Comments on: Report: Matt Cain will get the All-Star Game start over R.A. Dickey

By: oltanya

oltanya — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 22:31:10 +0000

I’ll give you 100% odds that no one has to face both Dickey and Verlander.

By: oltanya

oltanya — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 00:58:04 +0000

It’s an exhibition game for that season, that’s pretty much the only reason for it to be there

By: blabidibla

blabidibla — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 23:08:30 +0000

I made your agument by demonstrating an advantage? One hitter can make all the difference in any game. Millions of dollars are on the line. Every little advantage is worth taking.

Cain is a better story over the past few years. Won a little thing called the World Series while not allowing a run in the post season.

By: simon94022

simon94022 — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 22:11:25 +0000

Dickey is a wonderful story, but Cain has had the better career by far. There is no reason why All Star decisions should be dictated solely by the first 3 months of the season.

By: nixonotis

nixonotis — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 21:36:06 +0000

You just made my argument for me. Let’s say 5 batters DO come up in the first, then another 5 batters DO come up in the second, how many hitters in the lineup were affected by one starter beginning the game over another? Just ONE HITTER. This is all nonsense. LaRussa tries to get himself over by making seemingly meaningless decisions into potentially life changing events. The fact is that whether or not Dickey starts the game will have very little bearing on the outcome. As such, the right choice was to choose the pitcher with the better statistics who, consequently, happens to be one of the best stories in baseball the last few years.

By: blabidibla

blabidibla — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 21:23:53 +0000

Agreed. Watch the second half as Dickey regresses and Cain continues to be who he’s always been.

By: blabidibla

blabidibla — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 21:11:20 +0000

odds are? Let’s say 5 batters come up in the first and 5 more in the second. that doesn’t seem terribly unrealistic to you does it?

You take every advantage you can get when the game matters. I know it’s hip to hate LaRussa, but the guy did win 6 pennants and 3 WS. He’s not an idiot no matter how many pundits like to bash on him.

By: nixonotis

nixonotis — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 20:42:15 +0000

Taking only this season into account (as we are supposed to do when considering all-star teams), I am curious how you’ve decided Cain is “ten times a better pitcher. . . in every way.” Actually, I’m really not, as this is simply nonsense when it comes to 2012.

By: oltanya

oltanya — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 20:41:52 +0000

Batters watch the game and mentally prepare for upcoming at-bats. Even if it’s subconscious, watching 80 miles an hour from the bench, then stepping up to the plate and seeing 100 coming at you will take some adjustment.

By: nixonotis

nixonotis — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 20:39:04 +0000

This doesn’t make any sense. With each pitcher going an inning a piece, and only one knuckleballer on the team, how does not starting Dickey “throw the batters off balance?” Odds are no one is going to have to face both Dickey AND Verlander or any combination of the like, so this is just excuse making for not giving the more deserving pitcher and the better story the start.

Also, the game still doesn’t matter. No one cares. Not the players, not the fans, and not even the managers aside from the attention seeking Tony LaRussa.

By: thatyankeedude

thatyankeedude — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 20:26:00 +0000

Larussa is an ass. I don’t like the reds but Cueto is a beast and should be an all star. I also think R.A. has earned the right to start.

By: charlutes

charlutes — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 20:15:00 +0000

Cain deserves it, is ten times a better pitcher than Dickey in every way. Good run by Dickey though, he’s a great story.

By: thefalcon123

thefalcon123 — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 19:05:50 +0000

In fact, from 1995-2004, the Red Sox lead the league in passed balls every season except for two, 2001-2002. In those years, the Tigers lead the league in passed balls.

Who lead the Tigers with a combined 421 innings those two seasons?
Steve Sparks.
…Knuckleballer Steve Sparks.

By: thefalcon123

thefalcon123 — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:58:45 +0000

“Pass balls have everything to do with the catcher, wild pitches have everything to do with the pitcher. Once again, its the flaw is in the catcher, not the pitcher, Mets have terrible defensive catchers.”

Not. True. At. All.

If this were the case, then why do catchers consistently have a far higher number of passed balls with a knuckleballer on the mound? Because it is, obviously, much harder to catch!

For example, who lead in passed balls in 1986? Why, Charlie Hough and the Texas Rangers.

