Musings of an Oliver Perez Fan

Spring Training 2011

2011-02-24T17:35:00.002-05:00

Well its that time again. Spring Training! Time to ask the questions and make the predictions for 2011. Its fun to do it before Spring Training even gets rolling. Makes everything much more of a crapshoot:

Who will being playing deep into October? Will the Phillies incredible rotation live up to expectations? (hint: yes if they remain healthy)? Will Ollie be good Ollie or bad Ollie. Will he even make the team?

Here are my 2011 Predictions:

AL East: Boston
AL Central: Minnesota
AL West: Oakland
Wild Card: Yankees

NL East: Phillie
NL Central: Milwaukee
NL West: San Fran
NL Wild Card: NY Mets

(Oakland and the Mets being my outlandish 1:100 guesses)

World Series: Milwaukee and Minnesota for the Great Lakes Battle
Milwaukee wins it all

Oliver Perez makes the team out of Spring Training as a reliever. Gets a few starts due to injuries. Johan Santana comes back on July 1. Ollie is cut on July 2. Milwaukee signs him on July 4 for the league minimum and has a huge second half - helping them win the series.

There are my silly predictions. I may get into some individual awards later in Spring training, but I doubt it. It's hard to keep interest in the blog when the subject is just so bad. (read: I have lost hope)

That said. I hope its a great 2011 season. I hope I continue to have reasons to post here, as you can see through the post history - there hasn't been much in the last 2 years.

Return from the DL - Questions

2009-07-08T11:26:00.002-04:00

Well, it has been a while since I posted on this site, and frankly I do not have much to say right now. Ollie had a terrible start to the season - for what I believe are reasons that I have already touched on - poor mechanics and a move back to his wild delivery.

Although I still look for news on him every day, and I have not given up on him as a pitcher, I am starting to feel like he is not going to turn into what I thought he would be. I am close to moving on.

He is still only 28, he compares favorably to Randy Johnson at the same age, and blah blah blah. Only results will keep me as a fan at this point.

Good luck tonight Ollie. The Mets need you after 4 straight losses. I am not looking for a shutout. I know you will still be rusty. I don't even need a quality start. The Dodgers are a great team this year, and you will be dealing with all the booing assholes at Citi field. The Mets fans are starting to look wose than the stereotypical Yankee fan. Just show me an outing where you can get to 100 pitches, and throw more strikes than balls. If you can do that, I will continue to have hope.

2 More Horrible Starts and a Move to the Bullpen

2009-05-05T15:35:00.004-04:00

I haven't been able to log in for about a week or so, and have not commented on the last 2 disasterous starts. I did watch one and listen to one on the radio - so I am sure once I start typing I will have plenty to say - but I am not going to do that right now.

I was hoping he would take a demotion to Buffalo - I have to go there for business, and it is much cheaper to see a game there then at Citi.

As an Ollie fan, my emotions move from anger, to frustration, to amusement. So I need to think this through more before a real comment.

I am really thinking about jumping from the bandwagon (which I might be the only person on right now) and moving on from my obsession with him and cut my losses. It isn't going to happen yet - but it could happen soon!

With Ollie's 3yr $36 million contract - I would like to make an offer to him if he ever reads this...

I have one of, if not the largest collection of your rookie cards. If you want to purchase it from me, I will gladly sell it all to you (except one copy of each card for my personal collection)

You can buy them for Beckett Book Value - and I will not even charge you shipping - or for the labor I put into assembling the collection over the years!

Start #3 - 4/21/09 - ND

2009-04-23T13:20:00.002-04:00

At least Ollie escaped this one with a ND. I didn't get to post this on my normal morning after due to a business trip to NYC (in which I got into an accident and did a bunch of damage to my QX4 - but that is another story for another time and site)

I watched this game from home while playing with kids and putting them to bed, then with my wife. As usual, as soon as Ollie was off the books and the side retired in the 5th (after Casey Fossum walked in Ollie's 4th run) I changed the channel and ceased to have any interest in the game. Ollie wasn't gonna take the loss or get a win - so there was no point for me.

