Category Archives: James O’Hara
MLB: A Look Back and a Look Ahead
By James O’Hara
These are my midseason MLB award picks and playoff picks at the midpoint of the MLB season. Let me hear what you think deserves them.
AL MVP and Rookie of the Year – Mike Trout
What can I say besides the fact that the kid is a beast with a slash line of .341/.397/.562. Doing all this at the age of only 20 and being the main catalyst behind the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim getting to one of the best first half records in baseball after a lousy start.
AL Cy Young – Justin Verlander
The Tigers are my second favorite team behind the Nats and I own a Verlander jersey so there is a bit of homerism in this pick. But his 2.58 ERA and 128 strikeouts in a league leading 132.2 innings is nothing but impressive. Not to mention his insane .95 WHIP.
NL MVP – Joey Votto
Votto is probably the best hitter in the game right now and he’s doing it for a Reds team that is just one game out of first and on top of the NL Wild Card race. His slash line of .348/.471/.617 is absurd even for a first baseman.
NL Cy Young – R.A. Dickey
This is a clear case of first half recognition over a prediction of who will probably win it at the end of the year. Dickey had an amazing first half throwing back to back one hitters and exciting baseball fans everywhere with his mysterious knuckler. The only question is if he can keep it up with a notoriously fickle pitch.
NL Rookie of the Year- Bryce Harper
If a rookie is doing something that Hall of Famers didn’t even do then it’s a pretty clear cut choice of who to pick. Harper’s .826 OPS if it holds would be the third highest by a nineteen year old since 1900 ahead of the likes of Willie Mays and Ken Griffey, Jr. Pretty incredible.
Second Half Predictions
In the NL I have the division winners as the Nationals, Giants, and Reds in that seeding order. I love the Nats and Giants pitching and the Reds stars will carry them in a wild division. I think the two wild card winners will be the Cardinals and the Braves. The Dodgers and Pirates will be on the outside looking in as they are not yet ready for primetime. Look for all of these teams outside of possibly the Cardinals to be in playoff conversations for years to come.
In the AL I see the division winners as being the Rangers, Yankees, and White Sox again in seeding order. The Rangers and Yankees are the two best teams this year easily managing the few injuries they’ve had. While the White Sox have the most consistent production from their star players in the division. I’m going with the Angels and Rays to slot into the two wild card spots as both are simply more talented than their closest competitors.
A Guide to the Balk
Article By James O’Hara
Let me start this by saying I am neither a balk expert nor scholar. However I have been pitching since one is first allowed to in Little League all the way through High School which I believe gives me a good understanding of the balk. If you have any questions or believe I am incorrect please let me know in the comment section below.
Okay on to what many baseball fans consider the most confusing part of a baseball game. I have seen these frustrations whenever a game changing balk is called with many calling for the balk rule to be gotten rid of entirely. However the balk rule is perhaps one of the most important rules in the game of baseball as many actions baseball fans take for granted only occur because of the balk rule. Hits and base runners would become much more difficult to come by while leads and steals would be non-existent without the set of rules that comprise what a balk is.
So what exactly is a balk? Well the basic guideline is when a pitcher starts a typical pitching action but stops it before it has been completed. These actions are typically an easy way for a pitcher to deceive a base runner or hitter, but nowadays are more typically just mistakes made by the pitcher. For example Nationals fans will remember recently when pitcher Henry Rodriguez began to bring his hands together and then stopped causing a balk; there was no obvious deceit intended it was merely a mental mistake. However this guideline requires one to know what the typical pitching actions are, which not many outside of pitchers truly understand.
To start there are four positions a pitcher can be in: off the rubber, on the rubber, set, and in motion. Off the rubber is irrelevant to the balk rule as a pitcher is allowed to do whatever they want when not stepping on the rubber. On the rubber is an interesting position as it is a relatively free position while still having some balk opportunities; in the windup this position is just set. On the rubber is typically when the pitcher is looking in to get the signs from the catcher. If the pitcher is in the stretch then after leaning in to get the sign they must become set in the stance they are going to begin their motion from. Finally the pitcher is in motion either throwing a pitch or attempting a pickoff. In motion is probably where the most and most subjective balk calls come from as we will get to soon.
