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Pro Sports Wrap - Sports Personality of the Day:Tony Romo

A former first round draft pick, Johnny Grubb spent 16 seasons in the Major Leagues with the San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians, and Texas Rangers while winning a World Series ring with the Tigers in 1984. In 1974, Grubb was an All-Star in the only season that he would be on the All-Star team.

Overall in his career, he was a very patient hitter who was also above average (120 career RC-plus). However, Grubb was also a terrible defensive player who did not have much power at all (99 homers). In 1978, he was traded from the Indians to the Rangers for two prospects after spending only one full season in Cleveland. He played 44 games for his new outfit, and he had the best season of his career (3.4 WAR) while with the Indians. Grubb had more walks than strikeouts, and that's actually not surprising because he his career walk percentage is very close to his career strikeout rate and is in fact higher than it by .1%.


In his All-Star season of 1974, Johnny Grubb had a 2.5 WAR with a 120 RC-plus on the strength of a high OBP (.355). I really don't think he deserved to be an All-Star, because his year was only a little bit above average for a starter. I mean, that's a pretty good descriptor for his career; above average but nothing special. However, he was a good bat off the bench as a pinch-hitter towards the end of his career, and that was his main contribution en route to winning a World Series.

1986 was Grubb's swan song as he had a 2.7 WAR while hitting .333 with 28 walks and 28 strikeouts. He also had a career-high 172 RC-plus with surprisingly decent fielding with a .412 OBP. After the 1987 season, Johnny Grubb retired from the MLB.

The statistics above tell us that Johnny Grubb was a solid player over a lengthy career and was successful in winning in a World Series ring. That's the kind of career every athlete hopes they have in this regard, and Grubb was certainly a useful player for each of the four teams he played with.

Johnny Grubb
Helped them bring it home


In memory of Brendon Holtzen, a man who touched many hearts.

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9/2011 Player Profile: Howie Kendrick

September 22nd 2011 14:38
Before I begin this post, I want to clarify that the baseball player profiles will only be looking at the current season. I also would like to remind you that Old Spice Fiji is the best smelling cheap body spray out there. I was very surprised that such a product could actually smell good, and to those of you who are still using Axe, I would like to remind you that musk is for mold; not men.

Howie Kendrick is having the breakout season that many of us expected to come a few years earlier. Still, you can't ignore his 5.9 WAR and his stellar D at second. Kendrick has also been crazy good on the basepaths, and his wRC-plus of 123 is definitely a number that Kendrick can be proud of. He has been the Angels' best position player this season, and I have no concerns about his high BABIP. Kendrick is one of those guys who just swings to make contact and is not worried about taking pitches. It wouldn't hurt him to draw more walks, but it's all good in the end.

Most of Kendrick's value comes from his defense and baserunning, but that's not something to knock him for. He's still a good hitter, and second basemen have a lot of value in this league; especially keystone sackers who hit 18 home runs in a season.

What drives Kendrick's BABIP is his solid line drive rate, as well as the amount of groundballs he hits. Another thing to note is that he has no infield flys, and his HR/FB rate is 17.6%. So we can conclude that when he hits a fly ball, it really does fly.

Howie Kendrick has been another nice breakout story this season, and he has given me no reason to believe that he shouldn't keep playing productive ball. However, fielding ability fluctuates from season-to-season, so it might be difficult for him to obtain another 5-WAR season. However, his wRC-plus tells us that he is a much-improved hitter, and that he will be a 4-WAR player during the next couple of years. After all, he is just beginning to hit his prime.

By the way, I want to profusely thank all you readers and followers of this blog. Without you guys, we wouldn't be approaching a very consistent average of 400 readers per day. Yeah, this blog is growing to astounding proportions, and I'm just waiting for this blog's breakout "season".
Howie Kendrick
It seems like ages ago when he was surprisingly demoted and had to wear that jersey
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"Dirty" Al Gallagher spent four years in the Majors as a third baseman, and he was also a teacher. Although he was a subpar player, he did enjoy an okay season in 1971, when he hit five triples and had an OPS-plus of 104. His career OPS-plus was 91, which isn't such a good mark.

