RA Deserves His Own Thread

[G-Fafif]

MUST BE 17 OR OVER TO BE ADMITTED -- aka: RATED RA Nice!!!

Fuckin' A, yes. Or Fuckin' RA.

[G-Fafif]

R.A. joins a club that now includes 7 Met pitchers and encompasses 15 individual Met seasons.

MUST BE 18 OR OVER TO BE ADMITTED

25
Seaver (25-7) 1969

24
Gooden (24-4) 1985

22
Seaver (22-9) 1975

21
Seaver (21-12) 1972
Koosman (21-10) 1976

20
Seaver (20-10) 1971
Cone (20-3) 1988
Viola (20-12) 1990

19
Koosman (19-12) 1968
Seaver (19-10) 1973
Gooden (19-7) 1990

18
Seaver (18-12) 1970
Ojeda (18-5) 1986
Gooden (18-9) 1988
DICKEY (18-4) 2012

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Now that we have a no-hitter we can shoot for that elusive 23-win season.

[Ceetar]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Now that we have a no-hitter we can shoot for that elusive 23-win season.

Koosman would be pissed, first the consecutive scoreless innings streak and then bumped from the top-3 in wins in a season?

[Guest themetfairy]

[G-Fafif]

I'm just happy R.A.'s joined such a notorious gang.

A third-grade student in Greeley, Colorado was told he could not wear a Peyton Manning Denver Broncos jersey to school because, well... "They told me I couldn't wear 18 anymore because it's a gang number and I had to take it off," Konnor Vanatta told KDVR-TV in Denver. The policy apparently doesn't allow six different numbers: 13, 14, 18, 31, 41 and 81. The policy also does not allow for common sense.

[Ceetar]

This is genius. Lets get the NYY logo going among gangs so it's banned amongst New Yorks young! This way they'll all grow up Mets fans.

oh wait.. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2990288

[batmagadanleadoff]

If the Mets continue to pitch Dickey every 5th game throughout the rest of this season, then Dickey will have five remaining starts:

9/11 v Wash (team game # 142)
9/17 v Phil (team game #147)
9/23 v Mia (team game #152)
9/28 @ Atl (team game #157)
10/3 @ Mia (team game #162)

Because there is an off day between Dickey's probable Wash & Phil starts, and between Dickey's probable Phil and 1st Mia starts, the Mets could have RA pitch every 5th day (every 4th game) rather than every 5th game during the period covering those starts. If so, Dickey would still get four days of rest between those starts. Still, that won't create enough room for a 6th RA start, unless he pitches on three days rest somewhere after his third projected start. And even then, I'm not sure that a 6th start is possible. Also, his 9/11 probable start could be moved to 9/10 as there is an off day tomorrow. In fact, ESPN lists Dickey as the Mets probable starter for the 9/10 Wash game.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/schedule?date=20120910

If Dickey pitches every 5th day rather than every 5th game, then he'd still get five, but not six more starts.

9/11 v Wash (team game # 141)
9/16 @ Mil (#146)
9/21 v Mia (#150)
9/26 v Pitt (#155)
10/1 @ Mia (#160).

Since it's unlikely that Dickey starts six more games, he might pitch on a combined 5th day/5th game schedule, to get an extra day or two of rest as compared to pitching on a strict every 5th day schedule --- and thus throwing a huge wrench into the two projected schedules I just posted. It's probably best to just ignore this whole post.

[Ceetar]

if he pitches every 5th day, he'll possibly be able to toss a relief inning in a key spot in the last two games maybe right?

[Ceetar]

another book deal(well, 3)

R.A. Dickey, who pitches for the New York Mets, has signed a three-book deal with Penguin's Dial Books for Young Readers. Dickey is best known for throwing one of the rarer pitches in baseball: the knuckleball. His memoir, published by Penguin's Blue Rider Press and called Wherever I Wind Up: My Quest for Truth, Authenticity and the Perfect Knuckleball, hit stores this past March. The first book in this deal, scheduled for fall 2013, will be a young readers' adaptation of the memoir. The second two titles in the deal will be picture books, the first of which, Knuckleball Ned, is set for spring 2014. The third book is not yet scheduled. Dickey was represented by Esther Newberg at ICM; she sold world rights to president and publisher of Dial Books for Young Readers, Lauri Hornik.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Esther Newberg... I seem to remember that name from when I used to listen to Imus.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

another book deal(well, 3) R.A. Dickey, who pitches for the New York Mets, has signed a three-book deal with Penguin's Dial Books for Young Readers. Dickey is best known for throwing one of the rarer pitches in baseball: the knuckleball. His memoir, published by Penguin's Blue Rider Press and called Wherever I Wind Up: My Quest for Truth, Authenticity and the Perfect Knuckleball, hit stores this past March. The first book in this deal, scheduled for fall 2013, will be a young readers' adaptation of the memoir. The second two titles in the deal will be picture books, the first of which, Knuckleball Ned, is set for spring 2014. The third book is not yet scheduled. Dickey was represented by Esther Newberg at ICM; she sold world rights to president and publisher of Dial Books for Young Readers, Lauri Hornik.

I for one am happy to see Really Ambitious Dickey stick to what he does best.

[Benjamin Grimm]

He has a real chance of winning the Triple Crown of Pitching:

Strikeouts: C. Kershaw 201, R. Dickey 195, S. Strasburg 195
Wins: R. Dickey 18, G. Gonzalez 18, J. Cueto 17
ERA: J. Cueto 2.58, R. Dickey 2.64, C. Kershaw 2.79

[Vic Sage]

Amazin'...
Did Seaver and Gooden ever do that with the Mets?

