Jose Contreras is on a torrid streak... he continued his recent dominance over AAA hitters in the Yankees' 6-0 win over the Tigers. I'm not going to pronounce him arrived yet, but he should be ready to take on big league hitters in his next start.
Almost incredible to think that Maddux and Glavine had never faced each other before last night's tilt, won easily by the Braves. They spent five years as regular starters on opposite teams in the same league and never once duelled.
Kenny Lofton has a 26-game hitting streak going, and has raised his numbers from .205/.255/.284 to .314/.376/.471 in that span. He hit a home run off Garrett Stephenson last night (not that hitting a homer off Stephenson is a notable achievement, but still...) and now needs a hit today, to tie the team record set in 1899 by the notable Jimmy ("Two-M") Williams. Honus Wagner never had a 26-game streak? That goes to show how hard these long streaks are to do.
Jimmy Williams is an interesting player. The 1899 hitting streak was in his rookie year, and while he never scaled those heights of offensive prowess again, he was an effective player for many years, eventually moving from third base to second and moving to the AL in its initial season and playing with the Orioles (who are the proto-Yankees), Highlanders (ditto), and Browns (ironically, the proto-Orioles). Williams's #1 most-similar player according to Similarity Scores is Jose Offerman, who of course had a memorable 26-game hitting streak himself, in 1998.
Pat "Rosebud" Borders is coming back to the majors... John Mabry was placed on the DL by the Mariners after last night's game, and Bob Melvin said to reporters that he wants Borders up from AAA Tacoma. For once, Pat Gillick's bizarre obsession with Borders has paid off; Borders is killing the PCL with a .342 average and 19 doubles in only 39 games... .342/.384/.604 in Tacoma is pretty darned amazing.... translated to MLB and Safeco, that line is .302/.347/.519. Borders will be aiming for a .500 batting average, which would surely make him the only player in major league history to hit exactly .500 for three straight seasons. He was 2-for-4 last year and 3-for-6 in 2001.
Finally, good news for Jays fans awaiting the Cubs visit on the Father's Day weekend... Sammy Sosa came off the DL Friday.
Almost incredible to think that Maddux and Glavine had never faced each other before last night's tilt, won easily by the Braves. They spent five years as regular starters on opposite teams in the same league and never once duelled.
Kenny Lofton has a 26-game hitting streak going, and has raised his numbers from .205/.255/.284 to .314/.376/.471 in that span. He hit a home run off Garrett Stephenson last night (not that hitting a homer off Stephenson is a notable achievement, but still...) and now needs a hit today, to tie the team record set in 1899 by the notable Jimmy ("Two-M") Williams. Honus Wagner never had a 26-game streak? That goes to show how hard these long streaks are to do.
Jimmy Williams is an interesting player. The 1899 hitting streak was in his rookie year, and while he never scaled those heights of offensive prowess again, he was an effective player for many years, eventually moving from third base to second and moving to the AL in its initial season and playing with the Orioles (who are the proto-Yankees), Highlanders (ditto), and Browns (ironically, the proto-Orioles). Williams's #1 most-similar player according to Similarity Scores is Jose Offerman, who of course had a memorable 26-game hitting streak himself, in 1998.
Pat "Rosebud" Borders is coming back to the majors... John Mabry was placed on the DL by the Mariners after last night's game, and Bob Melvin said to reporters that he wants Borders up from AAA Tacoma. For once, Pat Gillick's bizarre obsession with Borders has paid off; Borders is killing the PCL with a .342 average and 19 doubles in only 39 games... .342/.384/.604 in Tacoma is pretty darned amazing.... translated to MLB and Safeco, that line is .302/.347/.519. Borders will be aiming for a .500 batting average, which would surely make him the only player in major league history to hit exactly .500 for three straight seasons. He was 2-for-4 last year and 3-for-6 in 2001.
Finally, good news for Jays fans awaiting the Cubs visit on the Father's Day weekend... Sammy Sosa came off the DL Friday.