Gallagher was a poor defensive player who never had a positive dWAR in his career. In 1971, his 1.8 WAR was a career high, and that was the only year in which he was a league-average starter. The other three years in his career were spent in the doldrums, as he never attained a positive WAR total in any of those seasons.

So overall, "Dirty Al" probably hurt the Giants more than he helped them on the field. Don't let the counting stats in the field fool you, because he was far from slick in the infield. His bat was even worse, and his negative WPA mark is a testament to his poor play. Every single metric stat regards him as a below-average player, but it's always good to learn about people who have interesting nicknames. We've all heard of "Fat Albert", but who's ever heard of "Dirty Al" before?

An interesting thing to note is that he was on the 1970 Topps All-Rookie team, despite having a poor year. It must have been a down year for rookies in '70, but it is worth noting that his OPS-plus of 91 as a rookie mirrors his career total. If Gallagher did anything well, it was probably his ability to avoid the K. His walk rate is very close to his strikeout rate. Now, Gallagher was not an unlucky player by any means, because his career BABIP was a steady .292. Therefore, we can conclude that Gallagher was a poor player whose claim to fame is being on the Topps' All-Rookie Team.
Al Gallagher
Career wRC-plus of 90
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9/2011 Team Scope: LA Angels

September 20th 2011 12:44
While they are still in the race, the Angels playoff hopes are basically over. What should haunt them is the fact that they traded a very productive power-hitting catcher, for a guy with a huge contract who is an old, marginal player. Not only does Vernon Wells have a massive contract, but he has a negative WAR total and one of the worst OBPs for an everyday player of all-time. Don't you hate it when GMs keep running these old scrubs out there all the time?

There have also been musings of Art Moreno girding up his loins to try to pursue the much-coveted Albert Pujols. If they could ever get their hands on Puj, this offense would go from ho-hum to elite. What to do with Kendrys Morales? Ship off the oft-injured first baseman to someone who could use him more. After all, he's not all that good when you compare him to the other first basemen around the league. And heck, they could end up with a couple of decent prospects in return.

Howie Kendrick is way ahead of all the other Angels' position players with a 5.8 WAR, but I do have some concerns with him. His .339 BABIP is a little fluky- but not as lucky as one might think- and he strikes out 20 percent of the time, while only walking five percent of the time. What really helps him are his baserunning and fielding abilities, and he has actually hit for more power than Torii Hunter this season.

Even if he is a little lucky, I think the plate discipline has to do with the fact that he doesn't have all that much power anyway. Like, patience is only a virtue- in baseball kids- for power hitters who wait for a pitch they can drive. Although Kendrick has good pop for a second baseman, he's best served going after a pitch he can put on the ground. Hence, the high BABIP total.

Torii Hunter may have 21 taters, but he really hasn't had a good season. He's been decent, but that's not the type of play the Angels want to get back with the money he makes. His contact has been poor, but he has done a solid job of drawing walks. The problem, however, is that a .261 BA with a .297 BABIP just doesn't cut it. UZR has actually rated Hunter as slightly below average in the field this season, and I have seen a noticeable drop-off in quality in his defense. Oh what to do, what to do with Mr. Hunter.

Dan Haren is a better pitcher than Jered Weaver. There, I said it. Hang me; no man vagabond, call me what you will. Haren has been better this season, and he is better overall. To me, the reasons are quite clear and are easy to spot once we look past ERA.

You see, Weaver benefits an awful lot from playing in Angel Stadium, because his FB% is almost at 50 percent. Yeah, Peter Bourjos really is that important to what the Angels do defensively. Haren, on the other hand, is well-balanced in the type of contact he dishes out. Both pitchers have similar strikeout rates, but what also sets them apart is the fact that Haren has much better control. Put it all together, and Haren has higher FIP, xFIP, and WAR totals than Weaver (6.2 WAR to 5.6 WAR).
Vernon Wells
Why do they play this guy?
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8/2011 PSW AL Gold Glove Team Update

August 30th 2011 15:05
The statistics used are UZR, DRS, ARM, RngR, and UZR/150, and Fld from www.fangraphs.com.