After Game 2, I pointed out that Ollie's pitching motion from the wind-up had reverted back to where it was last year be for the Wharthen fix. I honestly didn't get to see if any changes had been made during game 3. Ollie walked the first batter on 4 or 5 pitches and spent pretty much the rest of the night from the stretch.

Positive note from the game - I saw the TV register a few pitches at 93, and I think even 1 at 94. This shows that the arm strength might be coming back.

Negative note from the game - Just about everything else. Ollie was able to get through 4 innings with a pretty healthy looking line - even though he had no control. He was able to get a few K's and a bunch of pop-outs - but lets face it - if he had been pulled after 4 innings with a strong line, I still would have been negative. He had absolutely no control whatsoever. In his defense there were a bunch of pitches called for balls that I thought were real close. When you are as wild as Ollie is though you dont get the benefit of the doubt. If Greg Maddux had placed the balls in the same spot I bet he gets the call!

Game 3 final line, in STL
ND - 4.2 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 4 K

Year to Date Stats

3 GS (1-1) 7.80 ERA 15.0 IP, 15 K, 12 BB, 14 H, .250 BAA, 1.73 WHIP

Pretty ugly line so far - again reminding me of 2005 when he came back from the WBS I mean WBC

On a different note - Ollie has now had 4 of the runners he has left on base allowed to score. That does a pretty bad job the the ERA this time of year!

Start #2 - 4/15/09 - Win

2009-04-16T11:33:00.004-04:00

I am not really buying into the old good Ollie, bad Ollie talk that is out there - but I find myself saying it more often these days - especially after start 1, where he was both in the same game. Last night would be considered 'pretty good' Ollie. Take a look at this article btw - http://www.sny.tv/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090406&content_id=1497522&oid=36018&vkey=9

I think it is pretty telling on how Ollie gets a bad rep!

Anyway, on to last night:

I am not sure why, but my schedule and Ollie's starts have not been meshing well this year. Wednesday night I am in a bowling league and did not get to see much of his starts - but as soon as the Yankee game ended, I was able to get them to switch the TV to the Mets.

I started watching in the second inning, and I think I can see one of the major problems Ollie has after only watching the first batter. Last season Wharthen allowed Ollie to pitch from whatever part of the rubber that he felt comfortable in, and then changed his windup motion to a rocking back and forth type routine. The thought is - get him to have a constant windup and delivery and if he wants to change angles - move his spot on the rubber instead changing his arm angle or other parts of his mechanics. The results were great. I am sure you can find a multitude of article out there describing it - heck I probably wrote about it here last year - but there has been another change and I think it might be effecting his control and velocity.

Last year, after the fix, Ollie had came to stop mid wind-up. He also rocked straight back and forth. this allowed him to have an explosive start to the delivery, and even though he was moving slower - all his weight was going back and forth and directed at the plate when he delivered. This gave him those extra 3-4 mph on the pitch - and gave us the mid-90's heat.

Last night, if you watch his motion - he was actually back to stepping back at an angle - with his back foot going towards third base - and there was no hitch in the delivery. Although it looks a little smoother - I think it is costing him control and velocity - thus only seeing him 90 or 91 on the gun when he bursts and him sitting at 88-89 for most of the night.

I really don't remember him throwing so many changeups in the past. I knew he had one, but I never saw him use it so much. Is this from the mentoring of Johan Santana? Ollie used to throw mainly fastball / slider, and he would occasionally mix in that 65mph slow curve that would keep the hitters off balance. I don't think I have seen him throw that pitch all year? Did he dump it? Having not been able to watch much - did I just miss it?

Anyway that's about all the comment I have on last nights game - as I didn't see it all - but the conclusion I can come to is - He was Good Ollie without his Good stuff - which is always encouraging. He also gets to go down in the Mets record books as the first Met pitcher to record a win at the new Citi Field ...

