Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Byrd Watching
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The Sporting News is reporting that the Angels have signed Paul Byrd to a one-year deal. The story says he is projected as the fifth starter, that this does not deter them from still pursuing Matt Clement, and that they are shopping Jarrod Washburn.
Assuming the deal comes at a reasonable price and that it will not hinder the Angels from upping their offer to Matt Clement, I think this is a positive move.
Paul Byrd in 2002:
17-11, 3.90 ERA, 7 Complete games, 2 Shutouts, 228.1 innings pitched, 1.5 BB/9, 5.08 K/9
After having Tommy John surgery in 2003, Byrd returned to pitch 19 games for the Braves in 2004. In that limited action, Byrd posted decent numbers:
8-7, 3.94 ERA, 1.5 BB/9, 6.22 K/9
Since this is a 1-year deal and Tommy John surgery these days is less serious than a tonsilectomy, I think The Byrd Man (no offense to Koko B. Ware) will fit in quite nicely as the Angels fifth starter.
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Assuming the deal comes at a reasonable price and that it will not hinder the Angels from upping their offer to Matt Clement, I think this is a positive move.
Paul Byrd in 2002:
17-11, 3.90 ERA, 7 Complete games, 2 Shutouts, 228.1 innings pitched, 1.5 BB/9, 5.08 K/9
After having Tommy John surgery in 2003, Byrd returned to pitch 19 games for the Braves in 2004. In that limited action, Byrd posted decent numbers:
8-7, 3.94 ERA, 1.5 BB/9, 6.22 K/9
Since this is a 1-year deal and Tommy John surgery these days is less serious than a tonsilectomy, I think The Byrd Man (no offense to Koko B. Ware) will fit in quite nicely as the Angels fifth starter.
# posted by j.h.k. @ 2:43 PM 
The Next Mo Vaughn
My picture on this blog shows me proudly sporting an Angels hat, but what you may not know is that I also have allegiance to the New York Mets. Without question, it's always Angels first and if the Mets do go through with this reported Pedro Martinez deal sans MRI, it might end up being Angels first, second, and third.
I've heard some great similes for this head-in-the-sand stance the Mets appear to be taking. "It's like marrying a girl without ever having sex with her," was a beaute from a caller on the Dan Patrick Show. I'll keep things in the Christmas spirit and say that it's like buying a ragged, dented box without checking the condition of the toy inside. The Mets may even save their receipt, but if Pedro's labrum is 90% torn as some have speculated, they're not going to be able to return the injured pitcher. Whatever you compare it to, the Mets foolishness is unmistakable. There's just no excuse for committing $56 million to an ailing player without giving him a complete physical first. Doesn't the fact that Pedro is asking not to do the MRI tell them that maybe there is something there he doesn't want them to see? Then again, this is the same team that traded one of the best pitching prospects in baseball for Victor "The Other" Zambrano. The scariest part is that these two senseless deals were agreed to by two different GMs. Clearly, the idiocy that plagues the Mets' front office starts at the top and trickles down.
Where is this franchise going? Has every branch of leadership fallen asleep at the wheel? They were National League Champions only four years ago! This club is starting to remind me a lot of the Angels I knew growing up, overpaying for star players on the downhill side of their careers. Is it a coincidence that both my teams endure such wisdom droughts? Am I the common thread that's to blame for this lunacy? Thank God, the Angels signed Esteban Yan yesterday or I might be on suicide watch.
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I've heard some great similes for this head-in-the-sand stance the Mets appear to be taking. "It's like marrying a girl without ever having sex with her," was a beaute from a caller on the Dan Patrick Show. I'll keep things in the Christmas spirit and say that it's like buying a ragged, dented box without checking the condition of the toy inside. The Mets may even save their receipt, but if Pedro's labrum is 90% torn as some have speculated, they're not going to be able to return the injured pitcher. Whatever you compare it to, the Mets foolishness is unmistakable. There's just no excuse for committing $56 million to an ailing player without giving him a complete physical first. Doesn't the fact that Pedro is asking not to do the MRI tell them that maybe there is something there he doesn't want them to see? Then again, this is the same team that traded one of the best pitching prospects in baseball for Victor "The Other" Zambrano. The scariest part is that these two senseless deals were agreed to by two different GMs. Clearly, the idiocy that plagues the Mets' front office starts at the top and trickles down.
Where is this franchise going? Has every branch of leadership fallen asleep at the wheel? They were National League Champions only four years ago! This club is starting to remind me a lot of the Angels I knew growing up, overpaying for star players on the downhill side of their careers. Is it a coincidence that both my teams endure such wisdom droughts? Am I the common thread that's to blame for this lunacy? Thank God, the Angels signed Esteban Yan yesterday or I might be on suicide watch.
# posted by j.h.k. @ 1:05 AM