P Mark Buehrle- He has the best rSB in the AL and the highest DRS as a result of his ability to stop base-runners. That's really the only conceivable asset a pitcher brings defensively


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8/2011 MLB Power Rankings

August 26th 2011 11:24
1. Red Sox
2. Yankees
3. Phillies


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8/2011 Team Scope: Seattle Mariners

August 16th 2011 14:15
The Mariners have the worst offense in baseball, and Dustin Ackley is the only player with at least 200 plate apperances who has an RC-plus of over 100. Franklin Gutierrez, Miguel Olivo, and Chone Figgins have been so bad that they might as well sign Carlton Lassiter (for you Psych fans out there). I mean really, this team just can't hit! Ackley has been outstanding, but nobody else has been around the league average in hitting (100 RC-plus ). Chone Figgins? He has an atrocious 35 RC , has a -0.8 WAR, and he only provides value on defense (marginal value really).

The funny thing is that offseason acquisition Brendan Ryan has the highest WAR on the team. His RC is only 90, but that's the fourth highest on the team. We all know Ryan can't hit, and the reason why he has value is because of his glove. He has been very good in the field, and Ryan has also been smart on the basepaths this year


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8/2011 Center Fielder Rankings

August 6th 2011 14:07
One of the premier positions in baseball is center field. First off, it is the second most important position on the diamond- after shortstop- and many of the game's greats were center fielders. Below are my rankings of the center fielders in baseball today. (Minimum 750 plate appearances as a center fielder since 2009)

1. Rangers Josh Hamilton


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8/2011 Team Scope: Boston Red Sox

August 5th 2011 15:31
Even though it's tough to say it, the Boston Red Sox are the best team in baseball. Their pitching may be too thin, but their hitting is incredible. Only the Yankees can compete with these guys offensively, and the Red Sox have three players who are getting serious MVP recognition right now; Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Adrian Gonzalez.

I must say this; Pedroia has been nothing short of spectacular in 2011. His WAR is at 6.7, he's stolen 22 bases, his RC is 148, he is hitting .311, Pedroia is walking more than he is striking out, and he has been flawless on defense. While Jose Bautista is still my pick for MVP, Pedroia is just a hair under him right now


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8/4 MLB News: A-Rod and poker

August 4th 2011 13:53
I thought Alex Rodriguez was just about done with his shenanigans, and then this came up. We've always known that A-Rod has had some gambling problems- namely poker- but this is the farthest it's ever gone. He was in trouble with the league for gambling in 2005, and then he held a charity poker game. The current allegations against Rodriguez are far more serious with this incident.

Bud Selig has definitely had enough of A-Rod's circus in the past few years, and this is just another major headache for the commissioner. It's a known fact that Rodriguez is going to be suspended, but the question really is the length of his suspension. Because he's done this before, I suggest that Rodriguez is suspended for the same length as players who take PEDs; 50 days


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The second best shortstop in the Majors, Hanley Ramirez has had a disappointing 2011 campaign that has been riddled with injuries. He is listed as day-to-day with a left shoulder injury that was sustained after falling on it while trying to catch a pop-up against the Mets. I hope he isn't out for long because it's tough to see a guy- especially a team's star- get injured. Even in a poor season, Hanley is still the face of their franchise.

The Rangers have designated reliever Arthur Rhodes for assignment, and the Cardinals are interested in picking him up off waivers. The former Reds reliever has been terrible this year, but the Cardinals need a lefty reliever. Recently acquired Mark Rzepczynski is their only lefty in the pen right now, and Rhodes isn't that bad of a reliever. He enjoyed some success last season in Cincy, and I think a change of scenery would do the veteran- to say the least- lefty some good. Even if it means switching to the "dark side" in a Reds' fans eyes


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8/2011 Team Scope: Oakland Athletics

August 2nd 2011 17:57
It is pretty much a known fact that the A's are one of the worst teams in the Majors, and that's due to their abysmal hitting. Their pitching is solid, and they do have some nice young talent on the roster as well as in the Minors. However, their hitting is more than sub-standard right now, and really only two players have been significantly helping the cause on offense.