So now let’s break down the different parts of the balk rule by where they can occur in these four positions, excluding off the rubber as we have already stated it is not relevant.
On the Rubber: As mentioned above when the pitcher is in the windup there is only one on the rubber position so almost all of the relevant rules for the windup will be found in set. However one rule that applies to both the windup and stretch is that the pitcher is not allowed to step on the rubber without the baseball. The main rule here though is the transition from this position to the set position which must be done and once it is started cannot be stopped. The transition usually entails standing up straighter, moving legs closer together, and bringing the ball and glove together. However the only required part of this transition is bringing the ball and glove together. Another way, although highly unlikely, to draw a balk is to step off the rubber but not straight back, which is the only allowed way. The pitcher is also not allowed to drop the ball while on the rubber as this is seen as a way to trick the runner into taking off while the pitcher easily scoops up the ball and throws him out, however unlikely a scenario that is.
Set: In the set position the pitcher is only allowed to move their head, and usually their shoulders slightly, in order to look at a base runner. If the body moves outside of a regular pitching or pickoff motion then a balk is called. As mentioned above once a pitcher comes into a set position they cannot come out of it unless they step off the rubber with their back foot, or in the windup their non-lead foot. Also as stated as a pitcher comes set the ball and glove must come together, in addition they then must stay together at all times until the pitcher is in motion.
In Motion: As stated previously this position is where the most and most subjective balk calls will come from. Let’s start with an easy one, once a pitcher starts their motion they are not allowed to stop or pause during it, they must have one continuous motion. As Nationals fans will know there is a lot of leeway here as Chien-Ming Wang gets about as close as a pitcher can to pausing without doing so. Now to the tricky stuff, pickoff rules. First no pickoff attempts can be made from the windup without first stepping off the rubber. Now in the stretch if a pitcher steps, or turns and steps, directly at either first base or home plate without first taking his back foot off the rubber he must throw the ball towards that base. If he holds the ball or throws the ball in another direction a balk is called. Some leeway can be given by the ump if the ball appears to slip out of the pitchers hand. However if the pitcher steps towards second or third or first steps off and then steps towards a base he is not required to throw the ball. The most subjective rule though is the 45 degree rule, which almost always deals with left handers. As stated above if a player steps towards a bag he is committed to throwing to it, which means raising the leg straight up at a 45 degree angle to the base commits the pitcher to no base allowing him the freedom to still choose where to throw the baseball. Once this plane is broken though the pitcher is then committed to the bag he moved towards and if he throws it elsewhere it is a balk.
Finally there are a few balks that don’t fit into these categories. A catcher must be inside the catcher’s box at the time of a pitch’s release, a pitcher is not allowed to unnecessarily delay a game, the pitcher cannot deliver a pitch while facing away from the batter, and a pickoff throw to first must have a teammate in the vicinity of first base. These are mostly ones that very rarely occur and are given a large amount of leeway in enforcement.
The important thing to remember when it comes to the balk is that there are a lot of regulations regarding how to pitch so if you see something that looks out of the ordinary it is probably a balk. And that if a pitcher was allowed to do whatever they wanted the game of baseball as you know it would be completely different.
James is a student at Virginia Tech studying Computer Science and Math. Baseball is his favorite sport as he has been playing it since the age of three. However he has a passion for nearly every other sport one can imagine as well and this has led him to attempting to contribute to a sports blog despite average writing grades in school. He is the main person tweeting behind the name @nextyeardc and gets way too excited whenever he sees he has a new mention.
