Monday, June 25, 2007
Brutal, Nasty, Short, but probably not really Cruel
by Ken Houghton
The latter is probably not really true. The most expensive middle reliever in history was Jose Canseco, whose inning in late May of 1993 cost Texas the rest of his season.*
*fairness probably requires me to note that Canseco pitched the eighth inning against a home team with a fairly insurmountable lead, which makes calling it "middle relief" arguable. Fairness also requires me to note that seeing that Clemens had pitched in relief led me to assume, erroneously, that Kim's post anticipating the All-Star Game was more proximate than it is.**
**Anyone who has seen my team's performance in the LGM ESPN Baseball Challenge knows I haven't been paying attention to the season. Until this morning, I owned the ChiSox pitching staff.
Scott will love this:
Here's the Yankee pitching rundown: Two scouts who saw Kei Igawa say he's bumped his fastball from 88 to 91 and improved his changeup but that he's still looks pretty ordinary. Mike Mussina would need to improve to reach ordinary. Kyle Farnsworth, who's done almost nothing right except shame Roger Clemens into showing up when he isn't pitching, simply has to go. And lastly, on Sunday Clemens became the most expensive middle reliever in baseball history.
The latter is probably not really true. The most expensive middle reliever in history was Jose Canseco, whose inning in late May of 1993 cost Texas the rest of his season.*
*fairness probably requires me to note that Canseco pitched the eighth inning against a home team with a fairly insurmountable lead, which makes calling it "middle relief" arguable. Fairness also requires me to note that seeing that Clemens had pitched in relief led me to assume, erroneously, that Kim's post anticipating the All-Star Game was more proximate than it is.**
**Anyone who has seen my team's performance in the LGM ESPN Baseball Challenge knows I haven't been paying attention to the season. Until this morning, I owned the ChiSox pitching staff.
