Rafael Soriano Doesn't Like Easy Money

Why you hatin'?

According to this John Heyman report (Does anyone else find it odd that Heyman always breaks news about Boras clients?), Rafael Soriano is expected to decline his $14 million player option for 2013. Which makes no sense to this humble blogger writing this from the basement of his parents house (at least that's what newspaper writers would like for you to believe).

Scott Boras is renowned for being able to squeeze every last cent from teams pursuing one of his clients. But, it's not as if Raf-Sor is getting any younger. at 33 years old, he probably expects Boras to spin a one year deal into a four year pact with some dopey GM who believes the save stat is as useful as the RBI stat. It's not like he has a Tony Reagins to pray on this offseason.

San Francisco Sweeps In Series Supremacy

That was quick. The Giants didn't even seem to break a sweat except for some brief extra inning action in game four and anytime Pablo Sandoval was forced to do light jogging. Speaking of Kung Fu Panda, Sandoval took home the MVP and new Corvette after his three homer game one and .500/.529/1.125 series slasher.

Of course the Giants won the World Series. They only faced elimination in three straight games against the Reds. They obviously knew 36-year-old Marco Scutoro just needed a change of scenery from COORS FIELD to become a great hitter. The Giants managed to lull the Tigers pitching into a false sense of security by including Gregor Blanco and Brandon Crawford in their line-ups. And that Barry Zito versus Justin Verlander duel did end up being pretty mismatched just not in the way everybody expected. So congratulations to the San Francisco Giants for proving baseball is a crazy game. An incredible, hard to predict, crazy game.

I mean, I predicted the Giants would win the World Series before the playoffs so don't pull a hamstring rushing to pat me on the back. But the Giants weren't even a popular pick when they got into the World Series according to the research I did by going to ESPN.com. Just five of the 28 ESPN baseball type people had the Giants defeating the Tigers. If my math is correct, that makes me smrter than Keith Law.

The Tigers extra rest and ability to line up their dominant pitching rotation didn't prove to be an advantage. Prince Fielder hit a .071/.133/.071 line so poor Brandon Wood snickered at it. On the bright side, Drew Smyly and Gerald Laird let Angel Pagan steal second base in game two and now we all get free tacos at Taco Bell on 10/30 between 2 pm to 6 pm. Baseball, American as free tacos. Is what my grandpa always says.

It was an impressive run by the Giants but they were kind of jerks by ending the season so abruptly. We'll miss you, baseball.

Retail Chain Makes a Boo Boo, Astros Still Borderline Irrelevant

Academy Sports, who has a partnership with the Houston Astros, had a bit of a whoopsie moment when they accidentally put out 'Stros shirts bearing the new logo that the team will be using in 2013. The new gear wasn't supposed to be unveiled until November 2nd. Whoops.

New/Old Logo

Obey Our New Panda Overlords

Baseball has apparently been taken over, "conquered" if you will, by a master race of giant space pandas. And I, for one, welcome our new panda overlords. Frankly, I've been asking for it with all the fat jokes/Thai Cashew Chicken Breast references. I don't know what Justin Verlander did though.

Pablo Sandoval hit home runs in each of his first three at bats against the Tigers in game one of the World Series. Sandoval connected with an 0-2 offering from Verlander in the first to give the Giants an early lead. Sandoval struck again in the third inning with his second home run off Verlander, this time a 2-0 count. If toppling the mighty Verlander wasn't enough, Sandoval hit a 1-1 pitch off Al Alburquerque for his home run hat trick in the fifth.

Sandoval joined Albert Pujols, Reggie Jackson and Babe Ruth (twice, of course) as the members of the three home run in a single World Series game club. They should work on the renaming that club for the sake of fitting it on the back of a sweet jean jacket. Only four other players have homered three times in one non-WS playoff game including the night Adam Kennedy went berserker on the Twins.

The Tigers will send out Doug Fister next to slow down the Kung Fu Panda. I suggest dividing his attention with picnic baskets and forest fires.


[img and unrelated panda story at Yahoo!]

How To Be Comeback Player of the Year

AL Comeback Player of the year. Joe Nathan? Nope. Kendrys Morales? Negative. Fernando Rodney won the MLB's voting and Adam Dunn took home the Sporting News' hardware. Of which, neither player actually had to "comeback" from, well, anything.