Conference Realignment In the Cards for Locals
Article By James O’Hara
Just a few months ago everyone was writing about the demise of the Big 12 and the rise of the four new super-conferences the Pac 12, Big 10, SEC, and ACC. After the moves of Pittsburgh and Syracuse to the ACC and two more teams, Texas A&M and Missouri, leaving the Big 12 this seemed like an easy conclusion. However now, while the rise of the super-conferences still seems to be on track, the ACC no longer seems to be a part of the party. First the Big 12 moved quickly to shore up the conference by adding solid schools in West Virginia and TCU. Then in what was a bit of a surprise, they tied themselves to the most stable conference in the SEC with the creation of the Champions’ bowl. These moves signaled that that the Big 12 was in it for the long haul, while at the same time the ACC made a horrendous TV deal for their football broadcast rights angering their football first members. Now there are heavy rumors that Florida State and Clemson will take their business to the Big 12, meaning the ACC is in serious trouble for staying relevant on the college football scene and staying together as a conference. If these moves come to pass there will be a variety of effects on the local schools Virginia Tech, Virginia, and Maryland, so let’s go through the best and worst options for each school.
Note: I do not have any magical insiders, I know only what has been made public and these are my best guesses based on the information available.
Virginia Tech:
VT has a huge football fan base that spans most of Virginia and a majority of the D.C. area which any league will likely covet for maximizing TV deals. In addition out of the remaining ACC schools Tech is far and away the best in football. Their only issue is that the academics may not be up to snuff for a league like the Big 10, and the multiple reports that say they must move together with Virginia.
Best Case: In terms of a money and competition standpoint the best case for Tech is that they are able to split away from UVa and move into the SEC. While they will no longer be able to walk through the conference like they do in the ACC, they will still be able to bring in huge money and go to a solid bowl as the SEC has perhaps the best bowl tie-ins.
Worst Case: VT is forced to stay together with UVa and the Big 10 feels they are not good enough academically to join, forcing them to try to finagle their way into the Big 12, or more likely stay in whatever is left of the ACC. While they would be able to dominate the even weaker ACC, they would most likely be shut out of any big bowls or National Championships. As well as earning a lot less than they could in any of the other three conferences.
Virginia:
UVa has a decent program that can be competitive in any conference, but will never seriously compete for any sort of championship. They do have the sort of academic prestige that the Big 10 covets, but do not have the sort of fan base that would garner much interest from either the SEC or Big 12.
Best Case: UVa splits up from VT, while still keeping them as an out-of-conference game, and makes their way up north to the Big 10. They are a natural fit into a conference that values academics and old-school prestige nearly as much as they do competitive football. Like Tech in the SEC they could run in the middle of the pack and go to some great bowls, earning much more money than they do now.
Worst Case: VT splits away from them and heads to the SEC, but the Big 10 still holds out stubbornly on expansion leaving UVa stuck in a conference that is completely irrelevant in football and part of some weird salvage project from the leftovers of the Big East. While UVa is not the best team ever, they still earn a lot from football and losing that revenue would certainly hamper their ability to field competitive teams in other favored sports like lacrosse and baseball.
Maryland:
Maryland has been rumored to be getting interest from the Big 10 for the last two years, but I suspect that this talk is coming more from Terp Nation than it is anyone with the Big 10. From a football standpoint this could not come at a worst time as the Terps are coming off one of the worst years in all of college football. And from a TV standpoint it’s not much better, as despite being right outside D.C. both UVa and VT have bigger footprints in the D.C. market.
Best Case: The rumors of the Big Ten’s interest in them are true and they are able to make an easy transition to their new conference. While they will likely struggle to compete at first, there are still plenty of opportunities to do well in the Big Ten, while the Big Ten Network means they will rake in the money, helping a cash-strapped athletic department.
Worst Case: The Big Ten takes one look at the middling on and off field performance and immediately looks elsewhere for new members, leaving the Terps stuck with the also-rans in the ACC. Already swimming in debt, the loss of football revenue drives the athletic department over the edge and a majority of the athletics department is cut to save money.
For each of the best and worst cases above, there are about a million other things that could happen, but one thing is for sure that college football is not done shifting around yet. Hopefully all three of the local teams will have found nice homes before it’s all over.
James is a student at Virginia Tech studying Computer Science and Math. Baseball is his favorite sport as he has been playing it since the age of three. However he has a passion for nearly every other sport one can imagine as well and this has led him to attempting to contribute to a sports blog despite average writing grades in school. He is the main person tweeting behind the name @nextyeardc and gets way too excited whenever he sees he has a new mention.
Nats Enter Important Stretch
Michael Morse targets June 1st return.
