Exciting Announcement About Baseball Writing
I am excited to announce that I will be joining SB Nation’s saber-slanted baseball community Beyond The Box Score as a staff writer starting this week. If you’re not familiar with Beyond The Box Score, you like what I do here, and have a baseball interest outside of just the Detroit Tigers, check it out. You can find us on Twitter @BtBScore and all other places the internet is available.
If you a regular reader of New English D, fear not! There will be absolutely no change to our Tigers coverage and no change to our writing about the use of advanced statistics in baseball. If you read us for Tigers coverage, The Nine, Stat of the Week, and all sorts of other stuff, you’ll hardly notice a change. The only difference is a slight reduction in our MLB coverage at large. If I have something to say about another team or player, I’ll now be writing about it at Beyond The Box Score. To facilitate this shift, I will be axing our daily MLB recap series, The Morning Edition. Generally, this has been one of the less popular features on the site and I was planning to wrap it up after this season regardless of my other projects. If you’re broken up about it, I’m sure some sort of begging would get me to bring it back. As far as I can tell, you come to New English D for Tigers analysis and posts about why certain stats are bad and certain stats are good. That’s mostly what we do here.
So that’s it. No more Morning Edition, and no other changes. I’m looking forward to joining BtBS and am just as happy to interact with readers here, there, and on Twitter (@NeilWeinberg44). If you have questions and ideas you want to see researched and discussed, I welcome requests regarding the Tigers and any other MLB team or player.
Finally, thanks for reading. New English D started as something personal for me. I missed writing and it was therapeutic in my first year far away from the Comerica Park (and I guess my family and friends?). I started this site during the 2012 ALCS and for about eight months, it was pretty small and more or less just something I did for myself. And then I wrote about Rick Porcello’s big breakout and a few well-timed plugs from people much more established than me helped us take off. So New English D grew. Tigers fans and baseball fans started coming back and coming in higher numbers. More people visited New English D in July than had visited in total up to that point and it continues to trend up. I didn’t start New English D for fame or page views and that still remains a very, very peripheral goal. I write about baseball because I enjoy it and it’s rewarding. I’m happy you like it and I’m happy it makes you think. Life isn’t always easy, and baseball and baseball writing makes me feel better. I hope it does the same for you.
It’s been fun and I’m certain it will continue to be. If you like New English D, keep coming back and tell your friends. I’ll keep churning out high quality content. If you’re interested in baseball outside of Detroit, check me and my new colleagues out at Beyond The Box Score. As always, Go Tigers.
The Morning Edition (August 7, 2013)
From Last Night:
- Harper homers off Teheran and gets a fastball in his leg the next time out, Nats lose
- The Twins rock Shields, Albers nearly goes the distance in his debut
- Latos superb as Reds top the A’s
- Josh Harrison walks off against the Marlins
What I’m Watching Today:
- Colon and Bailey face off at GABP (1230p Eastern)
- Medlen takes on Zimmermann (7p Eastern)
- Matt Harvey Day! (7p Eastern)
- Shelby Miller faces the Dodgers (8p Eastern)
The Big Question:
- Thoughts on the Harper/Teheran dustup?
You know I’m always coming down against the guy throwing the ball at the batter, but a couple of points should be made. If Teheran hit him on purpose, at least he kept it down in an area that wasn’t dangerous. So good on him for not being Weaver. Second, it’s childish to throw at a guy for homering off you, even if he did watch it a little too long. This isn’t the middle ages, you don’t duel someone over your honor. Shake it off. You threw the meatball, you have to watch him strut. I don’t like when players hot dog it around the bases but you shouldn’t throw at them for it and Harper just admired it and then got moving. It might not have been intentional, but if it was, that’s my take.
The Morning Edition (August 6, 2013)
From Last Night:
- MLB hands down BioGenesis suspensions, no new names are big, and A-Rod is the only one to appeal
- Greinke and the Dodgers edge Wainwright and the Cards in a potential playoff preview
- Atlanta beats the Nats despite a strong start for Strasburg, seemingly buries Nats
- A player returns to the field and the media pays attention in Chicago
What I’m Watching Today:
- Fully exonerated Gio Gonzalez goes against Teheran in DC (7p Eastern)
- Battle of the Justin’s in Cleveland, Masterson and Verlander (7p Eastern)
- Kuroda goes against Sale (8p Eastern)
- Kershaw faces the Cardinals (8p Eastern)
- Darvish takes on the Angels (10p Eastern)
- Felix welcomes the Jays (10p Eastern)
The Big Question:
- Can we finally stop talking about Biogenisis?