I guess whoever has the strongest finish among Cueto, Kershaw and Dickey (assuming the Nats are serious about shutting down Strasburg) will win the CY. I think traditional voters go with the Wins leader provided his peripherals are comparable to the leaders in ERA and Ks (and sometimes even when they're not). But, the modern voters probably lean more on WHIP and Win Shares than they ever have before (see King Felix). Based on WAR, Cueto has the edge currently (6.0) over RA (5.0) and Kershaw (4.5), who are 1-2-3 right now.

[Edgy MD]

Gooden's 1985 was a runaway triple crown for him.

Seaver led the league in wins twice as a Met, earned run average thrice, and strikeouts five times, but never pulled off all three in the same season.

[Vic Sage]

to answer my own question:

Seaver never did it; he finished 1st in ERA and Ks in 1970, `71 & `73 (with a CY only in `73). Ws were harder to come by, finishing 2nd in Ws in `71 and `73 (5th in 1970).
Gooden did win the triple crown once, in 1985, winning the CY. He came close his ROY year in `84, finishing 1st (Ks), 2nd (ERA) and 3rd (wins).

on edit: DOH! Edgy beat me to it.

[Frayed Knot]

And just imagine how good he'd be if he didn't take time off to write books and climb mountains.

sther Newberg... I seem to remember that name from when I used to listen to Imus.

He nicknamed her 'Lobster'.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

Cueto jobs to the Astros. Dickey has a legit shot to be first to 20 wins.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Latest on Dickey's Triple Crown bid:

Strikeouts: C. Kershaw 201, S. Strasburg 197, R. Dickey 195, G. Gonzalez 191
Wins: G. Gonzalez 19, R. Dickey 18, J. Cueto 17
ERA: R. Dickey 2.64, J. Cueto 2.71, C. Kershaw 2.79, K. Lohse 2.81, G. Gonzalez 2.93, M. Cain 2.96, J. Zimmermann 2.99


Dickey, Zimmermann, and Kershaw are pitching today.

[Edgy MD]

Bryce Bryce Baby expected to be sitting.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Edgy DC wrote: Bryce Bryce Baby expected to be sitting.

Makes sense. Harper's looked clueless against R.A all season long, in practically every at bat.

[Edgy MD]

I read about Dickey-Gonzalez battling for the Cy Young and my synapses started shorting out.

[batmagadanleadoff]

The NL Cy Young Award contenders:





It's a tight race, at least based on the stats that are reasonably simple to calculate and thus, comprehend. I wonder if Dickey is now at a weather-related disadvantage, going forward. His knuckler is climate-dependent, and September, after April, has gotta be the worst month for a knuckleballer.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Cueto's claim to the CYA is strengthened considerably based on sabrmetric statistics.

[bmfc1]

Thank you batmagadanleadoff. Apart from the stats, I fear that an anti-NY bias and an anti-knuckleball bias will cost R.A. the Award.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

EVERY ANALYST/WRITER IN BASEBALL, IN TWO MONTHS: "I tell you what, Joe-- he may not be the Cy Young winner, but he sure is the best story of the year."

ME: [spits at TV/periodical]

[HahnSolo]

How many of the voters, do you suppose, base their vote more on the 'traditional' stats as opposed to the "sabermetric" stats as posted by BML?

I still think most guys just look at wins, era, Ks, and the eye test. I can't imagine Bill Madden casting his vote with Base-Out Runs Saved being the deciding factor, but I could be wrong.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

HahnSolo wrote: How many of the voters, do you suppose, base their vote more on the 'traditional' stats as opposed to the "sabermetric" stats as posted by BML? I still think most guys just look at wins, era, Ks, and the eye test. I can't imagine Bill Madden casting his vote with Base-Out Runs Saved being the deciding factor, but I could be wrong.

I think they're going to look at pitchers who are on teams that are going to the postseason and that will eliminate Dickey before any other considerations.

[Edgy MD]

Well, last year they honored a pitcher from an 82-79 team, the year before a pitcher from a dreadful 61-101 team, so to the extent that this was once true, it's less so.

[Frayed Knot]

HahnSolo wrote: How many of the voters, do you suppose, base their vote more on the 'traditional' stats as opposed to the "sabermetric" stats as posted by BML? I still think most guys just look at wins, era, Ks, and the eye test. I can't imagine Bill Madden casting his vote with Base-Out Runs Saved being the deciding factor, but I could be wrong.

I actually think many of the baseball writers have altered their views enough to where they're no longer hanging onto narrow views of just W/L/ERA -- and that it's two active (and revolving) writers per city then fresh views are constantly introduced as opposed to the everyone who's ever written gets to hang onto their vote like the HoF.
The non-baseball pundits plus a handful of old baseball fogies are still likely to scream and yell if the "wrong" guy gets it like they did when Felix Hernandez won with, what was it, 13 wins a couple years back? ... but those guys don't vote and fuck them anyway.

I think they're going to look at pitchers who are on teams that are going to the postseason and that will eliminate Dickey before any other considerations.

I do think this will be a factor with some voters. Not that they'll eliminate him from the get-go kind of thing but that enough will use the non-competing team as a kind of tie-breaker to make this a tough get for Dickey. Cueto, Gio Gonzalez, Kershaw, plus relievers Chapman & Kimbrel are all going to have the team-in-contention thing on their side and RA clearly will not.