Brushing Up On Armando Galarraga
by colintj on Apr 15, 2009 10:00 AM CDT
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PrintThe most notable thing about Armando Galarraga's performance last year was his luck. He gave up just 152 hits in 178 2/3 IP for a very helpful .247 BABIP. Subsequently, he had a 3.73 ERA but a 4.88 FIP: he's about a run per nine innings worse than his performance last year suggests. Baseball is a funny thing, Stone Pony. You can get 180 above average innings out of a total nobody.
There may, however, be less regression in the works because Detroit has substantially upgraded its infield defense. There's a good argument that they have the best defensive infield in the game. Between that and Granderson covering center, the defensible balls Galarraga allows will continue to turn into outs at a better than average rate. Anything that leaves the park is excepted in BABIP, of course, and that happened to be a problem for Armando in '08 to the tune of 1.4 homers per nine.
HR rate will fluctuate from year to year, but there are inherent problems with his stuff, particularly against lefties. PECOTA expects that his LH/RH splits will be larger than average:
LHB - .271/.369/.454
RHB - .256/.326/.405
He's entirely fastball/slider to right handed batters and both pitches are fairly average, but the latter plays up thanks to outstanding command. He can get ground outs and whiffs off the slider and he throws it as much as he throws the fastball, a mix that suggests that major leaguers have a hard time discerning between the two. JD and Q! have demonstrated their vulnerability to such pitching in the past by striking out, while Paulie prefers to roll over and hit ground balls to the left side. Recognition will be the key and I expect struggles early if Galarraga is throwing enough sliders.
To lefties, he adds a change-up that he uses to get ground outs, but he misses often and doesn't get whiffs with it. It goes well with his away-away-away philosophy and has its uses, but it isn't an incredible pitch. It plays up depending on the batter's understanding of how Galarraga is trying to get outs. His slider still gets a solid amount of whiffs and groundballs, while his fastball was killed in '08. The program would be: sliders in, changes away and fastballs to both sides to set up each. The problem is the fastball, with which he'd prefer to nibble thanks to its relatively useless rise/run and middling velocity.
As he showed against the Rangers, he can have success if he's hitting his spots, but the stuff is really not that impressive. If you can get him to work his fastball on the plate, he'll start missing in and batters can capitalize. If he's mixing fastball-slider to batters that can't tell the difference, he'll dominate. This will be a nice time to get Brent Lillibridge out of the lineup and get Chris Getz back at the top. It wouldn't be the worst idea to get Wilson Betemit in the lineup, either, though at the expense of whom? Paulie, perhaps, but there's no obvious gain to be made at this point in the season. Number 300 went a long way and Zach Miner isn't really all that different from Galarraga.
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Gotta tell ya Colin, these things are MUCH more interesting
now that you’re posting pictures.
Kidding aside, nice job. Thanks.
"I never had sex with that Governor" -
Roland Burris
getz out for another game...
DETROIT — Second baseman Chris Getz receives another day to rest his right elbow. The tarp was briefly pulled off the infield, although cloudy skies hover over Comerica Park and rain resumed to the point where the tarp was put back over the infield. The White Sox’s lineup Wednesday at Detroit is after the jump.
SOX LINEUP
Lillibridge, 2B
Fields, 3B
Quentin, LF
Thome, DH
Dye, RF
Konerko, 1B
Pierzynski, C
Ramirez, SS
Anderson, CF
Contreras, P
I guess Ozzie meant an extra day of missing a game.
I bet the cold isn’t helping.
We’re a pack of a-holes.
by rhythm on Apr 14, 2009 1:45 PM EDT
by winningugly on Apr 15, 2009 10:48 AM CDT up reply actions
Heard Ozzie this morning
He said Getz came in this morning and wanted to play but yes he was holding him out another game period.
"It just occurred to me that the White Sox could win the division."
by SuddenSam on May 22, 2008 9:45 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
" That just makes me want to puke all over your head, sir."
To Chi. (Dammit, I hit "reply", too.)
We’re a pack of a-holes.
by rhythm on Apr 14, 2009 1:45 PM EDT
by winningugly on Apr 15, 2009 11:07 AM CDT up reply actions
I would, but I hear she's on a milk carton somewhere...
"I never had sex with that Governor" -
Roland Burris
Produced by TAEG? I'm in!
Though mine was clearly a spoof of WU’s. You knew that, right?
"I never had sex with that Governor" -
Roland Burris
Yeah, yeah. (Smiles.)
You’d better have some big-ass arms, gus.
