Joe Borowski for Cy Young---Buck Martinez said on XM 175

On Friday morning's (8/31) show on XM 175, Buck Martinez suggests names to consider for AL Cy Young this year, and Joe Borowski was on the list. He says Joe has given the Indians a great edge this year with "saves" in many tight games (this is true), acknowledges that in stats other than "saves," he doesn't look good, but...

• "OH, THOSE "SAVES." (Buck Martinez' words).
• (P.S. The Cy Young Award can mean millions of dollars and immortality). sm

Borowski had definitely pitched his heart out for the Indians the night before, and although he "blew the save," he got the "win" in the end (v Seattle) in a game Seattle needed more than the Indians. The guy's been out there doing a great job, no question. An Indian fan then emailed the XM show begging to differ with Buck's idea for Joe Borowski for Cy Young. They read the email on the air with the Indian fan saying he gets acute stomach pains every time Borowski comes in the game. Buck says, well, I know he looks bad in other stats, but...

• "OH, THOSE "SAVES." (says Buck Martinez again.).

Selling the "total saves" stat (which can only begin with "opportunities" supplied by a willing manager, team, and owner) to the exclusion of everything else has been job #1 for years by the centralized baseball media, ESPN/MLB/internet platforms, for several reasons. Which should be obvious, but if not, I've explained them here numerous times.

• If Buck and Baseball want to focus only on the "total save" stat, then certainly run a contest or create an award for this every year. Buck Martinez has completely lost his credibility for selling out in this way, and I used to enjoy listening to him. He's saying someone is the best pitcher only because of saves, a joke to begin with. The 2nd problem is Buck, who has more credibility than your average guy, uses it to wax poetic and romantic about the save stat itself, and repeatedly.

I looked up Borowski's performance on Baseball-Reference. What happens if your closer NEVER can pitch more than 1 inning?

• Answer: You need an entire other human being to pitch in the game. Is that a small thing? If it's a small thing, why doesn't Borowski ever pitch more than 1 inning if his team needs him?

Other closers do the work of 2 Joe Borowski's on occasion, but Buck has shown he wants to hide this fact, to cheat or ignore the extra, often more difficult work done by relievers with more skill and flexibility and more value to their team. He does the same in the case of closers "entering with runners on base"---doesn't mention it. Well, it's an official stat, so why not? Because then you might look at the many other stats that go into a closer's performance.

• I checked Borowski's 2006 record: It offers clues to Borowski's limited use: He had 3 occasions in 2006 when he pitched more than 1 inning, and none went well. On 5/16/06, he went 1.1IP and got a Loss; on 7/4/06, he went 1.1IP and got a Blown Save and Loss; and on 9/9/06, he went 1.2 IP and got a Blown Save and Win (3BB, 1H, 1 ER).

Baseball-Reference

Tweet Stumbleupon StumbleUpon

Note to Dibs: Billy Wagner is not a delicate "save stat" compiler--he actually works for his team

Dibs said after the sad Mets-Phillies game Friday that included a tired Billy Wagner trying unsuccessfully to get 6 outs for his team:

• "Billy Wagner hasn't gotten a 6-out save in years."

I had a feeling this wasn't quite true about Billy Wagner. What about 6-out WINS? Dibs didn't mention Wagner had one of those in 2005. Because he wants you to ignore a pitcher's career, his actual results, and just focus on the manager manipulated "save" stat--including a lot of easy saves. Dibs has made it clear he's a close friend of the stat compiler on the NL west team who wants awards in the worst way.

• Using only the "save" stat can eliminate many impressive performances by closers--that's what Dibs hopes you'll do. If you only listened to Dibs, you wouldn't know Billy Wagner actually has recently gotten 6 outs as a closer for his team even this year, also in 2006 and 2005. (That's as far as I looked). But IF YOU ONLY LOOKED AT THE 'SAVE' STAT YOU'D NEVER KNOW AND IT DEMEANS WAGNER'S ABILITY AND WORK:

• 6 outs 4/24/07, Wagner scoreless but ND, in a game the Mets finally won.

• 6 outs 6/25/07, Wagner scoreless but ND, in a game the Mets finally won.

• 6 outs 4/21/06, Wagner scoreless but ND, in a game the Mets finally lost.

• 6 outs 5/5/06, Wagner gave up 1 ER, got a ND, but the Mets finally won.

• 6 outs 7/19/05, Wagner scoreless, and got the WIN for the Phillies.
• (DO YOU TO THINK A 'WIN' DOESN'T COUNT? HIS TEAM, EMPLOYER, AND FANS PROBABLY THOUGHT IT COUNTED JUST FINE, DIBS).

And he had a couple 5 out appearances WHICH WERE SAVES:

• 5 outs 6/13/06, Wagner scoreless AND GOT THE SAVE.

• 5 outs 5/1/05, Wagner scoreless AND GOT THE SAVE.

From Baseball-Reference.

Tweet Stumbleupon StumbleUpon

Baseball Thought Police push new one for "single stat compilers"

To further disguise a better relief pitcher from recognition, they're now selling the 'HOLD' stat:

• "It appears as if MLB adopted the "hold" stat just to prevent the "save" stat from remaining the stupidest stat in sports. Baseball box scores now provide the funniest stuff regularly printed in newspapers.

In one day, Monday, last week:

• Giants reliever Kevin Correia was credited with his seventh hold. He pitched two-thirds of an inning, allowing two hits and two earned runs. Way to hold 'em, Kevin! Correia also got credit for the loss. Yep, in his two-thirds of an inning he got an H and an L. Seriously.

White Sox pitcher Dewon Day threw one pitch. He got a hold.

• Rockies' pitcher Tom Martin also got a hold for getting one out, but he faced three batters; one got a hit and one walked.

In that game, Martin's teammate, LaTroy Hawkins, got a hold and a win.

• And Washington's Jon Rauch got his 18th hold, holding the Astros to only two hits and an earned run in his one inning pitched.

Better stupid stats than no stats at all!"

• From NY Post article, "Self-Loving ESPN is no Longer in the Now," by Phil Mushnick, 7/22/07

(Same thing with "total save" stat hyped by some teams for million dollar awards and publicity while hiding the cheapest performances). sm

Tweet Stumbleupon StumbleUpon