Game Line for last night: 6IP, 3 Hits, 2 Walks, 4K, 1ER, 1 Win (anytime you see a WHIP below 1.00 you have to be happy)

Season Stats

(1-1), 2 GS, 10.1 IP, 8 H, 9 ER, 7 BB, 11 K, 7.84 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 1 QS

Nothing to say..... Start #1 in 2009 4/9 - Loss

2009-04-10T14:51:00.005-04:00

Well, I haven't posted on here in a while, and I honestly dont feel like starting now - but since Ollie had his first real start of the year yesterday, I figure I should make some comments....

Before we get to yesterdays debacle:

1. I am glad the Mets chose to resign him. I was rooting for the Mets or Yankees to sign him - mostly because I live in NY, and get to see every game on TV. I would have settled for the Braves as TBS does play a lot of games - but if he went to the West Coast I would never get to see his entertaining brand of baseball. Most people hate him because of the inconsistancy - although I want him to show the Cy Young Award talent that he has, and allow my investment in some of his cardboard to payoff - part of me loves the ups and downs. You never know what you are gonna get and it entertains me.

2. Of all the players in baseball - I think the WBC has hurt Mr. Perez the most. He was in the last 'showcase' of international talent in the Spring of 2005 - right after his brilliant 2004 and it ruined him for all of 05 and 06. He had pretty good years in 07 and 08 and now in 09 he pitches in the WBC again and he falls apart. I say VOTE NO OLLIE IN WBC 2013!!!!!!

As far as yesterdays game goes - I was not able to watch the game as I was traveling for business, but was able to listen in the car. I was driving from Albany to Westchester, listening on 660am, and watching the gamecast on my Blackberry. The gamecast is nice because you can see where the pitches were exactly, the speed, and the type of pitch. The radio guys are great - but they never talk about the things I like to see when I listen/watch Ollie pitch. The first main issue is obvious:

Ollie's velocity is way down right now. Most people would bring up the control and the 5 walks - but that is not concerning to me. Ollie thrives on not letting the hitters hit the ball. If he leads the league in walks while he allows 0.8 or 0.9 hits per inning (or better) - It really isn't all that bad. BUT when his velocity is down - it takes that effect of the movement away and he becomes hittable. The gamecast from mlb.com had several of his pitches hitting 90 and 91, but hovering at 88 and 89. The radio guys said he never hit above 88, and he was hovering around 85-86. Thats a big difference. I think mlb.com might have been a little more accurate because the did mention hearing some pop in the catcher mitt - but hey you never know.

I believe that he will get his arm in shape, and the velocity will be back to hovering at 90-91 with occational bursts of 94-95 like he always has done in the past.

Anyway - the first inning was a 10 pitch inning - with a K - and I thought to myself - this is going to be a good outing. Then in the second inning he struk out the side. I gotta tell you I started to get excited. I started thinking to myself - well there have been 2 non-K outs so he maxes out at 25 for the game.

Then the wheels fell off. He gave up a walk to the number 7 hitter. Its always a mistake when you let the lead-off man on for any pitcher - but for Ollie it can spell major trouble. This made him shift from the nice rocking motion he had going to the stretch - and the next couple of pitches were WAY off. He ended up battling through the AB and got another K. My confidence started to come back. Arroyo made a pretty good bunt, that Ollie fielded and almost threw into RF but was saved by a long stretch from Cora who was covering first. This play amped Ollie up, and again his control suffered. When McDonald came up with runners on first and second Ollie battled the account to 2-2. He threw a slider that the gamecast showed in the strikezone, and the radio guys thought was a strike ... but the unp didn't see it that way. With a full count the batter hit a RBI single, bringing up Votto. I really think that this was the end for Ollie. He should have been out of the jam giving up no runs - but now he had given up a run, had almost thrown one into CF and was bleeding pitch count. Enter Joey Votto and with the 0-1 Ollie hung a slider that from the way the radio announced it, might still be rising and on its way out of the solor system.

I pretty much wanted to turn of the radio right then and forget that he was pitching, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I listened for every pitch he threw and turned the game off when he was yanked in the 5th.

