Things Brian Bannister is really good at (pt. 1): pitching

The stopper took a shutout into the 8th before losing it on a sac fly, but he still lowered his ERA to 3.16. Consider the list of American League starting pitchers whose season ERAs are higher:

John Lackey
Josh Beckett
Fausto Carmona
C.C. Sabathia
Mark Buehrle
Jeremy Guthrie
Justin Verlander
Andy Pettitte
Scott Kazmir
...everyone else

And now, the complete list of starting pitchers whose ERAs are better:

Dan Haren
Kelvim Escobar
Johan Santana
Erik Bedard (tied)

That's it. Four names. You'll notice that Daisuke Matsuzaka is not on this second list. Keep that in mind before we revisit this topic.

Brian Bannister doesn't just win, he wins when the Royals absolutely need him to. According to the AP's Twins-Royals game recap, Bannister's 8-3 in 13 starts following a Royals loss. Remember when he won the AL Rookie of the Month award in June? He might win it again in August* -- he's 7-1 in his last nine starts, with a 2.17 ERA (!) -- which would be nice, since Billy Butler won it in July. He's great at home, dominant on the road: 2.15 ERA and four wins in his last five away from Kauffman. We can sing his praises here all night, but others can do it better:

Catcher John Buck (from the AP story linked above): "Every time we go out it's like I learn something about him and he learns something about himself and the other guys," he said, comparing Bannister to pitchers like Greg Maddux and John Smoltz. "He has a lot of that makeup. He has an idea of what he wants to do, executes it and makes us look smart."

Royals manager Buddy Bell, in the KC Star: "Since I’ve been managing," Bell said, fighting the smile, "he’s the best pitcher I've been around. (Pause) But you need to check that out …"

Brian Bannister, from Baseball Prospectus interview: "Every publication that’s ever tried to project me has been wrong. I think that’s because they use my current repertoire of pitches, and I’m unique as a player in that I continue to grow and evolve, always trying to refine and add new ways to help me get hitters out. That’s why I think I’ll always continue to surpass my projections. At the same time, I always use statistics--non-standard statistics that you’ll find outside of a box score--as a way to improve myself as a player. I know my weaknesses. I know that I have a tendency to give up more fly balls than ground balls. I’m also very aware of my WHIP, my on-base percentage against, my slugging percentage against, my home runs per nine innings, my strikeouts to walks ratio. I look at those things to see how I compare to other players in the league, and also to try to make myself a better pitcher. Like I said, I consider myself a student of the game. Numbers are important."

Internet forums are already debating the merits of "Dice-K vs. Banny" for AL Rookie of the Year, and already -- while they cede Bannister's having a good year -- they are saying, "There's no doubt that Dice K is going to be the better pitcher." No doubt? Really? Why exactly is there no doubt? Because one has been on an SI cover and the other quietly goes about throwing his four pitches at varying speeds in a small market? Because one throws a fictitious pitch that'd make Sidd Finch proud (a pitch which is very fictitious) while the other doesn't need to? Has anyone who's watched Dice-K and Bannister this year actually seen anything to suggest one would have the better career over the other? That the former would no doubt have the better career?

I'm going to propose something, and I want everyone reading who hasn't actually seen Bannister pitch this year to kindly preclude themselves from saying something idiotic and ignorant:

Brian Bannister may have a better career than Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Now, may hardly means will, in any sense, definition or context. But how can anyone who's watched Bannister more or less dominant this year (so far... I understand there's a month left to be played) not feel there's certainly a chance he could be really, really great, and that he has, at times, been nothing short of Maddux-esque? There are doubters out there, of course, and revisionists surely, hordes of them growing by the day, and apologists too (mostly Mets fans who say the Bannister-for-Burgos deal was "good at the time"). I encourage them to make themselves heard.

