Josh-I've-Got-A-Blister-Beckett vs. The Statistical Aberration: The Comparison Continues
Just because it irritates the h*ll out of my ex-boyfriend, a Moneyball-loving Red Sox fan who posts brilliant mind-bending statistical analysis over at Boston Down Low (look at me giving you some traffic, Allen), I'm going to continue with my head-to-head comparison of Red Sox wunderkind Josh Beckett and the largely unsung hero of the Astros' starting rotation, the diminutive pup Wandy Rodriguez, whom ex-boyfriend Allen likes to call The Statistical Aberration.
Maybe he's right. Maybe Wandy's magic won't last. Maybe he'll become mediocre. But d*amn, he's sure been good, and yesterday afternoon, in the last game of an absolutely humiliating 7-game road trip during which the Astros dropped six in a row, turned from Road Warriors into Road Kill and nearly drove me to drink, Wandy was pretty close to perfect. In 6.2 innings, he gave up only 1 earned run, a solo shot by former Astro Jeff Kent (I'm sorry, I still like him. I know the rest of you people have no use for him. But how can you not love that little p*rn star 'stache and that attitude? He's so funny. Y'all are all missing out.) on 4 hits.
A disclaimer: To reiterate. I like Josh Beckett. Heck, he's from Spring, Texas. He's alright in my book. I'm just saying. Beckett and Wandy have both started 7 games. Beckett's record is 4-1, Wandy's is 5-1. In those games, Beckett has thrown 44 innings, while Wandy has logged 50.2. Beckett has 30 strikeouts, Wandy has 31. Beckett's ERA is 4.70, while Wandy's is 3.02 (which, incidentally, is currently the best ERA in a starting rotation that includes Roy Oswalt and Andy Pettitte and is good enough for 18th best in the majors). Both have given up 16 walks.
Who would you take? Right now, my money is on The Statistical Aberration. I'm just saying.
Hey! Thanks for checking out my blog. I would love to do some live blogging with you when the Cards and Astros get together. Keep in touch and let me know what day you have in mind. And Beckett has performed in the playoffs...I'm just saying. Not to disrespect or bad-mouth Rodriguez because before I can turn around he'll be shutting us out. And besides, your points about Beckett are well founded.
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Rachel, Thanks for coming over! We'll coordinate for the Astros/Cards series. I'm mostly talking out of my a** about Beckett. I know he's the real deal. I'm just sick of the Astros getting no respect from the national media. I watch Baseball Tonight with some regularity, and thus far Wandy's accomplishments haven't been mentioned, whereas I see each and every outing of Beckett's lauded and picked apart like he's the Second Coming. I find it irksome. So I'm really just spouting off. Lets keep in touch about the liveblogging.
Lisa
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Lisa, I am genuinely flattered by the blog-love, but I must hasten to point out that Wandy Rodriguez was just shellacked in his last start to the tune of 11 runs (7 earned), 10 hits, and 5 walks in 3-2/3 innings against a mediocre San Franscisco team. Not coincidentally, he was dropped to waivers in my Fantasy League and many others. (He's now owned in 62.6% of ESPN leages, down from 87.0% two weeks ago. (I won't get into the whole regression toward the mean thing because I know that will probably cause you to go nuclear...)
Strangely, Josh Beckett (6-1, 4.17 ERA, 1.12 WHIP) is still owned in 100% of leagues...
;-)
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