Ollie - if for some reason you ever read this - work with Johan. Work with Warthen. Get you motion down pat - if you can do that the world is your oyster. If not you will be sentanced to many more days of listening to the NY Media then you will get an all-expense paid trip to Kansas City in the off-season for some young minor leaguer. And I can't deal with that because I am so entertained watching you pitch!

Season stats after game#1

.......... IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Perez (L, 0-1) 4.1 5 8 8 5 7 1 16.62

metsblog comments thread - Should the Mets sign Ollie?

2009-01-15T16:30:00.006-05:00

Since it is so hard to follow older comments on metsblog.com I thought I would share a bit from the comments on the Oliver Perez post Matt Cerrone made earlier today. Matt basically said to stay away from Ollie, and obviously I disagree. The posters in the comments seem to agree with him - while the respondants to his polls disagree saying the mets should give him 4 years at 12 per ... http://www.metsblog.com/2009/01/15/opinion-the-basket-solution/

gutterkizmet says:
January 15, 2009 at 9:15 am
So when the mets don’t sign Ollie, and he matures this year as predicted, and contends for the cy young, wins 20 games with more K’s than IP and an ERA around 2.90 and a WHIP around 1.20. What are all you people going to say - since it happens in Dodger Blue instead of Met Blue and Orange?
It will be why was Wilpon so cheap not to sign hum at $13mil per? You will all freak out more than you do over Kazmir, and based on potential - Ollie is better than Kazmir. Kazmir has just put it together a little faster.
You watch - the Mets won’t sign Ollie, and by June everyone on this board will be raising he_ll and complaining that the team was cheap - when you all lobbied agaiunst the signing in the first place.
Reply

mikey_FF says:
January 15, 2009 at 9:17 am
Ollie is one of my favorites but I don’t for a second think he’ll ever win a cy young or 20 games. As much as I like the guy … he’s got a million dollar arm and a 10 cent head. He’s just not cerebral enough to reach his full potential.
Reply

gutterkizmet says:
January 15, 2009 at 9:19 am
BTW - I am basing Ollies maturation on a few things. First he is 27 - still younger than Randy Johnson was when he matured from a walk machine to one of the best ever (not that Ollie will turn into that) and the fact that he got married this offseason. I don’t know about you, but my life changed dramatically when I got married - and it was all mindset.
Reply

mikey_FF says:
January 15, 2009 at 9:25 am
That is possible but I just don’t think he’s got a high baseball IQ. The ones who are really great have a great mental approach, especially pitchers. Some hall of fame pitchers did what they did with lesser “stuff” just because they were more cerebral.
I just don’t think Ollie getting married or getting a little older will make him be able to use his brain better. He kind of is what he is.
Reply

kingman 26 says:
January 15, 2009 at 9:29 am
I so agree with you gutter. Ollie is about to enter his prime. He has great stuff. He is, to me, part of the core of this group since 2006. He belongs with this group and is young and talented and clearly can deal with NY. And overall, he has been pretty to very good the last two years. And again, he is still young, is not an aging guy, is not injury prone, and is not fat and satisfied yet having made tens of millions and won a ring.
And getting married may indeed have gigantic positive effects on Ollie’s maturity and consistency.
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sabermetrician says:
January 15, 2009 at 9:24 am
Who’s predicting that Ollie blossoms this year, you?

2009 Projections from reputable sources:
Zips: ERA 4.83, ERA+ 89, Innings 164, W/L 9-10
CHONE: ERA 4.72, Innings 166, W/L 9-10
Marcel: ERA 4.22, Innings 175, W/L 10-9
James: ERA 4.53, Innings 204, W/L 11-12
Reply

kingman 26 says:
January 15, 2009 at 9:30 am
Do you have any idea whatsoever how utterly meaningless these projections you cite are?
Reply

sabermetrician says:
January 15, 2009 at 9:34 am
You’re kidding right? These are the most accurate projection systems available (aside from PECOTA which hasn’t been released yet). These are actually quite accurate, year in, year out.
Reply

gutterkizmet says:
January 15, 2009 at 9:39 am
Sorry but those predictions are bogus for a player like Ollie - and are also bogus for just about any pitcher outside of a pitcher who has been consistant for many years. For young players still on the upside they are always 100% meaningless. If they were so good then salaries would be based on them. If they were so good they would never need to play the games.
Also - for hitters they are probably pretty accurate as well. But again for people who have been in the league for 10+ years and are no longer improving.
Ollie will put it together and break out. The question is if it will be this year or the following.