Right now, Coco Crisp is the best non-pitcher on the team. He's still great on the basepaths, and he is the team's second best hitter behind Josh Willingham. Crisp leads all the "fielders" in WAR, and there is nobody else who is anywhere close. Willingham is the better hitter, but he is slow and a terrible fielder


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7/30 MLB Rumors: Ubaldo Jimenez

July 30th 2011 14:20
Ubaldo Jimenez is the best pitcher up for grabs right now, and I don't think much of an argument can be made for anybody else. He is going to be extremely difficult to get, and he probably won't be traded at all. In any case, add the Detroit Tigers to the list of teams in the hunt for Jimenez. The Reds, Indians, Yankees, and Red Sox are also interested.

Rockies


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Guys, I am finally back from a very lengthy vacation that did not produce a single blog post. A lot has transpired in my absence from this blog, and I am going to start things off with a rumor post that details potential trades in the MLB.

The Yankees are still searching for left-handed relief help with Rafael Soriano still on the DL, and Pedro Feliciano and Damaso Marte are out for the rest of the year. Boone Logan is their only lefty in the pen, and this is certainly a pressing need for the Bronx Bombers


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2002 Darryl Kile is found dead in his hotel room before a Route 66 rivalry game. The Cardinals pitcher's tragic death still brings a tear to my eyes today.

1926 Grover Cleveland Alexander was picked off of waivers by the Cardinals from the Cubs. The pitcher was 39 at the time


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6/22 Daily Rundown: A new proposal

June 22nd 2011 06:13
1. Owners giving a new proposal to players

The players will get 48 percent of the revenue, and it will never go below 46.5 percent. If the salary cap for a year is at 125 million or something like that, a team's payroll must be around that amount. That could be difficult for teams in smaller markets, but it forces owners to actually spend. There is a rookie wage scale in this proposed deal, but it isn't finalized yet. A player must have four years under his belt in order to become a UFA, and tags (such as the franchise tag) are going to be discussed in the next round of player-owner negotiations. Retired NFL players will also get benefits such as improved health care, and I am glad that is in the proposed deal


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1. Pujols injury update

Albert Pujols will be out for about six weeks with a fractured left wrist in a season filled with ups and downs for Puj. He sustained this injury after colliding with Wilson Betemit of the Royals in a baseball play gone wrong. The Cards have had to deal with many injuries this season to their stars. Matt Holliday has missed time, David Freese is still out, and Adam Wainwright has missed the entire season


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1. Edwin Rodriguez steps down

Marlins fans were shocked when Edwin Rodriguez unexpectedly resigned yesterday (not re-signed). He was frustrated with their current ten game losing streak and 1-18 slump. Rodriguez is the first Puerto-Rican manager in history, and the Marlins had no intention of firing him. He was doing a good job this season, and won the respect of his players. I guess this slump was too much for him, and it's a shame that he quit


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6/19 Red Sox Injury Report

June 19th 2011 14:09
1. Carl Crawford

The star left fielder was put on the disabled list with a Grade 1 strain on his left hamstring. The training staff didn't want to take any risks with a player of his caliber, but I wish they didn't go this far to put him on the DL


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6/19 Daily Rundown: Crawford on DL

June 19th 2011 05:53
1. Hamstring Sends Crawford to DL

Carl Crawford was put on the 15-day DL for a minor hamstring injury. The injury happened in a 10-4 win over the Brewers, and the hamstring was viewed as a Grade 1 strain. The medical staff thought it would be best for him to rest up his hamstring. Crawford was injured after beating it out for an infield single


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