their biggest star, shortstop
Francisco Lindor, is 3 for his past 50, and they havent started the same eight
position players in the same eight positions for more than two games in a row
all season. Wed guess theres an excellent chance you never noticed any of this.
But watch out for the Indians, gang. We might be about to find out in October
that this team has more 2015 Royals in it than 2015 Mets.Detroit Tigers2016
plotline: How Dave Dombrowski saved their seasonIs it possible that the most
important week in the life of the 2016 Tigers actually took place in July 2015?
Heck, of course its possible, or we wouldnt ask stuff like that. So what
happened that week, you ask? Their former president of baseball operations, Dave
Dombrowski, pulled the plug on their season and held quite the little clearance
sale. Thats what. And while Dombrowski may be gone, the returns from that
clearance sale are alive and well.There is the likely Rookie of the Year,
Michael Fulmer. When Yoenis Cespedes exited for New York, he entered. Good
thing. The Tigers are 19-7 in games Fulmer has started. ... There are also
Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd. Theyre the answer to the trivia question, Who did
the Tigers get back for David Price? The Tigers are currently 17-12 in games
theyve started -- which is approximately the same winning percentage (.586) the
Red Sox have when Price has pitched (20-14, .588). ... Now ask yourself this: Is
there any chance -- repeat, any -- that this team would still be alive in this
wild-card race if it hadnt been able to drop those three arms into its rotation?
Our vote: Absotively not.Kansas City Royals2016 plotline: Down go the
champsTheres a reason no team has won back-to-back World Series in 16 years. We
can now sum up that reason pretty darned succinctly: Stuff happens. And it sure
did happen to the Royals. You know that lineup that was etched on their drawing
board when they left spring training? That group got to play together for
exactly 14 games all season -- none of them after Mike Moustakas and Alex
Gordon?crashed into each other chasing a foul ball on May 22. So that wasnt
good.But despite all the calamities that befell them, it was really one
disastrous month that kept them from at least showing up in another wild-card
game. That month was July. When they went an inconceivable 7-19 -- and never
recovered. Only one other defending World Series champ ever had a calendar month
in which it went 12 games under .500, Elias reports. And that was a 1998 Marlins
team that had just completed a Wayne Huizenga fire sale. Even more amazingly,
the Royals staggered through that entire month without winning two games in a
row. Just two other incumbent champs ever went through any month without a
two-game winning streak, according to Elias -- the 1947 Cardinals (April) and
the 1918 White Sox (September). But that wasnt the same thing, either, because
those Cardinals played just 11 games that month, and those White Sox played only
three. So we think its official. This was the worst month of baseball any
defending championship team has ever played. A moment of silence, please.Chicago
White Sox2016 plotline: Remember the scissorhandsWe would love to remember the
2016 season of this team for the Cy Young caliber work of Chris Sale and Jose
Quintana. Or for those 40 home runs Todd Frazier launched. Or at least for the
monster second half of the always-entertaining Jose Abreu. But is that what is
going to come to mind when the world looks back on this year? Uhhh, we dont
think so.No, the world is going to remember these White Sox for their
extraordinary knack for inner turmoil. For Sale slicing up his favorite Turn
Back the Clock Day jerseys. For Adam LaRoche deciding he would rather give back
$13 million and retire than play for a team that wouldnt let his son hang out in
the clubhouse. And for all his teammates threatening to boycott spring training
if their team president, Kenny Williams, didnt apologize and roll back those
LaRoche family restrictions. So has any team in recent memories dealt with two
incidents that rebellious in the same season? Hmmm. None come to our mind. How
about you?Minnesota Twins2016 plotline: Beware of the Dozier!Rogers Hornsby.
Ryne Sandberg. Davey Johnson. And Brian Dozier: The only four men in history to
hit 40 home runs in one season as second basemen. If thats a paragraph you ever
thought you would read, youve apparently been moonlighting for the Psychics
Hotline. But maybe it isnt as shocking as you think.After all, once Dozier
learned the art of turning on the baseball a few years back, his home run total
jumped every year -- from 18 to 23 to 28 to 42. But heres the part of his season
thats totally mind-blowing: As recently as June 25, hed hit only?eight homers.