But first, just for fun, let's compare some stats:

CATEGORIES THAT MATSUZAKA WINS

Strikeouts
Matsuzaka: 174
Bannister: 72

H/9
Matsuzaka: 8.12
Bannister: 8.19

K/BB
Matsuzaka: 2.64
Bannister: 2.00

Opp. BA
Matsuzaka: .240
Bannister: .242

CATEGORIES THAT BANNISTER WINS:

ERA
Bannister: 3.16
Matsuzaka: 3.88

ERA+
Bannister: 145
Matsuzaka: 117

WHIP
Bannister: 1.15
Matsuzaka: 1.28

HR allowed
Bannister: 9
Matsuzaka: 20

BB/9
Bannister: 2.18
Matsuzaka: 3.37

Rookie of the Month awards
Bannister: 1
Matsuzaka: 0

TIE:

Complete games
Bannister: 1
Matsuzaka: 1

And yet, baseball writers will stuff Rookie of the Year ballot boxes with Dice-K's name because every time he pitches against their team, they glimpse firsthand the hype and the Japanese media miasma and the spectacle that is Daisuke the Monster, and the lasting impression they come away with is, "Now that's what an award-winner should look like." And then Brian Bannister shuts out their team for nearly eight innings and their manager only manages to say, "He just kind of shut us down. You get behind like that, and it takes the air out of you early," and they nod their heads and write their stories and forget all about Banny until it's time to send in their ballots, and because they're new-age baseball writers, hot damn, they bother to look at a stat sheet, and they see this Bannister name, and they think... Hey, didn't he get lucky that one time against us and shut us down for eight innings? Maybe I'll vote him into third place. Nice kid, that Bannister...

Well, I won't have it, and I'm going to type in all-caps so you know that I will NOT stand idly as a less deserving pitcher steals away with what's rightfully someone else's: BRIAN BANNISTER IS THE 2007 AMERICAN LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR.

Pass it on. Spread this truth.

POSTSCRIPT: Perhaps we'd be okay with Dustin Pedroia, all things considered.

UPDATE, 9/4: Whaddaya know, he did win the AL Rookie of the Month award again, which was just announced. Well deserved.

Clay Buchholz: Big Bully, Computer Bandit

Clay Buchholz just wrapped up the first no-hitter tossed by a rookie in Red Sox history when this IM came through to Kalan's computer:

[22:19] d---000: NO WAY
[22:19] d---000: go to the bitchers [sic] wiki
[22:19] d---000: NOW
[22:19] d---000: pitchers
[22:20] d---000: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_Buchholz
[22:20] d---000: aww its gone!!
[22:20] d---000: "He also threw a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles on September 1, 2007, in only his second Major League start, proving that being a good athlete makes people forgot that you're a douchebag who steals computers from little kids."
[22:20] d---000: thats what it said

That's not the first mention on Wikipedia of Buchholz's laptop banditry. Via a Yankees forum:

mcmagic:
From his Wiki

Growing up in Lumberton, Texas, Buchholz played baseball for the local youth baseball leagues until High School. After High School, Clay attended McNeese State University for a short period before transferring to Angelina College. He was drafted, at age 20, by the Boston Red Sox in the supplemental first round (42nd pick) of the 2005 draft. Other teams passed on him because Buchholz had been arrested for stealing 29 laptops from his high school and selling them. Buchholz started his first spring training game in 2007 against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He pitched 4.2 innings, gave up 7 hits and 3 runs, while recording 3 strikeouts.

This is a Yankees forum, you're thinking -- lies, damned lies with anything Red Sox related. But wait, there's a second source: "JD" posted on an MLB Trade Rumors entry, "oh LOL Clay Buchholz was arrested in high school for stealing a few dozen laptops from his school.... dee dee dee!"

Perhaps his source was Wikipedia. Perhaps it was the Yankees forum. Perhaps -- as the cryptic and sort of deranged "dee dee dee" makes it possible to believe -- he was the non compos mentis progenitor of the rumor. But let's assume for a second that the rumor is true, that Buchholz snatched some computers when he was green and easy under Texas boughs... so what? The guy just became the first Red Sox rookie to throw a no-hitter. Ever. We kinda wish he did steal from little kids -- what have they ever done but cry their crocodile tears and hoard candy?

