Wednesday, February 29, 2012

2012 PTP Mets: We'll crash into a wall or each other for a win!

The Steve Stone (above) skippered New York Mets are tied for first place after an impressive, at times thrilling, first half.

This post will re-cap two enjoyable weekend series played at Casa De Goldy (thanks, Goldy), while providing a general mid-season analysis, as well.

-----SERIES 1: Nick at Goldy (San Fran)-----

GAME ONE:
Although my day went great overall, game one couldn't have gone worse! Goldy pounded my team, 17-2. Jose Reyes had five hits, and was a triple shy of a cycle. Brandon Phillips had two doubles, while Andre Ethier added three Rbis in a multi-hit performance. My staff ace, Matt Latos, was battered for seven earned before several relievers failed me.
What's worse ***my shortstop Ruben Tejada and left fielder Elvis Presley crashed into each other and both came up injured***. Tejada for seven games and Presley for 15. This injury comes just games after Nyjer Morgan went down for 21 games after colliding with the center-field wall and the team traded for star slugger, Matt Kemp.
GOLDY 17, NICK 2
W T.Hanson, - L - Latos

GAME TWO:
A Placido Polanco (of all people!) ninth inning error, allowed two runs to score for the visiting Mets. Behind a wasted Chacin start, Goldy's team jumped to a 3-1 lead on three solo homers from Geo Soto, Sparkles Male Model and the tough-luck Polanco. Chase Utley hit two doubles and drove in a run.
NICK 4, GOLDY 3
W - Cordero, L, BS - Axford, SV - Putz

GAME THREE:
WIAC grad Jordan Zimmerman (represent, represent!) finished a very strong first half by pitching a dazzling seven shutout innings before Drew Storen and J.J. Putz locked down a team-effort shutout. A first inning solo homer from Chase Utley was the only run scored in this pitcher's duel. In the loss, Brandon Beachy went 8 innings yielding just one run while striking out 15 Mets.
NICK 1, GOLDY 0
W - Zimmerman, L - Beachy, SV - Putz

After scoring 17 runs in game one (and then spending a long night in the Castro District), Goldy's team managed just three in the final two games. Although down a couple players due to injury, the Mets were smiling widely as they boarded the plane headed for Miami.

-----SERIES TWO: Nick at Torto (in Miami)-----


GAME ONE:
The Mets new leadoff hitter, Todd Helton (what?), hit a base-clearing double in the top of the ninth to boost the Mets over the stunned Marlins and closer Sergio Romo. Injury fill-in Bryan Peterson laced two hits, including a two-rbi double. Ryan Hanigan and Matt Kemp each collected three hits in the win, while Mike Stanton hit a homer and Prince Fielder had two doubles in the loss.
NICK 6, TORTO 5
W - Storen, L - Romo

GAME TWO:
An eighth inning, Rod Barajas three-run double - off the oft-rattled Christian Martinez - proved to be the difference in a game two's comeback Marlins win. Chris Heisey hit another round-tripper as did Lucas Duda. Matt Kemp hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs, while Blake DeWitt had three hits in the loss.
TORTO 6, NICK 5
W - Hawkins, L - Martinez, SV - Lannon

GAME THREE:
Marlins ace Roy Halladay was injured and removed after just one batter (thankfully) against the Cardiac-kid Mets who grabbed a game-three, 5-4 win and a series victory. New York scored all five runs in the eighth and ninth after trailing all game. The Mets continue to get big production from likely (Ultey and Holliday) and unlikely sources (Bryan Peterson had two RBI and Willie Harris added a lead-off ninth inning double). Princey had a two RBI and a double and Jimmy Rollins collected two hits and two steals in the loss.
NICK 5, TORTO 4
W - Storen, L - Romo, SV - Putz

Fun with stats!!!

HITTING
  • Matt Holliday had a 15 game hitting streak and 14 RBI
  • Chase Utley is hitting .328 with 10 RBI and 3 SB
  • Nyjer Morgan was great, batting .341, before injuring himself
  • Matt Kemp has started hot, hitting .308 with a homer in just two series
  • After a slew of injuries to key players, Bryan Peterson has come up huge, hitting .375 with four steals.
PITCHING
  • Jordan Zimmerman is 3-1 with a 3.05 ERA, anchoring a solid starting five
  • The bullpen has been HUGE!
  • J.J. Putz has converted 6 of 7 saves with a 1.64 ERA
  • Drew Storen has won four games and saved two others

Monday, February 20, 2012

The real baseball season approaches....

How remarkable is Wiffleball's logo? You be the judge. Be gone Picasso, Van Gogh, Matisse, Da Vinci.....a new era has begun.

This inspires a PTP logo of similar variety ....I see a silhouette of athlete tossing three dice in the direction of a box with a pencil and stack of papers by its side.

Presidents Day has left me with some extra time at work.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Crooklyn Dodgers 1/4 season stats update.

Dee Gordon brings back "90s sexy"

After preserving my record 11-0 streak to start a season by besting Nick 2 of 3 games I decided to give you all a quick status update. Nothing of real significance to take notice of, except the fact that my catchers are raping the ball.