kingman 26 says:
January 15, 2009 at 9:41 am
No, of course I am not kidding. These projections can be right, wrong, or indifferent. They mean ZERO in terms of what Ollie will or will not do next year.
Ollie is a 27 year old with a checkered career, who has great stuff, who has the ability to pitch very well in NY, and, as another poster wisely pointed out, just got married, which could indeed affect his mental outlook tremendously. As could his first really huge contract.
I understand the whole sabermetrics thing, and I don’t use BA and W-L to judge players, but to propose that these projections have absolutely any meaning whatsoever in terms of what a 27-year-old pitcher with great stuff will do next year is just silly, and is the negative, over-the-top, side of sabermetrics.
In my opinion.

16dwight16 says:
January 15, 2009 at 9:36 am
“Do you have any idea whatsoever how utterly meaningless these projections you cite are?”
LOL…these projections are certainly more accurate than you.
Reply

kingman 26 says:
January 15, 2009 at 9:44 am
What kind of projections do you think these folks would have made for Randy Johnson at age 27? And how right would they have been?
Gutter said it much better than I did. Projections like this are so bogus for a 27 year old pitcher with such an up and down career.
sabermetrician says:
January 15, 2009 at 10:02 am
They would have made better projections for Randy Johnson than Ollie. These are based on similarities going back to the minors and every level. You really need to look at how accurate they are.

MudvilleNine says:
January 15, 2009 at 10:56 am
At the age of 27 Randy Johnson was just finishing his second full year in the majors. Ollie has had 6.5 years in the majors. You guys really have to stop the “he’s young” stuff. He’s young if he’s 27 and only been in the league 2 to 3 years, not 6.5.Now I’m not saying these prediction numbers are right but the guy was replying to someone who says Ollie will win 20 games with a sub 3 era and all this other stuff based on that he’s gotten married. I think I’d go with the prediction based on numbers than the one based on the married mind of a guy who throws sidearm and eephus pitches whenever he gets bored on the mound.
agetting says:

January 15, 2009 at 9:18 am
First of all Ollie is NO Kazmir. Second of all we should have traded Church Kunz and a prospect for Dye. Third of all we should be signing Sheets
Reply

sabermetrician says:
January 15, 2009 at 9:19 am
Agree that Ollie is no Kazmir (although will last longer).Agree with the trade.Agree with Sheets signing.
Reply

gutterkizmet says:
January 15, 2009 at 9:27 am
I gotta disagree. Basball reference actually matches them as very similar. I would argue that Ollie will play for longer and be much better overall thanks to Kazmirs injuries.
Also baseball reference.com has the most similar pitcher to Ollie bu the end of Age 26 as besing Mark Langston. (by 25 was Frank Viola, 24 was Scott Olsen, 23 was Sandy Koufax, 22 was Scott Kazmir)
Sll some pretty good names. Since Langston is the most recent most similar lets see what he did after he was age 27: 4 All-star appearances, Many votes in the Cy Young (although never won it) Led the league in IP and K several times and was near the top in ERA - when although he pitched for 5 years before he was 26 he only showed promise. I am not saying that L:angston was a HOFer and I am not saying that Ollie is Langston - but their careers look pretty similar!
Reply

sabermetrician says:
January 15, 2009 at 9:38 am
This is actually really good work. Thanks for the info.
Reply

gutterkizmet says:
January 15, 2009 at 9:48 am
by the way to clarify my projection post - I do believe in sabermetric projections most of the time - just not with an up and down youngster. Or any young player for that matter. The projections really only take into consideration the past - not potential or outside factors.
Reply

sabermetrician says:
January 15, 2009 at 10:03 am
You make a fair point. I just don’t see Ollie settling down all of a sudden. It’s a fair argument though.