We’re a pack of a-holes.
by rhythm on Apr 14, 2009 1:45 PM EDT
by winningugly on Apr 15, 2009 11:34 AM CDT up reply actions
remember when he used to be somebody? before he put the e- in front of his name?
"I never had sex with that Governor" -
Roland Burris
"e" is for either "ether" or "emaciated".
We’re a pack of a-holes.
by rhythm on Apr 14, 2009 1:45 PM EDT
by winningugly on Apr 15, 2009 11:36 AM CDT up reply actions
enervated
verb- to touch the nerve of old farts on the internets.
example:
e-gus enervated those old farts with that picture.
yeah take that!
guess i better go pick up the old dumbbells…
(weights, not you guys)
Leading off at shortstop...
Luke Aparicio
no kidding, taking a big dump on your masterwork
Nice write up. Be interesting to see if BA can make any contact v this guy
Coach says he needs more toughness. I gotta step up.
by ChicagoPete on Apr 15, 2009 11:31 AM CDT up reply actions
loved that part
"I’ll take the old gray lady over the peanut gallery on some cow town blog."
MadVillian
Old people paid for your education, son.
We’re a pack of a-holes.
by rhythm on Apr 14, 2009 1:45 PM EDT
by winningugly on Apr 15, 2009 11:33 AM CDT up reply actions
replacement level killers from last season.
if you want to see how the twins gifted the division to the white sox, here it is.
mike lamb and brian buscher share 3B, cuddyer is in right (not that many candidates, so more of a default), craig monroe gets a dishonorable mention at DH, livan and boof share pitcher accolades.
the twins get praise for the things they do well. but it’s overall too much when you consider how they fuck up roster management. they gave the playoffs away last year.
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=8745
and even then it took 163...
Can I infer from the intro that every game Lillibridge starts/leadsoff would count towards RLK status? Or perhaps an Owens if he were to get significant pt?
"I never had sex with that Governor" -
Roland Burris
both wise and owens are probably likely candidates.
lillibridge may depend. he’s a good defender at some premium positions and a good baserunner so he may be able to keep his head above water. if he’s starting a lot, it may be trouble. but with that minimized some and some defensive replacement and pinch running roles mixed in, he may just simply be replacement level.
Agreed.
The Liriano/Hernandez clusterf… move alone did that.
We’re a pack of a-holes.
by rhythm on Apr 14, 2009 1:45 PM EDT
by winningugly on Apr 15, 2009 11:34 AM CDT up reply actions
Gleeman has harped on this for the past few years
"It just occurred to me that the White Sox could win the division."
by SuddenSam on May 22, 2008 9:45 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
" That just makes me want to puke all over your head, sir."
Teeing Off On Armando Galaragga
Hopefully thats the headline for the second gamethread this afternoon.
Leading off at shortstop...
Luke Aparicio
they’ve blocked the ports up, fucking French bastards, he won’t be back until Friday latest now, I’m sick of picking up all his dodgy mail.
I believe the common character of the universe is not harmony, but chaos, hostility, and murder.
oops
that was meant for msn not here, sorry
I believe the common character of the universe is not harmony, but chaos, hostility, and murder.
hoodie's a poof, hoodie's a poof!
We’re a pack of a-holes.
by rhythm on Apr 14, 2009 1:45 PM EDT
by winningugly on Apr 15, 2009 11:37 AM CDT up reply actions
what?
I believe the common character of the universe is not harmony, but chaos, hostility, and murder.
he's already said it twice.
"I never had sex with that Governor" -
Roland Burris
by Chiburb on Apr 15, 2009 11:41 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I want to know why though?
I believe the common character of the universe is not harmony, but chaos, hostility, and murder.
why you're a poof? Can't say for sure. Some say nature, others say nurture.
"I never had sex with that Governor" -
Roland Burris
I didn't think that word was used much over there
or are you trying to humour me?
I believe the common character of the universe is not harmony, but chaos, hostility, and murder.
Getting some guy's mail.
Not a rommmate. Gotta be the Mrs. ;)
We’re a pack of a-holes.
by rhythm on Apr 14, 2009 1:45 PM EDT
by winningugly on Apr 15, 2009 11:50 AM CDT up reply actions
lol
it’s a pal of mine he’s gone to Paris for the Easter break, but he’s stuck there now. He’s got a City centre flat with a good postcode, so various dodgy businessmen have all the mail delivered there, well I say mail, it’s usually a pile of unpaid bills and County Court Judgements.
I believe the common character of the universe is not harmony, but chaos, hostility, and murder.