(Image Credit SI
Article By James O’Hara
You will probably hear a lot about the coming stretch for the Nationals, but it’s just so important we cannot let it go by without comment.
The next 15 games, nine away, six at home, all come against teams within the NL East. A division that is currently shaping up to be the toughest in baseball; where every single team currently stands above .500 and there is only a 4 game difference between the first place Braves and last place Phillies (boy is that fun to say). So far the Nats have been excellent against their inner division foes with a 6-2 record, but nothing compares to the brutal back-to-back stretch they are about to embark on.
If the Nationals really want to be contenders they need to come out of this stretch at least 8-7 and probably need to do even better than that. To do well the rotation needs to be on the top of their game, which is worrying since, outside of Jackson and Gio, they had what was probably their worst run through the rotation so far this season. The starting staff needs to step up and cover for an offense riddled with injuries, they cannot get discouraged by the lack of run support they are currently getting.
Speaking of that offense, while the injuries to key contributors Jayson Werth and Wilson Ramos hurt there is still room for optimism. Ryan Zimmerman has not been as good at the plate as he usually is, having been outslugged by Desmond, Ankiel, Bernadina, and Lombardozzi so far this season. Zimmerman is not going to hit like this all season, and if he can step up during this stretch that would be a huge boon to a struggling offense. In addition, Michael Morse has stated that he might be able to come back a week early, right smack in the middle of this 15 game stretch, which would instantly make this line up a lot more formidable.
Finally this stretch of games should provide some good feedback on some tough decisions between Wang and Detwiler, and Espinosa and Lombardozzi, as the Nats need guys who can stand up to the tough competition they have. At the end of these five series we should have a pretty good idea of exactly what to expect from this Nationals team for the rest of 2012.
James is a student at Virginia Tech studying Computer Science and Math. Baseball is his favorite sport as he has been playing it since the age of three. However he has a passion for nearly every other sport one can imagine as well and this has led him to attempting to contribute to a sports blog despite average writing grades in school. He is the main person tweeting behind the name @nextyeardc and gets way too excited whenever he sees he has a new mention.
What If the Nationals Injured Players Played the Healthy Ones?
Article By James O’Hara
Looking over the numerous players the Nats have had on the DL so far this season, I noticed something: they all play a separate position and together, you could field an entire lineup just from these injured players. So then I had an idea – in a hypothetical one-game scrimmage where everyone was healthy between Nats who have been injured and Nats who have not, who would win? To form the DL team I had two rules: the players must be a part of the 40 man roster and they must either be currently on the DL or have been on the DL at some point this season. Without further ado, here are the lineups:
Team DL Team Healthy
Rendon SS Desmond SS
Ankiel CF Lombardozzi 3B
Zimmerman 3B Harper RF
Morse LF LaRoche 1B
Werth RF Espinosa 2B
Ramos C Bernadina CF
Marrero 1B Flores C
DeRosa 2B Nady LF
Wang P Strasburg P
Bullpen: Kimball, Lidge, Storen Bullpen: Burnett, Clippard, HRod, etc.
The first thing that stands out is how much better Team DL’s lineup is than Team Healthy’s. The 3-6 spots are incredible while the other four guys are as good if not better hitters than their counterparts on Team Healthy. The three-man bullpen of Kimball, Lidge, and Storen for Team DL is quite excellent and should be more than enough for a one-game scrimmage. However, they are missing a left hander which could come back to hurt them against Team Healthy’s two lefty power hitters LaRoche and Harper. Really the only thing that Team Healthy has going for it is Stephen Strasburg, who is light-years ahead of Chien Ming Wang in the pitching department, but Strasburg still struggles to get deep into games and Team DL should be able to hit well against Team Healthy’s bullpen. Defensively Team DL has a significantly better outfield, while Team Healthy is a bit better in the infield despite not having Zimmerman. As Rendon is out of position and LaRoche is one of best defensive first baseman in the game. All in all, in spite of having Strasburg on the mound for Team Healthy, Team DL should be a heavy favorite because you need to score runs to win and Team Healthy just is not going to be able to do that.