gutterkizmet says:
January 15, 2009 at 9:55 am
Randy Johnsons Walk totals by age:
25 - 96 BB
26 - 120 BB
27 - 152 BB
28 - 144 BB

When he was 28 he spent most of the offseason working with Nolan Ryan (you can look into archives and read articles about it) and that is when he turned the corner and turned into a monster.
Again, I am not saying that Ollie is Randy Johnson, but there are many similarities. In fact both Barry Bonds and Chipper Jones have some quotes comparing the 2 - take a look at the back of Ollies 2006 Topps traded card (the first with him in a mets uniform) and read the quote from Chipper:
“He’s the closest thing to Randy Johnson you’ll see,” Chipper Jones once said of Perez.
Reply

gutterkizmet says:
January 15, 2009 at 10:23 am
Some more Randy Johnson numbers by age:
Age * BB * WHIP *K/9 (not gonna use totals as pitchers were used differently 20 years ago)

24 - Only 4 Games
25 - 96 BB * 1.51 WHIP * 7.2 K/9
26 - 120 BB * 1.33 WHIP * 7.9K/9
27 - 152 BB * 1.505 WHIP * 10.2 K/9
28 - 144 BB * 1.41 WHIP * 10.31 K/9
29 - 99 BB * 1.11 WHIP * 10.85 K/9
30 - 72 BB * 1.18 WHIP * 10.6 K/9

Here is Ollie:
20 - 48 BB * 1.32 WHIP * 9.4 K/9
21 - 77 BB * 1.62 WHIP * 10.01 K/9
22 - 81 BB * 1.15 WHIP * 10.98 K/9
23 - 70 BB * 1.67 WHIP * 8.4 K/9
24 - 68 BB * 1.74 WHIP * 8.14 K/9
25 - 79 BB * 1.31 WHIP * 8.85 K/9
26 - 105 BB * 1.40 WHIP * 8.35 K/9

So no - Ollie does not really compare with Randy Johnson - as Ollie WHIP in 06/06 his 2 bad years are much worse that RJ’s, but really RJ was in the minors then. Ollies numbers are actually better than RJ through age 26.

But still there is at least a basic comparison there based on the quotes from Bonds and Jones (and others)

This is why the SABERmetric predictions hold no water in this case. If Ollie can have an event to mature him - he will be an All-Star and perennial Cy Young candidate. If he doesn’t mature he will be a just above league average pitcher, and a solid #3-4 guy with flashes of ACE/#2.
Maybe the Rangers should sign him and hive him work with Ryan like RJ did.
Reply

What do you think? Any comments?

Monthly Post

2008-09-18T16:34:00.003-04:00

Here it is a month later, and still no posts. I guess there just hasn't been much to talk about.

The Mets bullpen sucks. Ollie hasn't been that dominant since shaving the beard.

But just in case the Mets need any more reason to callapse again this year, I was selected to buy NLDS tickets. I was selected for NLCS tickets last year and look where that got me!!!

Pitcher of the Second Half - as of August18

2008-08-19T13:00:00.006-04:00

I think this debate is over before it even begins ... as CC Sabathia has pretty much torn through the NL since moving to Milwaukee.

But I guess I would love to see some numbers of who in MLB have been the best pitchers in the second half (not since the all-star break, but after most teams hit 81 games. Since I am in NY and I have a NY Bias I will use the Yankees schedule and use the date that they played their 81st game as the starting point for this conversation: The Yankees Played their 81st game of the season on June 28th - so I will use that day as the start of the second half.

I feel that Wins and Losses are irrelavent as they have more to do with run support and how will the opposing pitcher pitches - so they are out of my equation. Here is how I score the pitchers:

((3 x IP) + K - BB - H - ER)

A few thoughts:

Only Roy Halladay is on the list from AL

Tim Lincecum not only had a great first half, but is kicking ass in the second half too. He is my pick for NL Cy Young even though only Brandon Webb will probably eclipse the 20 win mark.