In short... Buchholz threw a no-hitter in his second career Major League start in the holy holy Fenway Park, and all sins have been absolved.

POSTSCRIPT: The best part of the no-hitter came during the celebratory huddle, when Josh Beckett shouted too loudly with a camera in his face, "Lot better than Curt Schilling! Lot better than Curt Schilling!"

POSTSCRIPT 2: Jason Veritek just plopped himself in the Red Sox press room wearing a white, baggy frock, unadorned and spotless except for a small Nike swoosh across the chest. What the hell?

UPDATE, 9/3: Buchholz's Wikipedia entry has been amended to include this sentence: "Some clubs passed on him in the draft because he was arrested in April 2004 and charged with stealing laptop computers from a middle school, but the Red Sox said it was a one-time incident and that they weren't worried about his makeup."

Scott Baker's near-perfect game, as reported by Kinsella

Kinsella and friends were in the Metrodome last night and nearly witnessed history. As he tells it...

giancarlo izzi walks into the metrodome on a clear, sunny friday night. though once he entered the doors, it could've been 25 and blizzarding out in the minneapolis night. the sterile hubert h humphrey metrodome keeps baseball on and the weather out, but this was a night for outdoor baseball. in two years, minnesota fans will have this luxury. regardless, they saw something magical.

"i'd go for a perfect game tonight," GC said to cohort Kyle Peter as they found their seats in the left field upper deck. for a grand total of 28 dollars (less than a movie!), GC, Kyle, Mike Kinsella, and Matt Archibald were able to almost witness history.

scott baker was awesome. he did not go to 2 balls on anyone until the 9th inning, i don't think. i had to piss since the 3rd, but did not go because the game did not yield a hit yet. as a impartial viewer, you always root for good baseball, and this was it. last twins game I went to, i saw joe mauer hit an inside-the-park home run against the angels, and this was better.

baker started out by striking out five in the first two innings. at the bottom of the eighth, when baker recorded his 24th consecutive out, the place was electric. we stood up and looked at each other, house holding his brewers hat, me my cubs hat, in our hands in disbelief like we just won the lottery. we were on the verge of history. the twins at the time were up 3-0 and cruising. they scored two runs in the top of the ninth, but about 7 twins came up to bat. too long for baker to sit on the bench, we thought. someone just ground into a fucking double play so this kid can complete his destiny. finally, the twins go down, and we go to the bottom of the ninth, 5-0 twins, with scott baker on the cusp of history.

joe buck, the effing 7th hitter in the royals lineup, leads off. the 25k at the met are on their feet. ball 1. hmmm... they are screaming "scotty!!" ball 2. FUCK. the crowd boos. ball 3. NO WAY! YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BLOW THIS. 3-0 meatball and buck is taking all the way. strike. crowd goes wild. now i'm up in left field so i have no idea how this is going. ball four. mixture of disappointment, then cheering, then realizing that the no-no is still intact. german i think is up. he grounds to 2nd for a fielder's choice. german on 1st, mike sweeney comes up and breaks the hearts of baseball fans across the country. single to shallow left. a legitimate hit, no bloop. he hit it solid, right between white and torii. baker struggles, joe nathan is getting up in the bullpen, but scotty too hotty gets it together to finish off the one hit shutout.

great game, great night.

I don't want to jinx anything, but then again...

Maybe I do.

SCOTT BAKER IS TOSSING A PERFECT GAME THROUGH EIGHT INNINGS.

There. I've done my part for the Royals.

Gil Meche gets the worst run support in the American League, but this is taking it too far, isn't it?

Baker looks lonely on that end of the bench...

Live blog, start NOW.
10:08 p.m.: "No Twin has ever thrown a perfect game."

Bert Blyleven of FSN North hasn't held anything back. He and the play-by-play man Dick Bremer have said "no-hitter" and "perfect game" at least a dozen times today. You know how I feel about that.