Apparently, the media says no because A-Rod is appealing so we have to hear about it for weeks. Come on guys, let’s talk about baseball! For every word someone writes about A-Rod, it should be required that they also write one about the Pirates. I’ll start, the Pirates are the only team (entering Monday) who had four qualifying players to be above average on offense, defense, and on the bases using wRC+, UZR, and BsR. Fun!
The Morning Edition (August 5, 2013)
From Last Night:
- Holland brilliant in Rangers win over the A’s
- Burnett goes the distance as the Pirates top the Rockies
- The Cardinals punish the Reds, 15-2
- Blue Jays get two late to beat the Angels
- Doubront out guns McCarthy in the latter’s return
- KC and Cleveland keeping winning, gain no ground
What I’m Watching Today:
- Finally, an end to BioGenesis?
- Minor duels Strasburg as the Nats try to get back in it (7p Eastern)
- Greinke and Wainwright clash (7p Eastern)
The Big Question:
- Is Mike Trout really going to do this again?
The answer is already yes. After leading MLB with 10.0 WAR last season, he’s already put up 7.1 WAR this year. He’s having a better offensive season than last year and is adding more overall value even though his defensive numbers have taken a bit of a slide. He remains one of the best baserunners in the game and is doing all of this from a premium position on the field. In the last 365 days, Mike Trout leads baseball with 10.2 WAR, meaning he has essentially been consistently playing at a 10 WAR clip for almost two years. Only Met Ott has more WAR through age 21. This is getting scary.
The Morning Edition (August 4, 2013)
From Last Night:
- A fine start by Haren leads the Brewers to victory
- Price goes 9 again, but the Rays need a hit from Myers in the 10th to win
- The Sox back Peavy in his Fenway debut
- Liriano walks 5, but doesn’t allow a run as the Pirates beat the Rockies
- Oakland beats Garza and the Rangers, 4-2
- Braves beat the Phillies in 12
- Maxwell’s 12th inning HR lifts the Royals
What I’m Watching Today:
- Santana goes against Wheeler at Citi (1p Eastern)
- McCarthy returns to the mound at Fenway (130p Eastern)
- Holland and Griffin face off in Oakland (4p Eastern)
- Alex Wood and Cliff Lee do it on Sunday Night (8p Eastern)
The Big Question:
- Who is baseball’s worst baserunner?
There were some conversations on MLB Tonight on Saturday about bad baserunning and it made me curious. I often look at the top of the leaderboard, but rarely at the bottom. You can find more about some of the stats below right here, but they are all pretty clear. Entering Saturday….
Worst overall BsR (overall baserunning value): Allen Craig
Worst Basestealer (wSB, combines value of SB and cost of CS): Gerardo Parra
Worst Baserunner, not counting wSB (UBR = BsR – wSB): Allen Craig
Most Outs on the Bases (count of outs made when the player is not forced to the base): Allen Craig/Howie Kendrick
Extra Bases Taken (measures how often a player takes an extra base): Paul Konerko
The Morning Edition (August 3, 2013)
From Last Night:
- Jose Fernandez strikes out 14 Indians to end the Tribe’s streak
- Cards crush the Reds, 13-3
- Bumgarner shines as the Giants beat the Rays
- The Rockies and Chacin slow the Bucs
What I’m Watching Today:
- Garza and Parker go in Oakland (4p Eastern)
- Liriano tries to stop the Pirates mini-skid (7p Eastern)
- Corbin goes against Peavy in Boston (7p Eastern)
- Lincecum takes on Price (7p Eastern)
The Big Question:
- Who do you like for the second wild card in the AL?
It’s not a lock that the Rays or Red Sox will occupy the division title and first wild card, but it looks like it based on how they are playing. But right now the Orioles, Indians, and Rangers are all essentially tied for the final spot. I think the Rangers are the best team and they’re likely to healthier on the mound. Should be a fun race, even if it’s only for the right to go to the play-in game in order to make the real playoffs.
The Morning Edition (August 2, 2013)
From Last Night:
- Felix goes 7 innings, allowed 1 run and leaves with a 7-1 lead. The Mariners gave up 1 in the 8th and 6 in the 9th to fall to the Red Sox.
- Darvish strikes out 14 batters, walks none, in 7 shutout innings
- The Cardinals pummel the Pirates to salvage one of five in Pittsburgh
- Hamels throws 8 shutout innings, Papelbon blows it
- Norris is solid against his old club
- Indians and Royals keep their winning streaks going as Raburn hits 2 HR
- 11 K for Teheran as the Braves beat the Rockies
What I’m Watching Today:
- Jose Fernandez looks to slow the Tribe (7p Eastern)
- Bumgarner faces Archer (7p Eastern)
- Shelby Miller leads the Cards into Cinci (7p Eastern)
- Zimmermann tries to get back on track against the Crew (8p Eastern)
The Big Question:
- Who do you like in the NL Central?