In my opinion the game will start with a classic pitcher’s duel. As Strasburg will go out for Team Healthy and give them seven strong innings scattering three hits and giving up one run on a Michael Morse bomb while striking out 7 and walking none. While Wang will induce grounder after grounder from Team Healthy finishing with a bend but don’t break six innings, giving up seven hits but only one run on 4 strikeouts and a walk as Team Healthy just doesn’t get the clutch hitting needed to push more runs across. As the game turns to the bullpens Team DL’s Cole Kimball is able to craft a perfect bottom of the 7th shutting down the 9-1-2 hitters of Team Healthy’s order. In the 8th the bottom of Team DL’s order is helpless against All-Star reliever Tyler Clippard, while Brad Lidge uses his wealth of experience to hold down Bryce Harper and Adam LaRoche in the bottom of the inning, sending the game to the 9th tied 1-1. In the 9th the lack of an experienced closer comes back to bite Team Healthy as Henry Rodriguez is unable to escape without giving up two runs on Mr. Clutch Ryan Zimmerman’s two run homer making it 3-1 heading to the bottom of the ninth where Drew Storen shuts the door with little drama. Chien Ming Wang is the winning pitcher, while Henry Rodriguez gets the loss and Drew Storen the save. Player of the game is Team DL’s Ryan Zimmerman who drove in the game winning run in the top of the ninth.
James is a student at Virginia Tech studying Computer Science and Math. Baseball is his favorite sport as he has been playing it since the age of three. However he has a passion for nearly every other sport one can imagine as well and this has led him to attempting to contribute to a sports blog despite average writing grades in school. He is the main person tweeting behind the name @nextyeardc and gets way too excited whenever he sees he has a new mention.
Washington Capitals Make All the Right Moves
Article by James O’Hara
If you were watching the NHL transactions going down on the first day of free agency you might have been wondering if someone had replaced the Washington Capitals with the Washington Redskins with all the deals they were making. However unlike the Redskins these deals weren’t for flashy high-priced guys, it was for the gritty grinders that this team has sorely lacked in the playoffs the last couple of years. Now let’s take a more in-depth look into the players the Capitals have brought in, hoping that they can bring them a championship.
Jeff Halpern, C: While Halpern’s age, 35, is a bit of a sore spot in this deal, the amount of money that the Caps are paying him is actually not too bad. Halpern instantly brings in a great veteran presence to a team that is incredibly young. On the ice he is a more than serviceable fourth line center who will give you great production when short-handed, win draws, and won’t make too many mistakes. As a one-year deal this is a good pickup, if it was for any longer than questions might have arisen.
Joel Ward, F: Ward is one of those guys that may not contribute as much during the regular season, but when you get to the playoffs he gets noticed in a hurry. Last season with Nashville, while he only had 10 goals and 19 assists in the regular season, Ward had seven goals and six assists in only 12 playoff games. Ward is the grinding forward who can muck it up in front of the net that the Capitals have been missing in their last playoff runs. While the contract is a little bigger than desired, GM George McPhee admitted that he overpaid by about 16%, he should be a great contributor once the more important second season comes around.
Roman Hamrlik, D: This move is similar to one’s seen all the time in the NBA, a great player who is just a couple of years away from retirement and still without a title latches on to the hot team for one last shot at the Cup. While Hamrlik is at a more advanced age, telling reporters “I’m not getting any younger” at his introductory conference call, his game has not diminished by much as he has been a shutdown defender for the Canadiens for the past four years. He has collected no fewer than 26 points in his last 13 seasons; he finished with 34 points last season while still averaging 22 minutes of ice time, more than any other Caps defender. In addition Hamrlik brings a wealth of experience to a youthful blue line, and could be a great partner for Mike Green who has gone through his struggles as of late. As long as his age doesn’t catch up with him the Capitals will have a savvy veteran who is a consistent contributor.
Tomas Vokoun, G: Like Halpern and Hamrlik, Vokoun brings in experience to a young unit, in addition to being one of the NHL’s elite goaltenders, possessing the best save percentage in the league since 2005-06 at .922. Despite being considered the top free agent netminder the Capitals were able to get him for a relatively bargain price of one year, $1.5 million. Perhaps the best thing for Caps fans is that Vokoun was the one who initiated the discussions, as McPhee explained “We were told early yesterday that Tomas Vokoun wanted to play on a top team and that he would forgo a big deal to do it.”
