Monday, April 30, 2007
11-Million-Dollar Pitchers of the World...UNITE!
Everyone wants to compare former Florida flame-throwers AJ Burnett & Josh Beckett, and I can see why - the Mark Prior/Kerry Wood of the Marlins homegrowns, they both fled to the AL East to compete against each other and the Yankees.
Great angle.
Still, I need me a monetary-juxtaposition (and Baseball is the only endeavor that you'll hear me utter those words), and I prefer the AJ Burnett-to-Gil Meche juxtaposition:
Both signed for $11 million/year at the age of 28 - Burnett's contract was considered "crazy", Meche's "insane"...
Gil Meche, career:
149 GS
57-45 4.53 ERA
1.43 WHIP 6.35 K/9IP
4 CG 2 SHO
98 ERA+
AJ Burnett, career:
157 GS
61-59 3.78 ERA
1.29 WHIP 7.87 K/9IP
16 CG 9 SHO
111 ERA+
These numbers would have you believing the Jays got the better pitcher for their money, especially with that no-hitter that Burnett has on his career ledger...
(Side Note: Burnett's no-no included NINE walks - this means that, for that game in which he allowed nary a hit, he had a WHIP of 1.00, which is pretty nutty.)
...but this year, so far, here's the deal:
Gil Meche
2-1 2.18 ERA
1.31 WHIP 6.32 K/9IP
209 ERA+
10.7 VORP
AJ Burnett
2-1 4.18 ERA
1.39 WHIP 6.11 K/9IP
106 ERA+
5.2 VORP
Hey hey! Ol' Gil's pitching up to his contract, and he's totally better than Burnett. Except for that 7-inning shutout AJ threw at the, admittedly, reeling Yanks last week; Meche, meanwhile, managed a big-time 6-inning shutout of Baltimore on April 12th.
Sarcasm in italic-form is one of the many pleasures I allow myself in life.
Let's see how this plays-out shall we? On the line: the fiscal responsibility of both the Blue Jays & Royals front-office staff.
I'm getting chills from the excitement. ¶ 10:14 AM
Great angle.
Still, I need me a monetary-juxtaposition (and Baseball is the only endeavor that you'll hear me utter those words), and I prefer the AJ Burnett-to-Gil Meche juxtaposition:
Both signed for $11 million/year at the age of 28 - Burnett's contract was considered "crazy", Meche's "insane"...
Gil Meche, career:
149 GS
57-45 4.53 ERA
1.43 WHIP 6.35 K/9IP
4 CG 2 SHO
98 ERA+
AJ Burnett, career:
157 GS
61-59 3.78 ERA
1.29 WHIP 7.87 K/9IP
16 CG 9 SHO
111 ERA+
These numbers would have you believing the Jays got the better pitcher for their money, especially with that no-hitter that Burnett has on his career ledger...
(Side Note: Burnett's no-no included NINE walks - this means that, for that game in which he allowed nary a hit, he had a WHIP of 1.00, which is pretty nutty.)
...but this year, so far, here's the deal:
Gil Meche
2-1 2.18 ERA
1.31 WHIP 6.32 K/9IP
209 ERA+
10.7 VORP
AJ Burnett
2-1 4.18 ERA
1.39 WHIP 6.11 K/9IP
106 ERA+
5.2 VORP
Hey hey! Ol' Gil's pitching up to his contract, and he's totally better than Burnett. Except for that 7-inning shutout AJ threw at the, admittedly, reeling Yanks last week; Meche, meanwhile, managed a big-time 6-inning shutout of Baltimore on April 12th.
Sarcasm in italic-form is one of the many pleasures I allow myself in life.
Let's see how this plays-out shall we? On the line: the fiscal responsibility of both the Blue Jays & Royals front-office staff.
I'm getting chills from the excitement. ¶ 10:14 AM