Let's start with Fernando Rodney who also won the Fireman of the Year award. Rodney was as lights out as you could possibly be this year. posting a 0.77 ERA and converting 48 of 48 save opportunities. This season was a far cry from the previous two seasons he spent in Anaheim, the last of which he was relegated to mop up duty. However, that is where it should end. Reliever of the Year. All he had to come back from after the last two years was just being bad at baseball, but he did have an amazing year, so I'll buy it.

Adam Dunn on the other hand, has absolutely no business winning the Sporting News' Comeback Player of the Year award. Dunn was terrible in his first season with the White Sox last year posting a .159/.292/.277 slash line. Somewhere, Mario Mendoza is laughing at you Adam. Adam Dunn's 2012 line, .204/.333/.468 with 41 HR and 96 RBI's. Damn you RBI's. Shiny counting stats win again. Apparently the voters failed to notice that the Big Donkey led the league in strikeouts with 222 (which is also his career high). For contrast, Kendrys Morlaes' slash line was .273/.320/.467. Oh yeah, and Morales had to come back from a career threatening leg injury, not that that matters or anything. 

At least the National League voters got it right with Buster Posey taking home both the MLB and Sporting News awards. After getting nuked at the plate last year, some didn't think he could come back as a catcher. Not only did he come back as a catcher, but he is also right in the thick of the MVP race in the NL. Well done Buster, well done. It's just too bad the two different players won in the AL who did not embody the idea of overcoming adversity to actually come back. 

My prediction for next year; Justin Smoak in the AL, because Jacoby Ellsbury set the "Coming back while still arbitration eligible" precedent. Xavier Nady in the NL, because someone has to actually deserve it.

Happy Birthday Mike Hllywa

Newest Off Base Percentage staff writer Mike Hllywa turns an appropriate looking age today and we'd like to take a moment to celebrate. Sure, that's why there's vodka in our orange juice this morning. I discovered the young Hllywa on Twitter and developed him into the fine writer before you today. Is how I'm going to tell it if he makes it big time before begging him for a job.

Hllywa is a devoted Angels fan and husband. For now. I've seen how much time he spends on Twitter. Sorry, Mrs. Hllywa. You can read Mike's Angels thoughts over at Halo Hangout and, of course, the quality nonsense here. Follow him on Twitter @mike_hllywa to help us convince Tom advanced metrics aren't hocus pocus or some other phrase from yesteryear.

I tried to get Mike's mancrushes Nick Morande and Kaleb Cowart to pillow fight for his birthday but only managed to score more restraining orders. So, your Fudgie the Whale is in the mail.

Mike shares his birthday with Robinson Cano, Ichiro and Jimmie Foxx. Also, the underrated Bob Odenkirk (Mr. Show, Saul Goodman), Jeff Goldblum and Christopher Lloyd. Points are deducted for Carlos Mencia. Overall, a pretty good birthday, um, day. I share my birthday with Vince DiMaggio and Swoosie Kurtz.

Anyway, happy birthday, bud.

Andrew McCutchen Likes Weird TV

It seems like, on top of being a really good baseball player, Andrew McCutchen is also a fan of both Carrie Underwood and redneck TV show Honey Boo Boo.

  MLB Star Andrew McCutchen -- I LOOOOOVE Honey Boo Boo!!!
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I guess when you put up a 7.0 bWAR season and are willing to sign a below market value contract to stay with the Pittsburgh Pirates, things like this can be forgiven. Carrie Underwood, OK, I'll buy it, but Honey Boo Boo? Da Fuck Cutch?

Jack Morris, Pitch Counts and, Warm Fuzzies?

What. A. Mustache.

Jack Morris; World Series champion, Hall of Fame hopeful, fantastic mustache cultivator. Jack Morris is all of these things and many more. And now, thanks to the sound bites in the Detroit Free Press, we can add pitch count hater to that list as well.

Prior to throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before the start of game three, the media caught up with Morris and asked him the usual; "How does it feel being here in Detroit for the playoffs" kind of questions. Then, someone asked him about pitch counts:

"I believe that pitch count is overrated,"

Well, that was insightful.

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