Pirates/Reds

[Valuist]

Big game in the NL Central today. I'm looking at the total, which at 6.5 is priced for perfection. No room for error by either pitcher. At first glance, you look at the year to date numbers for Latos and Liriano and the number makes sense. Then look at their game logs and Latos is coming off a poor start, and two of his last 4 starts weren't good; Liriano is coming off a good start but 2 of his last 5 weren't good. A 4-3 game pushes this over the total. Over is the only way to play this total, IMO.

[ldiatone]

magic # 4 with 6 vrs reds and 3 with the little bears...

[rastajenk]

The first game was a dandy. :jump:

[ldiatone]

maybe that throat thing is happening again.....bad throw by mercer or the game is over but thats baseball

[Valuist]

Liriano vs Cueto tomorrow night. Liriano had a great start against the Reds on Sept 20, going 8 and allowing only 3 hits and 2 runs. He then he a mediocre start against the Cubs. Cueto in the 3rd start off the layoff. His first start he only went 5, then stretched out to 7 innings last time while checking in just under 100 pitches.

[melman]

Big "play in" game tonight. Rays/Rangers. David Price for the Rays, Martin Perez a rookie for the Rangers. Have to give the edge to the Rays. It will be back to back big games being started by rookie pitchers as the Indians plan on starting Danny Salazar in the Wild Card winner take all game tomorrow night. Used to be rookie starting pitchers did not appear in huge games. That's gone out the window. Last year the Oakland A's had four rookie pitchers in the rotation. This year St Louis has used many rookie pitchers and most likely will start three of them in the NLDS.
I make Boston and St Louis as the favorites to be in this years WS. But I'm rooting for Pittsburgh. Should be a fun playoff run seeing big crowds in Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Something not seen for quite a few years now.

[Valuist]

The Rays are a slight betting favorite but I think Texas wins this game. They didn't have to travel last night, they get Cruz back, and they've done all right vs Price in the past.

[melman]

Not sure how sharpe Cruz can be after being off for so long. Price does have a poor record against the Rangers but IMO the sample size is just to small.

BTW Valuist Mike Trout did something this year only done by two players in MLB since 1900.

190 or more basehits
100 or more walks
30 or more stolen bases
all in the same season

The other two--Ty Cobb in 1918 and Lenny Dykstra in 1993.

[1st time lasix]

both Dykstra and Cobb were crazy....

[Valuist]

Not sure how sharpe Cruz can be after being off for so long. Price does have a poor record against the Rangers but IMO the sample size is just to small.

BTW Valuist Mike Trout did something this year only done by two players in MLB since 1900.

190 or more basehits
100 or more walks
30 or more stolen bases
all in the same season

The other two--Ty Cobb in 1918 and Lenny Dykstra in 1993.

Trout is a great player, no question. I'm surprised Lenny Dykstra did that but Dykstra certainly didn't have Trout's power, or his overall hitting ability.

[melman]

Trout is a great player, no question. I'm surprised Lenny Dykstra did that but Dykstra certainly didn't have Trout's power, or his overall hitting ability.
Trout this season almost pulled off a first time in MLB history feat. The 10-20-30-40. No one has ever done it. Trout just missed with-
9 triples
27 home runs
33 stolen bases
39 doubles

Stats for the best young players today.
Trout bat avg 323 OPS 988
Perez 292 757
Machado 283 746
Harper 274 854

Trout's 988 OPS only behind Cabrara 1078 and Davis 1004

[Robert Fischer]

Trout this season almost pulled off a first time in MLB history feat. The 10-20-30-40. No one has ever done it. Trout just missed with-
9 triples
27 home runs
33 stolen bases
39 doubles

Stats for the best young players today.
Trout bat avg 323 OPS 988
Perez 292 757
Machado 283 746
Harper 274 854

Trout's 988 OPS only behind Cabrara 1078 and Davis 1004


:ThmbUp: Trout has that same kind of Dykstra, Cobb, Rose "motor" at times.

[Valuist]

Trout this season almost pulled off a first time in MLB history feat. The 10-20-30-40. No one has ever done it. Trout just missed with-
9 triples
27 home runs
33 stolen bases
39 doubles

Stats for the best young players today.
Trout bat avg 323 OPS 988
Perez 292 757
Machado 283 746
Harper 274 854

Trout's 988 OPS only behind Cabrara 1078 and Davis 1004

What about Puig? If you are talking about the best young players, he'd have to be up near Trout and Harper. Machado really fell off in the second half.

[Robert Fischer]

What about Puig? If you are talking about the best young players, he'd have to be up near Trout and Harper. Machado really fell off in the second half.

How does his avg. and OPS look stacked up with these guys ?

[melman]

Puig stats are not for a full season. He did get into 102 games so still a good sample size.

avg 319 OPS 925

My question is just how old is Puig? A refugee from Cuba where I understand he had been playing ball for a few years. I was trying to compare really young guys.

[Valuist]

Puig stats are not for a full season. He did get into 102 games so still a good sample size.

avg 319 OPS 925

My question is just how old is Puig? A refugee from Cuba where I understand he had been playing ball for a few years. I was trying to compare really young guys.

According to the league, Puig will be 23 in December.

[ldiatone]

on NPR radio, a young women did a interview with him. it seems he lives w/ a cousin in LA and plays much video games. that interview may be on the NPR network
and here it is
http://www.npr.org/2013/09/24/225659451/profile-of-dodgers-yasiel-puig