And since then? He has pounded 34, in 85 games. Thats only one fewer homer than
Babe Ruth hit in his last 85 games in 1927, the year he hit 60. So as we were
saying earlier, Rogers Hornsby. Ryne Sandberg. Davey Johnson. Babe Ruth. And
Brian Dozier. Those 42 homers may not have stopped the Twins from losing 100
games. But this is still one of the great stories of the year.AL WESTTexas
Rangers2016 plotline: The power of oneOur ever-fascinating ESPN standings page
tells us that, in a Pythagorean world -- or, to rephrase, a Bill James-orean
world -- the Texas Rangers Expected Won-Lost Record indicates they should be
three games over .500 (81-78) right now. Instead, due to circumstances beyond
Pythagoras control (not to mention Bill James control), theyre actually 29 games
over .500. We would happily ask Pythagoras how this is possible, except that he
hasnt been available for comment since about 500 B.C. So well just have to tell
you ourselves.In games decided by one run, the Texas Rangers are 36-11. Which,
fortunately for them, is the greatest winning percentage (.766) in one-run games
in the history of baseball. And because of that spiffy record in one-run games,
the Rangers also have done something else thats incredibly hard to pull off:
Theyve won 94 games (with three to play) -- despite a run differential of just
plus-11. So you want to know how hard that is? The worst previous run
differential in history by a 94-win team was plus-49, by the 1990 White Sox. And
if the Rangers get to 95 wins this weekend, no team has ever done that with a
run differential worse than plus-66 (1977 Orioles). So how strong is the Power
of One? Stronger than even Adrian Beltre!Seattle Mariners2016 plotline: Pick
your favorite Seager brotherDown the coast in L.A., Corey Seager is going to be
the National League Rookie of the Year. Youll also find him high on a bunch of
MVP ballots. But heres our question: Are we sure hes even the Most Valuable
Seager? Tough call, because his big brother Kyle has quite a case.Corey has a
slightly more attractive slash line (.311/.369/.519/.888) than Kyle
(.280/.361/.504/.865). But Kyle has more homers (30-26), more walks (67-54),
fewer strikeouts (104-131), more defensive runs saved (15-1) and more wins above
replacement (6.9-6.3), according to baseball-reference.com. So its practically a
dead heat. Which is pretty cool, dont you think? But you know what nobody has to
debate? That their teams wouldnt be anywhere near this good without them.Houston
Astros2016 plotline: Short and sweetLife is too short. But apparently, Jose
Altuve isnt too short. Weve never seen a 5-foot-6 guy do the kind of things the
Astros favorite mini-mite is doing this year. And we havent seen many big dudes
do them, either.With three games left in the season, Altuve is heading for his
second batting title in three years. But that aint all. Along with that .337
batting average go 212 hits, 42 doubles, 24 homers, five triples, 28 steals, 71
extra-base hits and a .930 OPS. And you know how many players in history have
cranked out a stat line like that? The answer, ladies and gentlemen, is none.
Nada. A couple of ex-Rockies, Larry Walker and Ellis Burks, came close. But what
were witnessing is an unprecedented season for a man of his size -- or any
size.Los Angeles Angels2016 plotline: Not enough Trout in this seaMaybe one of
these years, Mike Trouts awesomeness will actually coincide with a team around
him that can go someplace in October except the nearest putting green. But
sadly, once again, it wasnt this year. Five seasons into Trouts career, hes
still making history. And the Angels still have never won a postseason series --
or even a postseason game -- with him on the field. What a waste of
greatness.Its now a lock that Trout is going to lead the league in wins above
replacement for the first time since, well, last year. Which was the first time
since the year before that. And the year before that. And the year before that.
So if youre adding up those years at home, you know this is going to make five
years in a row. And you know how far back you have to go to find any other
position player who led his league in WAR five years in a row? Oh, only 85. To a
guy named Babe Ruth. Well even craftily ignore the fact that the Babe pulled off
that feat about three-quarters of a century before the invention of wins above
replacement -- because for all of those years, he was the only other hitter who
had ever done it. Except now he has Mike Trout to keep him company. Maybe they
can go out for a double cheeseburger.Oakland Athletics2016 plotline: How do you
spell Khris?Heres something we shrewdly detected: Who says you cant trade for a
slugger these days? We count seven hitters in the big leagues who have hit at
least 40 home runs this year -- and three of the seven were traded in the
offseason. Theres Mark Trumbo. Theres Todd Frazier. And then theres that guy in
Oakland who spells his name funny, Khris Davis.The Brewers traded him to the As
in February because
they were doing a lot of that sort of thing and
there were always questions about whether Davis could close the many holes in
his swing. All right, so his 164 strikeouts tell us those holes are still there.
But when a guy can mash 41 home runs while playing in the cavernous O.co
Coliseum, its amazing how much easier it becomes to live with the swinging and
missing. And heres why: Since the As moved to Oakland, just four men had ever
hit 40 homers in a season. There was Reggie Jackson. And Mark McGwire. And Jose
Canseco. And Jason Giambi. And now theres Khris (with a K) Davis. Kool list!