The Pirates, Cardinals, and Reds are all 60+ win teams and have clear paths to the playoffs. The Cardinals have the lowest floor, the Pirates are playing well, and the Reds are probably the most talented. But Cards don’t have Yadi, the Pirates are playing above their heads, and the Reds have Dusty holding them back. They’re all good teams and will likely all make it at least until the play-in game. My money is on the Cardinals, but it’s going to be fun.
The Morning Edition (August 1, 2013)
From Last Night:
- Essentially nothing happens at the trading deadline
- The Pirates win their 4th game in 3 days against the Cardinals
- Minor dominates as the Braves crush the Rockies
- Three Astros pitchers I’ve literally never heard of shutout the Orioles
- The Indians walk off on the White Sox
- Beltre and the Rangers walk off on the Angels
- Bailey dominates the Padres
What I’m Watching Today:
- Sale takes on Masterson in Cleveland (12p Eastern)
- Matt Harvey day! (1230p Eastern)
- Someone named Zeke Spruill pitches against Darvish (7p Eastern)
- Cain and Hamels in Philly (7p Eastern)
- The Cardinals try to avoid a 5 game sweep in PIT (7p Eastern)
- Felix faces the Sox (7p Eastern)
The Big Question:
- Are you ready for the A-Rod coverage?
With such an incredible day of baseball behind us it is sad to realize that a ridiculous amount of coverage will be focused on the impending attempt of MLB to ban Alex Rodriguez for life. A-Rod. The Yankees. The City of New York. Steroids. I’m surprised ESPN hasn’t melted already. Let’s talk about the games, okay? The Pirates have won four straight against the Cardinals and might grab a fifth today. The Pirates are going to finish over .500 and will likely make the playoffs. Woah.
The Morning Edition (July 31, 2013)
From Last Night:
- Tigers, Red Sox, and White Sox consummate a 3 team deal with Iglesias, Peavy, and Garcia on the move (Tigers coverage)
- A’s add Callaspo from the Angels for Grant Green
- Wheeler flirts with a no-hitter, Mets win in extras
- Davis homers to beat the Astros
- Pirates sweep a double headed with division rival Cards
What I’m Watching Today:
- Gonzalez and Verlander (1p Eastern)
- Dickey faces Colon (330p Eastern)
- MLB Non-Waiver Trade Deadline (4p Eastern)
- Wainwright and Locke hook up in game 4 of the NL Central Series (7p Eastern)
- Kuroda and Kershaw out west (10p Eastern)
The Big Question:
- How’s your team doing at the deadline?
I spend much of late Tuesday covering the Tigers deal (link above) so I don’t have a lot of thoughts. I’ll give you quick analysis of tomorrow’s deals in this spot and on Twitter. I like the Callaspo move for the A’s. Like the big deal for all parties involved. Enjoy the deadline.
The Morning Edition (July 30, 2013)
From Last Night:
- The Pirates ride a strong start from Liriano over the Cards
- Giambi walks off against the White Sox
- The Rangers get two homeruns in the 9th to come back against the Angels
- Price leads the Rays past the Sox
- CarGo goes 5-5, but the Braves walk off
What I’m Watching Today:
- Lynn and Burnett continue the 5 game set in Pittsburgh in Game 1 (4p Eastern)
- Peavy scheduled to start in Cleveland, but might be traded beforehand (7p Eastern)
- Strasburg and Sanchez (7p Eastern)
- Wheeler faces Eovaldi (7p Eastern)
- Wilson and Holland go in Texas (8p Eastern)
- Latos and Volquez start opposite one of the players for which they were traded (10p Eastern)
The Big Question:
- Did you enjoy bullpen upgrade day?
The Tigers added Veras, the Braves got Downs (good move), and the Rays gambled on Crain (good move). Will the next two days include any big name starters or position players? I’m sure the TradeRumor-Industrial Complex is hoping so. They’ve been tweeting out rumors for so long they will look pretty silly if there aren’t a lot of players moved in the next 36 hours. We’ll have complete coverage of any Tigers moves here and some quick thoughts on the rest of the deals as well. Follow me on Twitter if you’re looking for up to the minute reaction to things that happen in baseball because most of my day is spent thinking about baseball and deciding if I have something interesting enough to share with other people. Usually the answer is no, but sometimes it is yes!
New English D 