I wonder if Baker is peeing his pants watching his offense score in the bottom of the 8th.
10:14 p.m.: Bremer: "Here we go. To the top of the 9th. With Scott Baker trying to make baseball history."
As broadcast cutting to commercial, Blyleven gets in, "I'm nervous."
John Buck, Esteban German, Tony Pena Jr.

How many of these outs will be pop-outs?

I say one strikeout followed by two pop-outs.
10:17 p.m.: 3-0 count.

Followed by a fastball down the middle.

Taking? HOME RUN COMING. I can feel it.
10:17 p.m.: All times Eastern, by the way.

Buck just walked.

I think with that pressure off his shoulders, Baker actually has a better chance of completing his no-no.
Mike Sweeney, El Capitan, is on the on-deck circle. DRAMA!

There's tumult all around me. All eyes are on the flat-screen on the wall, and work has just about completely stopped. There are a half-dozen other games, at least, going on, including Mets-Braves, but no one's paying attention.

I think the Royals could still win this game.
10:20 p.m.: The ball came off German's bat and Alex next to me said, "OH my God..." Then a more relaxed "oh my god," relieved, cause it looked like a hit...

SWEENEY!
10:21 p.m.: Terrible strike one call.

And then...
SWEENEY! Re-sign the man!
10:23 p.m.: Alex, disappointed: "Fucking Mike Sweeney."

Guy across room, strangely ecstatic: "Can I get a motherfucking yeah? Yeah!"

If you haven't guessed, I'm working with a bunch of baseball people. Their loyalties are whimsical and undecipherable, beholden to neither team nor tradition.
10:26 p.m.: Nice game, Scott Baker.

Pictures from the game will be posted this weekend.

The Twins are coming undone

Bunt single. Sacrifice bunt turned into two-run error, followed by questionable call at third. Terrible throw from center. Two-run home run.

Sound like petards exploding in the Kansas City camp?

Maybe in years past, but not this time. The Royals just sent nine batters to the plate in the top of the 5th and hung a five-spot on the Twins, capped by a Ross Gload home run. Kyle Davies went five innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk while striking out five. He got into some trouble in the 4th, but he got no help whatsoever from his defense, namely a certain second baseman that hasn't won a Gold Glove... who's batting second in the order, despite only two hits in his last 24 at-bats. Of course, he has a hit today...

9-3 Royals so far, and things are looking good. I dare Jinx to impinge.

Zack attacks

The Royals scored five runs in the 1st inning Wednesday vs. Detroit but only needed one, as Zack Greinke pitched four scoreless innings, striking out five, and the bullpen did the rest: five innings, two hits, two walks, four strikeouts. Zero runs.

No sweep the next day, but two of three from the Tigers ain't bad.

POSTSCRIPT 1: This was the best game this season. Mets were down 5-0, then 8-5. Phillies then went down 10-8 in the 8th. In the 9th, SNY color commentator Keith Hernandez said, "I don't believe this game." Any guess on how it ends?

POSTSCRIPT 2: The Royals' closest competitor for fourth place is killing Ozzie Guillen.

"Lowly"

From last night's AP game recap:

Detroit dropped 3 1/2 games behind division-leading Cleveland, the Tigers' biggest deficit in their division since before play on June 6. The lowly Royals are 5-8 against Detroit this season after taking three in a row from the Tigers on the final weekend of last season -- costing Detroit first place and forcing the Tigers into the wild-card berth.

The Royals are up 5-0 right now in the bottom of the 1st, with runners on first and second, and no outs. This after Zack Greinke struck out the side in the top of the inning. It is my lone heartfelt wish that they would stop being so lowly.

POSTSCRIPT: RSTN announcer Bob Davis, commenting on a bespectacled, erudite-looking Joey Gathright: "He'll be just as fast with the glasses."

POSTSCRIPT 2: Blog post of the day, Zack Greinke Thinks Baseball is Boring, via The FanHouse. Check out the link to the words of the senile Andy Rooney.