Thanks.
I may keep it until I am killed by an angry poster. I think yours is quite clever, too.
(Picks up dumbbell.)
We’re a pack of a-holes.
by rhythm on Apr 14, 2009 1:45 PM EDT
by winningugly on Apr 15, 2009 11:56 AM CDT up reply actions
Those in Michigan
Colin? how’s the weather there now?
by Grinder in Training on Apr 15, 2009 11:41 AM CDT reply actions
Current radar here:
http://weather.yahoo.com/img/us_dtw_metroradar_medium_usen.html
Too bad you don’t have internet access.
"I never had sex with that Governor" -
Roland Burris
is that big blue thing a rain cloud?
I hope not
I believe the common character of the universe is not harmony, but chaos, hostility, and murder.
Obviously I checked weather.com
Don’t need to be a jackass, anyone knows that you can go online and look up the weather, I’d much rather here from someone who is actually there.
by Grinder in Training on Apr 15, 2009 11:50 AM CDT up reply actions
would you be as 'sensitive' if i'd used "clearly"?
cuz that’s how it was meant.
"I never had sex with that Governor" -
Roland Burris
I'm short on sleep due to a long vacation this weekend..
Should have picked up on it.
by Grinder in Training on Apr 15, 2009 12:06 PM CDT up reply actions
and stay off the lawn, can't you see it's been raining?
I actually had to tell a neighbor kid to get off my lawn last week, the first time I’ve ever done that. A defining moment in my life’s arc.
I tried to be nice about it, but the poor kid was nearly in tears. Kind of fun actually.
Coach says he needs more toughness. I gotta step up.
by ChicagoPete on Apr 15, 2009 11:54 AM CDT up reply actions
why that little punk, you're probably right
The hate was glowing in his eyes, I’m sure my Halloweens will be nightmarish going forward. This is my first taste of suburbia, I’ve got a lot to learn.
Coach says he needs more toughness. I gotta step up.
by ChicagoPete on Apr 15, 2009 11:58 AM CDT up reply actions
There's a gamethread here somewhere...
T-minus 7 minutes…
We’re a pack of a-holes.
by rhythm on Apr 14, 2009 1:45 PM EDT
it says it already published
" Cheat I would like to become a managing editor. Email me what I need to do."-by Where Triples Go to Die on Apr 2, 2009 1:46 PM PDT
" You've got step one down. Sucking a lot of dick."- by The Cheat on Apr 2, 2009 1:58 PM PDT
got it working
" Cheat I would like to become a managing editor. Email me what I need to do."-by Where Triples Go to Die on Apr 2, 2009 1:46 PM PDT
" You've got step one down. Sucking a lot of dick."- by The Cheat on Apr 2, 2009 1:58 PM PDT
Why haven't BP done a hit list this week?
It’s usually every week non?
I believe the common character of the universe is not harmony, but chaos, hostility, and murder.
ok makes sense
I believe the common character of the universe is not harmony, but chaos, hostility, and murder.
I gotta say colin
I’m impressed by your ability to foretell White Sox shutouts by downplaying the skill of a major league pitcher…
oh and consistently misspell that pitcher’s name ;)
Twitter: @SouthSideCheat
SouthSideSox on Facebook
it's two g's!
and the preview holds up pretty well no? wish i had called out Thome too b/c of his breaking ball struggles, but aside from that i’m happy.
THIS STORY ONLY ENDS ONE WAY
Yeah. Not 3.
You’re not profiling Dan Uggla, Brainiac. :)
We’re a pack of a-holes.
by rhythm on Apr 14, 2009 1:45 PM EDT
what's really impressive is how many different
stat sheets i looked at that spelled it right. my brain refused to process it.
THIS STORY ONLY ENDS ONE WAY
LOL. You are humble in defeat, I'll grant you that.
We’re a pack of a-holes.
by rhythm on Apr 14, 2009 1:45 PM EDT
It's that UM education and culture.
Not many Hispanics in AA. Well, there’s a guy named Rodriguez who allegedly coaches a team, but I hear he’s not very good.
We’re a pack of a-holes.
by rhythm on Apr 14, 2009 1:45 PM EDT
Galarraga is a good pitcher, not a fluke
He has a good moving fastball and a hard slider. He understands how to pitch. Velocity isn’t everything (not that he is a soft-tosser by any means.)
if I were you, I wouldn't have grandslam in your name if you are a tiger's fan
see: first series last year
"I’ll take the old gray lady over the peanut gallery on some cow town blog."
MadVillian
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