Trying to Focus
September 14th, 2009 | by Ray Flowers |
I’m tired, a bit hungry, wondering when/if I will meet the love of my life and generally dealing with an overall malaise as the NFL season gets under way. Now I’m also dealing with a shoulder I strained while lifting weights the other day – I think it was during that grueling set of bench pressing 95 lbs – so yes, I’m in a sad state. Let’s see how that translates to my entry today. I’m betting there will be some biting analysis.
Troy Glaus is now out of action with a sore oblique. Apparently pinch hitting was too much for the guy as Glaus has but three hits in 17 at-bats this season. For a guy who had back-to-back 40-homer seasons in 2000-01, and one who has averaged 34 homers per 550 ABs in his career, this year has been a flippin’ waste of time. Thanks Troy.
Another youngster with a luminous future has been shut down do to workload concerns. Brian Matusz of the Orioles has thrown his last pitch of the season. The 22 year old tossed 157.2 innings this season, deemed by the Orioles as more than enough. Though disappointed, Matusz was still proud that he was able to ascend the minor league ladder to force the club to promote him to the bigs. “It was never in the plan for me to be here this year,” he said. “I’m really proud that I went out and didn’t give them any choice but to bring me up. I really learned a lot and am proud of my progress.” I’m proud of my progress too Brian, but I’m not looking over my shoulder as I’m fairly sure that Fanball won’t shut me down as ownership seems to be operating under the belief that I’ve got the stamina to type articles well into the month of December.
Magglio Ordonez will make $18 million next season – $18,000,000 – when he picks up a handful of plate appearances to trigger next seasons extension. What did he do for that dough? He has hit all of .294, just slightly off his .311 career mark, and his .365 OBP is also barely off his career mark as well (.371). Still, the guy has undershot his OPS by more than .100 points (.769 compared to .883) and with seven home runs and 40 RBI in 401 ABs he will end up with the worst numbers of his career in a season of at least 400-plate appearances. Goodness gracious, the man averaged 24 home runs and 115 RBI the past three years meaning he hasn’t even offered 50 percent of his “normal” production this year, yet he will still make more money next year than the total 2009 salaries of everyone who will read this article in the first hour after it is posted. Only in America, isn’t that what Don King says?
Apparently Jose Valverde is worse off than me right now. He has a 101 degree fever which has him unavailable to pitch leaving closing duties to LaTroy Hawkins. The veteran righty has 11 saves on the season, with four blown ones, and has also picked up 17 holds in what has been a rather fine season.
Delwyn Young was hitting .312 as recently as August 19th. Alas, the man has forgotten how to hit, and no, that isn’t hyperbole I’m using – he literally has forgotten how to hit. Young hasn’t produced a hit in 10 games during which time he is 0-for-24, and going back a bit further he has produced just five hits in 59 at-bats (.085) to drop his overall average down to .268. Think of this: if we quadruple his batting average the past couple weeks, quadruple it, we are left with a batting average of .340 which is still some .021 points behind the NL leading .361 batting average of Hanley Ramirez. That’s a frightening statement to make with Halloween still a month and a half away.
By Ray Flowers
Tags: Brian Matusz, Delwyn Young, Hanley Ramirez, Jose Valverde, LaTroy Hawkins, Magglio Ordonez, Troy Glaus