1977 in the NL? Phil Niekro and the Atlanta Braves

Or how about Tim Wakefield and the 1998 Red Sox, who also lead the league in passed balls.

I’m not cherry picking here. I just decided to look up Charlie Hough, Phil Niekro and Tim Wakefield and literally clicked a random year, and in all 3 cases, their team lead the league in passed balls.

By: blabidibla

blabidibla — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:58:10 +0000

LaRussa is managing the game, and splitting up the pitchers to throw the batters off balance. Dickey is much better suited to pitch second between the fastballers. LaRussa doesn’t give a crap how well Dickey has done for your fantasy team.

“Earning” the starting role went out the window when they made the game matter.

By: tsi431

tsi431 — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:45:54 +0000

Pass balls have everything to do with the catcher, wild pitches have everything to do with the pitcher. Once again, its the flaw is in the catcher, not the pitcher, Mets have terrible defensive catchers.

By: nyyankeedave

nyyankeedave — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:33:58 +0000

LaRussa lives on the West Coast. He’s managed on the West Coast and in the Midwest for most of his managerial life – and he is a smart guy. He’s just striking a blow for the non-East Coast biased fan! How many years – in all sports – has a deserving player from a team west o the Mississippi or a club in the Midwest been passed over for some overrated, overhyped tool that kust happens to play in New York, Boston, Philly, etc. I don’t got a problem with it – perhaps if ESPN and MLB Network could pull themselves away from covering my Yanks and the Sox for a second, fans would realize that there’s some pretty darn good players out there! Yeah, Dickey’s been awesome – but if he were on the Rockies, A’s or Mariners NOBODY WOULD CARE!

By: annaalamode

annaalamode — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:33:51 +0000

I say that the NL start both of them They could pitch side by side. Like synchronized diving only with baseballs and no water.

By: thefalcon123

thefalcon123 — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:27:44 +0000

…Just wanted to confirm my suspicion.

The Mets do lead the majors in passed balls, and that’s with guys who are used to catching a knuckleballer.

By: thefalcon123

thefalcon123 — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:24:31 +0000

I’m not saying it’s fair or the right things to do or defending it in anyway. I’m merely saying the *reason* probably has less to do with stats and more to do with the catcher behind the plate. Let me be clear, Dickey earned the starting spot in the All-Star game.

Truth is, LaRussa has no option but to start Posey but he did have the option to choose who throws to him. Since this will be the last game he ever managers, I think his decision to skip Dickey has to do with a fear of passed balls. I do not endorse this decision.

By: tsi431

tsi431 — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:10:02 +0000

So because a catcher has a flaw in his game means we must accommodate for that flaw?

Posey also can’t throw a runner out if they tripped (CS 24.6%). So I guess runners can’t steal either to be fair.

By: ezthinking

ezthinking — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:47:11 +0000

Except since the pitchers throw one inning, the hitters won’t face a Dickey and a Strasburg.

By: theawesomersfranchise

theawesomersfranchise — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:48:29 +0000

I don’t think the has been a manager more hated in the past 30 years than La Russa.

By: j0ey15

j0ey15 — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:38:04 +0000

The Posey comment doesn’t make sense because weather Dickey is throwing first or 2nd Posey will be behind the plate

By: sonoco

sonoco — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:37:35 +0000

And here’s a great big Nelson Muntz “Ha Ha” to Mets fans from Giants fans.

By: pantswearer

pantswearer — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:28:15 +0000

La Russa clearly hates the Mets. No other possible explanation.

By: pkers

pkers — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 15:31:52 +0000

How many perfect game/no-hitters are represented in this year’s ASG?

By: thefalcon123

thefalcon123 — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 15:26:15 +0000

I think it has less to do with stats and more about Buster Posey catching a knuckleballer.

I agree, Dickey should start, but I understand the logic behind it.

By: oltanya

oltanya — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 15:21:52 +0000

As a Mets fan, Cain-Dickey-Strasburg makes nothing but sense to me for keeping AL hitters way, way off balance.

As long as these 5-run starts don’t become a trend, Dickey’s headed for serious CY consideration, and I care about that a whole lot more than what inning he throws in exhibition.

By: citynative

citynative — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 15:14:10 +0000

What does Sandy Alderson think?