The Rotation

[dazindiansfanuk]

Well, Bauer's been optioned to AAA (along with Kluber) so, that leaves the #5 spot as officially a two horse race between Kazmir and Carrasco.

[skatingtripods]

Interesting find from Jeff Sullivan at Fangraphs on Scott Kazmir. Kazmir has the biggest difference in OPS against with the bases empty v. with runners on since 1973, of pitchers with at least 1,000 innings pitched. And in a good way.

Could just be a coincidence, could be a hell of a lot more than that.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.ph ... tt-kazmir/

Bases empty: OPS against of .805
Runners on: OPS against of .670

For what it's worth, of pitchers with 1,000 innings pitched, the average OPS with the bases empty was .704 and with runners on was .740.

In case you don't want to click, here's a summary:

If it’s more splits you’re after, with runners on Kazmir’s strikeout rate has gone up from 21% to 24%. His FIP has gone down from 4.79 to 3.51, and his xFIP has gone down from 4.66 to 3.94. Not that we should be looking at xFIP that much — Kazmir has samples of more than 500 innings for each split, and he’s allowed far fewer dingers with at least one runner on base. Most pitchers pitch worse with runners on. Kazmir has pitched markedly better, and exceptionally better.

In every single individual season, ignoring Kazmir’s one start in 2011, he’s allowed a lower batting average with runners on. In every single individual season, he’s allowed a lower OBP with runners on. In every single individual season, he’s allowed a lower SLG with runners on, so therefore in every single individual season, he’s allowed a lower OPS with runners on. Only once did Kazmir allow a higher BABIP with runners on, and that was in 2008, and it wasn’t by much. Overall, Kazmir’s allowed a .325 BABIP with the bases empty, and a .292 BABIP with the bases not empty.

It might all be a mechanical thing. Kazmir has never been blessed with outstanding command, and that usually comes down to inconsistent mechanics. It’s possible Kazmir has been more consistent from the stretch, allowing him to pitch with better polish. With the bases empty, under 62% of Kazmir’s pitches have been strikes. With runners on, over 63% of Kazmir’s pitches have been strikes

Also in the top 10 of better performance with runners on v. bases empty, Eric Plunk.

[peeker643]

The dislike for Eric Plunk here in Cleveland s rivaled only by the dislike for Casey Blake.

Plunk was quite solid here.

What the numbers prove, although my eyes have already seen it and processed it and acknowledged it, are that most fans are idiots.

[gotribe31]

Yeah, I actually thought Plunk was better than he was given credit for as well.

[leadpipe]

The dislike for Eric Plunk here in Cleveland s rivaled only by the dislike for Casey Blake.

Plunk was quite solid here.

What the numbers prove, although my eyes have already seen it and processed it and acknowledged it, are that most fans are idiots.

Perhaps the most underappreciated, underrated Tribe player of my time. Fantastic with RISP - better than Tavarez during Tavarez' big year when everyone was giving the guy hand-jobs. So many of those "fantastic finishes" of that era were due to his four years of keeping those games in check. Plus, the guy shut up and did his job - never talked money or threatened to go elsewhere to be the closer. The great majority of guys that are good at his position looked to move on.

And he was HARD to replace. You can look it up.

Plus, he's still a great "tool finder" at the ole ball yard. You know, the yup sitting behind you crackin' terrible jokes all night is sure to let loose with a line about Plunk giving up "all those home runs....."

[googleeph2]

I loved Plunk too. And Assenmacher, but that is partly because like others, I enjoyed substituting "Assenmacher" for the word "ass". (I'm going to knock him right on his "assenmacher".)

Plunk was great in the regular season. He had his struggles in the postseason, and that's what the bandwagon/casual fans may remember most.

Blake and Plunk hate doesn't approach Mesa hate, does it?

[Dellucci TailGator]

I always liked Plunk. Albie Lopez and Jim Poole, on the other hand...