Al Pujols: 12-35 (.375)
Spencer catchers: 16-27 (.593)
Ruiz: 7-12 (.583)
J-buck: 9-15 .(600)

Dee Gordon 4 sb
Andy mccutchen 2 sb
Rick Ankiel 10 RBI



Gallardo: 1.93 ERA. 14 ip, 3er ** he has 0 walks on the season to go with 14Ks
Gallardo: 14 k
Gallardo: 0.71 WHIP





Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Are You Not Entertained?

Fish is not much of a movie buff. In fact, for about a decade in the late 90’s, early 00’s, I believe the only two movies he watched (outside of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies) were The Gladiator and, sadly, Castaway.

Our matchup last Saturday brought to mind one of the closing scenes of The Gladiator. The Emperor, losing credibility amongst the people to the popular Spaniard, chose to fight him one-on-one. Just before the battle, however, he confronts Maximus, ruthlessly stabbing him in the back of the shoulder with a shiv to even out the fight.

Let’s just say I was the Emperor, after years of dominating PTP Fish played the role of the Gladiator, and that rancid PTP draft job we pulled on Fish was the shiv…..

Game 1 – Dempster @ Kershaw

Dempster, surprisingly, held his own against the sexy southpaw , handing a 1-1 ballgame to Josh Johnson in the 7th inning (runs scored on RBI doubles by Jay Bruce (Keith) and Hunter Pence (Fish), respectively). In the 8th and the 9th, however, Justin Upton broke the game open, crushing a two-run and a three-run homerun in consecutive innings. Mike Morse added two RBI’s as Fish forced Kershaw to mop up his own mess in the complete game defeat.

Keith wins 8-1

Game 2 – Carpenter @ Cain

We were battling ya’ll. This one went a full 11 ½ innings without a run crossing the plate. Carp went 10 strong and Cain went 9. In the bottom of the 12, typical of the way my season is going, Fish rolled consecutive doubles by Clint Barmes and Johnson (don’t know his first name – doesn’t matter) with two outs to end the game.

Fish wins 1-0 (12)

Game 3 – Bumgartner @ Jurrjens

Fish started strong in the bottom of the first with a three-run jobber by lefty killer Allen Craig. A Danny Murphy RBI double in the 2nd cut the lead to 3-1 and a Tulowitski RBI double in the 6th cut the lead to 3-2 before Fish came back with two runs in the bottom of the 6th on RBI’s by Jamey Carroll and “Oh God, please don’t kill me!” Wilson Ramos. He led 5-2 through seven.

For some reason (nostalgia, I suppose) he decided bringing in Carlos Marmol would be a good idea. After cruising through the 8th, Marmol was tagged for three runs in the top of the 9th, courtesy of jacks by big cocksuckers the likes of Mike Morse and Jay Bruce. I was able to take the game in the top of the 10th thanks to consecutive run scoring doubles by Danny Murphy and “Razor” Ramon Hernandez.

Keith wins 9-5 (10)

Keith wins series 2-1

Thursday, February 2, 2012

METS SWEEP AGAIN; IMPROVE TO 9-0!




























(Left: The freshly-bearded and flat-brimmed Joey Votto - left - says he's never felt more comfortable at the plate and in the clubhouse, while Matt Holliday - above - says he senses something very big this year for New York's "other" team)


GAME ONE: Luebke v Bumgardner
Jason Bourgeois (3x5 with two doubles and two RBI) led an impressive team effort that featured a hit from every Met in the lineup. The surging Mets scattered 14 hits and scored seven runs in the game. Joey Votto and Chase Utley each added two hits and a RBI. Lefty Corey Luebke earned the win in a solid five innings. For Keith, Daniel Murphy had two hits and scored the lone run.
NICK 7, KEITH 1
W – Luebke, L – Bumgardner, SV – Cordero


GAME TWO: Zimmerman v Garza

Red hot Matt Holliday launched a solo home run in the top of the seventh that proved to be the only run of the contest. The story for 7+innings was Mets starter Jordan Zimmerman tossing a PERFECT GAME. Zimmerman yielded just one hit (a Daniel Murphy triple), no walks and no runs in the win.
“Only Ewoldt would pull a guy after walking no one and giving up one hit,” said
Zimmerman while playfully head-locking the manager and fellow WIAC-grad. "Everyday at the park just seems to be nothing but sunshine, wide-smiles and lolly-pops, honestly."
J.J.Putz pitched gangster-style earning a two inning save. Joey Votto had another
multi-hit game as did Ruben Tejada.
NICK 1, KEITH 0
W – Zimmerman, L – Garza, SV – Putz

GAME THREE: Mosely v Lohse
Ruben Tejada hit a game tying triple just two batters before "The Hawk" Mark Kotsay scored him on a game-winning single in the eighth. Justin Upton hit two homers and drove in four for Keith’s team, a team that led at two different points in the game. Chase Utley and Matt Holliday each hit home runs, while Nyjer Morgan went 3x4 for the Mets. Drew Storen pitched a nearly perfect two innings in relief, earning the win.
NICK 6, KEITH 5
W – Storen, L – Josh Johnson


***Fun with stats***
  • Through this winning streak my team is hitting .328 and has a team ERA of 2.91.
  • Pablo Sandoval and Matt Holliday still have their hitting streaks going, both at nine games.
  • Of most surprise, my team has had only three errors on defense over this span.