The Mets have 2 pitchers on the list in Santana and Perez. They were my preseason picks for NL Cy Young - and the second half has really shown they have the ability. It makes me thiunk back to good old 2004 when these 2 were the talk of baseball as young pitchers. Santana has lived up to the hype. Although I still think I am the biggest Ollie fan out there, I am not ready to say he has performed - but by the looks of things he is on his way.

Comparing Oliver Perez to the NL Average Starter before the All-Star Break

2008-07-15T09:51:00.003-04:00

About a week ago I did an analysis on Ollie's first half, and compared it to the league average. The numbers I pulled from were from ESPN's league totals section. I do not think it fairly represents 'average though' as it includes all the relievers, the rookies who came up for one start ... etc. So I decided to redo the numbers using only the pitchers who currently qualify for the league ERA title. I figured this would be the list of full time starters for at least most of the season. This should be a more accurate view of how he has compared to an average national league starter before the all-str break in 2008:

As you can see from the numbers above, the comparison to the actual average of the real full time starters does not paint as good of a picture as the comparison to the league as a whole.

Now the change in Ollies mechanics may have helped him turn the corner as his last 3 starts have been much better. Lets look at the numbers:

Games Started - Right on key with average
IP and IP/Start - Ollie had 2 starts that bring his average way down, but even without those his longevity in each game is a major concern so far.
W/L and Win% - His winning percentage is a little better than average, but obviously a 2 or 3 starter should be better here. Wins and losses are probably the most useless stat in comparing pitchers as it depends on so many factors ... run support, bullpen ... etc.

The rest of the stats with the exception of Hits/9 and K/9 he is well below average. These numbers are fairly startling. (I did think the unearned runs per 9 would be much worse)

All-in-all it really looks like Ollie has been a below average pitcher so far this year. If the Mets want to make it to the post season they will need Ollie to continue what he has shown in his last 3 starts (minus the walks in the last start).

Good luck in the second half.

Olliver Perez Collection Update

2008-07-02T11:19:00.003-04:00

Since Ollie has been doing his best Victor Zambrano impression so far this year, I have had the opportunity to pick up a bunch of additions to my collection on the relative cheap! Actually REAL cheap. It will either bring down the average cost per card I have and help me dollar cost average the investment for maximum profit, or it will just be a few more dollars I have thrown into worthless cardboard.

Lets hope the renewed confidence and wind-up help as much as I think it will!

Here are some cards I have added recently:

2002 Leaf Rookies and Stars AU (NNO/175)
2002 Donruss Fan Club Credits (036/100)
2002 Bowman Chrome Draft Picks BGS 9
2002 Bowman Chrome Draft Picks Refractor (X2) (163/300 and 286/300)
2002 Bowman Chrome Draft Picks XFractor (046/150)
2002 Bowman Chrome Draft Picks Gold Refractor BGS 8.5 (29/50)
2002 SPX AU (690/825)
2002 Donruss Elite Extra Edition Turn of the Century (X2)(XX/75)(0027/1000 and PSA9 0078/1000)

I have also purchased a 2002 UD Victory card which I haven't yet received and was paid for almost 3 weeks ago, another 2002 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection that was paid for about 4-5 days ago but have not yet received, and the ones that has upset me the most:

another 2002 Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor. The seller claims his son bent the card and I should decide what I want to do. I got the card for cheap enough where I might still want it, but still it is upsetting. I may just ask for a refund. That has to bode well for his other gold refractors though. If one was destroyed - then only 49 reamin in good condition.

I have a pretty high percentage of the total of all of Olivers Rookie cards. This brings me back to thr though of what would happen to the percieved value of his cards if my house burned down. I mean if I own about 5% of all of his cards in existance and they all suddenly were destroyed wouldn't that be similar to say the Honus wagner card that is worth so much because of the recall?

Metsblog and their mid-season grades ...

2008-07-01T15:00:00.004-04:00

Metsblog.com is currently doing a great piece asking the fans to give each of the players on the team a mid-season grade. The results are sometimes comical as many of the outspoken metsfans have pretty much lost all faith in their team. Seeing Johan Santana get a vote for an F for instance his comical as even after a low first half he is still one of the best pitchers in the game ...