China Jerseys . -- James Young
couldnt wait to apply those tweaks to his jump shot, and the first one he made
against UT Arlington told him it could be a good night.
Jerseys Cheap . James, who turned 29
on Monday, injured his groin Friday during the Heats overtime loss at
Sacramento. He sat out the following game, a 108-107 win Saturday in Portland,
before coming back to help send the Nuggets to their seventh consecutive loss.
http://www.nfljerseyschina.net/ .
Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to
head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best
of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use
the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter.
Cheap Authentic NFL Jerseys . Kozun
faked to the forehand and beat Monsters starter, Calvin Pickard, pad side in the
second round for the winner. Spencer Abbott also scored in the shootout for the
Marlies (25-13-4).
Cheap Jerseys Free
Shipping . Then the Pacers gave Oladipo and his Orlando teammates the cold
shoulder. Paul Georges buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter
spurred a 21-4 run, finally sending Indiana past the Magic 97-87 in a
tougher-than-expected opening night matchup. DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers have
to figure out a way to beat left-handed starters.Former Tiger Jefry Marte had
three RBI and Tyler Skaggs shut down the Detroit offense in the Los Angeles
Angels 5-0 victory on Sunday.After scoring 35 runs in the four games before this
series, the Tigers were limited to six runs in the three-game weekend set
against the Angels. It is the ninth time this season the Tigers have been shut
out.The Tigers also fell to 19-20 against lefty starters.Give Skaggs some
credit, he did a good job, but weve struggled against left-handed starters this
year for some reason, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. In May, I would have
called it an anomaly, but it is almost September. I really cant explain why this
continues to happen.The victory gave the Angels back-to-back road series wins
for the first time this season.Marte hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning
off Anibal Sanchez (7-13) for the first runs of the game. It was Martes 10th
home run of the season and first since Aug. 17.I was looking for a good pitch
and try to drive the run in and was looking for a fastball, Marte said. I try to
do my best every game but when you play against a team that you were (with)
before, thats something exciting.Marte played in 33 games with the Tigers last
season and was traded to the Angels in January.The Angels added three more runs
in the sixth, on sacrifice flies by Andrelton Simmons and Marte, plus an RBI
double by Nick Buss.Skaggs (2-3), pitching for the first time at Comerica Park,
allowed just two hits while striking out six in six innings.Thats a tough lineup
any day of the week and he did a better job as the game went on of controlling
counts and got some big outs, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. He made some
pitches when he had to.Sanchez gave up five runs on eight hits in 5 2/3
innings.He wasnt as sharp as hes been in the last few outings, Tigers manager
Brad Ausmus said.Thhe only Tiger with a hit off Skaggs was Miguel Cabrera, who
had a single in the first and a double in the fourth.ddddddddddddTheir kid
pitched well and they flat-out beat us, said Victor Martinez, who was 0-for-4.
Thats the bottom line. We didnt do anything at all to score runs.POST-EJECTION
AFTERMATH:Martinez declined to discuss his third-inning ejection in Saturdays
game. Catcher James McCann, who was not ejected but did not agree with a called
third strike in the second inning, said, At the end of the day, we have to find
a way to take it out of the umpires hand. Unfortunately last night, I dont know
that we were able to do that.HOMER HAPPY:Marte became the fourth Angels rookie
in the last six seasons with 10 or more home runs, joining C.J. Cron, Mike Trout
and Mark Trumbo.TRAINERS ROOMAngels: Although 3B Yunel Escobar (concussion) is
ready to start baseball activities Monday, Scioscia wont commit to him playing
next weekend against Seattle. If he feels good to play before then, well get him
in before then, but weve got to wait and see when he can get back to baseball
activities and how he works out on the field the next day, Scioscia said.Tigers:
RHP Mike Pelfrey (low back strain) will make his first rehabilitation start
Monday with Triple-A Toledo. Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said he would throw
40-45 pitches. Jordan Zimmermann (neck) will make his second rehabilitation
start Wednesday and is set to throw about 60 pitches.UP NEXTAngels: RHP Matt
Shoemaker will be making his first career appearance against the Cincinnati
Reds. In eight career interleague games, seven of which were starts, Shoemaker
is 3-3 with a 3.02 ERA.Tigers: LHP Matt Boyd will be making his third career
start against the Chicago White Sox. In his last eight starts, Boyd is 5-0 with
a 2.38 ERA. ' ' '
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