With a busy first two days of free agency the Capitals brought in the veteran leaders that they usually wait until the mid-way point to trade for, signaling that this team is playing for nothing less than a championship this year.
Danny Espinosa’s spectacular play deserves All-Star consideration
Danny Espinosa is having a stellar season at second base for the Washington Nationals. Photo courtesy of kffl.com
Article By James O’Hara
When asked at the beginning of the season about how he felt being the everyday second baseman for the Washington Nationals, Danny Espinosa’s answer was a bit surprising: he expected to be in the majors since day one. “I’ve always tried to push myself beyond what I am. Maybe those goals are beyond my reach. I’m still going to set them that way” Espinosa said.
Perhaps this is why, as the calendar turns to July, the 24-year old rookie has exceeded all expectations for him coming into the season and has turned into one of the bona-fide stars on what may be the best team in the Nationals’ short history. Espinosa has become an excellent two-way player and should easily find himself not only playing in the All Star Game in Arizona this summer, but also as the leading contender for the N.L. Rookie of the Year award.
If the All Star Game selections were fair, and unfortunately we all know that they are not, Danny would easily slide into a reserve role for the N.L. team this year. With usual stalwarts Dan Uggla and Chase Utley dealing with a massive slump and early season injury problems, respectively, the competition at second is nominal to say the least and Espinosa is taking full advantage. He is incredibly efficient with his bat with a wOBA (Weighted Batting Average) of .350 and a wRAA (Weighted Runs Above Average) of 8.8, which both rank second in terms of NL second baseman, demonstrates that when he hits the ball you are getting your money’s worth. By more standard metrics, his 15 home runs and 48 RBI’s are first and second for National League second baseman respectively.
Despite weighing 190 pounds and playing a position that has produced a lack of power hitters throughout baseball history, Espinosa is on pace for over 30 home runs as a rooke. Photo courtesy of silive.com
Despite his magic with the bat, he may be an even better fielder as he ranks in the top two second baseman in the National League in many defensive statistics. Especially brilliant are his RZR (Revised Zone Rating) and DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) numbers, .833 and 0, which are first and second for National League second baseman. Danny is clearly excelling in every facet of the game right now and is arguably one of the best second baseman in the National League this season which should earn him the All Star nod.
Yet as strong as his case is to be in the All Star Game, that is nothing compared to how he should be running away and hiding with the NL Rookie of the Year award right now. His 15 home runs, 48 RBI’s, UZR(Ultimate Zone Rating) of 4.2, and WAR(Wins Above Replacement) of 3.0 lead all rookies across both leagues. In addition his wOBA of .350, wRAA of 8.8, OPS of .791, and WPA (Win Probability Added) of 1.45 are all good enough for second place among all rookies in the Major League.
But what might be even more important than the numbers is that the kid just knows how to play ball, showing experience and attitude years beyond his age. “[Espinosa] plays hard-nosed baseball. He plays the game the right way,” teammate Jayson Werth said. “He comes to play every day. He’s here early. He works hard. He does all the right things, says all the right things. He’s intense. He learns quick. He gives it his all up there. There’s not a whole lot that you don’t like about him.”
Despite how impossible it seems that one of our beloved Nats not named Ryan Zimmerman is this good, Danny is most definitely the real deal and should be racking up the accolades this year with relative ease.
After showing flashes last season, Espinosa has developed into a full-time starter and a threat every time he steps into the batter's box. Photo courtesy of patrickfloodblog.com
Only one thing may stand between Danny and the recognition he deserves, his subpar batting average of .239. Yet as the other statistics above prove this stat does not paint a very accurate picture of Espinosa’s hitting prowess, but it might be something that the powers that be get hung up on. But even if Espinosa does not get the respect he so clearly deserves he has already cemented a small place in baseball history, with his 15th home run on Monday he now has the all-time mark for home runs by a rookie second baseman before the All Star break.