Minor matters

All the world is abuzz over the Royals' minor league Players of the Year. The list:

OMAHA:

Billy Buckner, SP, 24 years old (9-7, 3.78 ERA, 83/26 K/BB, 7.14 K/9)
Mike Aviles, 3B/SS/2B, 26 (.298, 15 HRs, 74 RBI, 75 R; six triples)

WICHITA:

Dusty Hughes, SP, 25 (5-2, 3.54 ERA)
Mike Stodolka, 1B, 25 (.291/.405(!), 12 HRs, 59 RBI, 73 BBs)

WILMINGTON

Rowdy Hardy, SP, 24 (15-4, 2.43 ERA, 90/15 K/BB)
Jose Duarte, OF, 20 (.287, 33-for-42 SB)

BURLINGTON-1A

Mario Santiago, SP, 22 (5-10, 3.77 ERA)
Joe Dickerson, OF, 20 (.289, 26 SBs)

IDAHO FALLS

Greg Holland, RP, 21 (6-1, 3.30 ERA, 4 SV)
Clint Robinson, 1B, 22 (.338, 34 Ks in 216 at-bats)

BURGLINGTON

Anthony Bradley, P, 22 (2-2, 2.09 ERA, 8.88 K/9)
Wilson Tucker, OF, 22 (.298, 8 HRs, 41 RBI)

ARIZONA

Matt Mitchell, SP, 18 (5-1, 1.94 ERA, 65/22 K/BB, 11.47 K/9)
David Wood, 1B, 22 (.324, 17 doubles)

DOMINICAN

Glancarlos De la Cruz, SP, 17 (3-2, 1.13 ERA)
Angel Franco, SS, 17 (.282, 14-for-21 SB)

Some of these guys we'll never see, but to the others: we hope you'll come up in time to contribue to winning the 2009 AL Central crown.

Soon to be your new favorite Royal

Conor Nicholl of MLB.com wrote a long (and we do mean long) feature about a guy you'll be hearing about in years to come, Rowdy Hardy. That's right, ROWDY HARDY.

After a stop at the University of Mississippi and a junior college, Hardy eventually went to Austin Peay. Three years later, Hardy gained just a few miles per hour on his fastball. However, he left with a school-record 32 wins and an Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year Award.

About 16 months after he graduated from college, the 24-year-old Hardy, who went undrafted, has dominated professional hitters the same way he did in high school and college.

While his fastball runs at 80-82 mph, Hardy, 6-foot-4 and 170 pounds, is still 15-4 with a 2.44 ERA for Class A Wilmington. Hardy, called the best control pitcher in the Carolina League by Baseball America, leads all Minor Leaguers in fewest walks per nine innings (0.84).

Rangers Fan is convinced Rowdy will never make the big leagues, despite the fact that his name is ROWDY HARDY. "The braintrust will look at the radar gun and say no," he says. He was unswayed by my persistent argument that if a man named Rowdy Hardy can't get make it to the big leagues, then the world is too much with us and we are all bereft of hope. If Rowdy puts on a kilt, he'd be an Irish cackle away from choking out Hulk Hogan -- and people dare doubt he'll make the Majors? We say his stare would add 10, possibly 15 mph to his fastball, so radar guns be damned.

POSTSCRIPT: Stopper Brian Bannister pitches against the Tigers today, a true test for an ace-in-waiting.

Notes on a heartbreaking loss

You can't allow Grady Sizemore to take second with two outs in the final inning. You're playing deep to prevent the double, so you absolutely can not let him double by hitting the ball in front of you. Just cannot happen. Cannot happen.

Roommate: "You gotta score runs."
Me: "They had the lead! You don't need to score any runs when you have the lead!"

Then again, home plate ump Ted Barrett squeezing Joel Peralta to begin the 11th didn't help the Royals' causes. Damn Ted Barrett. Damn world. Life... pain...

POSTSCRIPT: The story of the 1957 team that changed Little League, via BBTF.