Monday, April 11, 2005
Three Weeks (Welcome Back Edition)
Last year I wrote with some regularity a column called "Three Weeks, Three Questions" in which I looked at results from the previous week, looked at the upcoming two weeks on the schedule, and asked three questions of note. The problem with the questions was that by July they tended to revolve around whether "X" would be traded. (Replace "X" with "Steve Finley" or Randy Johnson" and you've got 2 of 3 right there.)
In hopes of being less repetitive and reducing the (minor) workload these weekly updates require, I'm dropping the "Three Questions" part, but keeping the "Three Weeks" part.
The Week That Was
Record: 3-3
Runs Scored/Runs Against: 6.5 - 6.75 (note: I'll always drop the high and low for on both sides)
Transactions: Aquino on the DL; Villarreal up from Tucson
The last time the D-Backs were .500 in 2004 was after Game 4 of the season. So the fact that we're there after 6 games is, I suppose, a minor step forward. A bigger step forward is the offensive production we've seen thus far. Clearly we haven't seen any tremendous pitchers yet, but there were times last year when I wondered if I could've held the D-Backs to 6 runs. The pitching has been mixed thus far -- some solid and dicey performances, both from the rotation as well as out of the pen. Most worrisome to me thus far -- the fact that no starting pitcher has last more than 6 innings and the average starting pitcher outing has been slightly less than 5 innings. Perhaps some of that is reluctance to push the pitchers too hard this early in the year, but it's not like any rotation guy has pitched well enough to stay in.
The Weeks That Will Be
3 at home vs. Colorado
7 on the road (3 at Washington with Friday! off, 2 vs. Colorado, 2 vs. San Francisco)
3 at home vs.San Diego
As the weeks go by and stats might actually begin to mean something, I'll use them a little bit more, but for now, I'll hold off. (See me in a couple weeks.)
Clearly this week is a crucial week for getting some wins against teams the D-Backs should be better than. Brad Halsey gets his first start for the D-Backs tonight against the Rockies. I would be disappointed if they don't go 4-2 this week. The following week will be more difficult… maybe. It's still so early that it's hard to get a read on the other teams. But it would be nice (and not unrealistic) to find us around .500 at the end of 19 games, not just after 6.
In hopes of being less repetitive and reducing the (minor) workload these weekly updates require, I'm dropping the "Three Questions" part, but keeping the "Three Weeks" part.
The Week That Was
Record: 3-3
Runs Scored/Runs Against: 6.5 - 6.75 (note: I'll always drop the high and low for on both sides)
Transactions: Aquino on the DL; Villarreal up from Tucson
The last time the D-Backs were .500 in 2004 was after Game 4 of the season. So the fact that we're there after 6 games is, I suppose, a minor step forward. A bigger step forward is the offensive production we've seen thus far. Clearly we haven't seen any tremendous pitchers yet, but there were times last year when I wondered if I could've held the D-Backs to 6 runs. The pitching has been mixed thus far -- some solid and dicey performances, both from the rotation as well as out of the pen. Most worrisome to me thus far -- the fact that no starting pitcher has last more than 6 innings and the average starting pitcher outing has been slightly less than 5 innings. Perhaps some of that is reluctance to push the pitchers too hard this early in the year, but it's not like any rotation guy has pitched well enough to stay in.
The Weeks That Will Be
3 at home vs. Colorado
7 on the road (3 at Washington with Friday! off, 2 vs. Colorado, 2 vs. San Francisco)
3 at home vs.San Diego
As the weeks go by and stats might actually begin to mean something, I'll use them a little bit more, but for now, I'll hold off. (See me in a couple weeks.)
Clearly this week is a crucial week for getting some wins against teams the D-Backs should be better than. Brad Halsey gets his first start for the D-Backs tonight against the Rockies. I would be disappointed if they don't go 4-2 this week. The following week will be more difficult… maybe. It's still so early that it's hard to get a read on the other teams. But it would be nice (and not unrealistic) to find us around .500 at the end of 19 games, not just after 6.
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