Here is the link to their current piece on Ollie:

http://www.metsblog.com/2008/07/01/poll-mid-season-grade-for-oliver-perez/#comment-236958

As of this moment, Ollie has received a C with 51% of the votes and a smattering of other choices. I too voted a C. In the comment section I voiced my reasoning:

Comment by gutterkizmet
2008-07-01 14:39:23
I am still probably the biggest Ollie Fan out there - I have the olliverperezfan site to prove it - that being said:
I gave him a C - probably higher than he deserved, but even in school your are graded on the final exam more heavily than the breadth of the entire work - what have you done for me lately.

If you look back through the posts you will see I predicted the great start against the Yankees - mostly because of their lefty centric line-up. The Yanks sat most of their lefty’s and he still pitched lights out - being the reason I gave him a C instead of a D. (I predicted he would do great and the Mets would immediately offer him to the Yankees for some MLB ready talent as they Steinbrenners use the “if you can’t beat em, buy em philosophy”

The change in his wind-up with the back and forth instead of right to left, combined with the hitch at his belt, and the center of the rubber thing might end up being the fix he needs. The confidence he displayed on the mound with the K of ARod and others made me a believer again.

Isn’t a VORP around 0 basically saying he is league average? Isn’t average a C?

Anyway his stuff and his latest outing give him a C. His next outing against the Phillies will determine his final grade though:

Great outing with 0 or 1 walk and 0-1 ER will push him up to a B.
Outing with 0-2 walks and 2-3 ER will keep him at a C (Hitter friendly park)
Any more than 2-3 walks will push him to a D
If his fastball goes back to 89-91 will probably make him a D too
A Shelling will make him an F and probable tradebait or minor leaguer.

Then I also added this:

Comment by gutterkizmet
2008-07-01 14:57:03
BTW - I still say C average considering what I just looked at:

National League Average:
ERA: 4.24 (Ollie: 4.96)
W/L%: .500 (Ollie .545)
K/9: 6.8 (Ollie 7.6)
BB/9: 3.5 (Ollie 5.1)
WHIP: 1.40 (Ollie 1.47)
BAA .262 (Ollie .243)

He is a little worse than avg in ERA
He is a little better in Win%
He is much better in K/9
He is MUCH worse in BB/9
His WHIP is withing a standard deviation of AVG.
His BAA is better than AVG.

All in all - if his new motion can give him better control than he will be much better than AVG - but for the first half I would say he looks like the average pitcher. Perfect for a 3-4 slot guy, great for a #5 - with the potential to be much much better.

What do you think?

Great Outing Against the Yankees and Collection Update

2008-06-30T13:06:00.004-04:00

Yes, I am still the worst blogger of all-time.

Great outing against the Yanks with the new windup. A little crazy still from the stretch.

A bunh more cards including another gold refractor. I will post scans soon ...

Worst Blogger ... ever!

2008-05-27T14:47:00.002-04:00

When I started this blog, it was supposed to be a spot to share my thoughts on baseball and card collecting in general, along with views on Oliver Perez and his performance.

I have failed miserably due to heavy stuff at work and at home. Lets see if I can start over with some information.

In case you missed them - Oliver has stunk since my last post. OK, not stunk - but he hasn't been very good. He has reverted to the old Ollie - dropping arm angles and being wild. Last start he had 8 count em 8 walks! He has hit more batters than I care to mention...

Luckily enough he has shown some resiliency in getting out of jams. Left handed hitters might as well go to the plate with a blindfold on, and he has been keeping the team in the games.

I will post the box scores in my next post ...

Collection Update

2008-04-10T16:05:00.003-04:00

Just picked these 2 up for stupidly cheap. Hopefully Ollie will continue his 0 earned run trends for a few more outings. If he can do that it might be time to try and flip some of his cards to recoup some of my investment. If I can do that and get to even or close to it with just a few cards - I could have the rest free and clear and root by being a fan instead of just with my wallet!

2002 Upper Deck SPX, Card# 235 Auto

#690/825 (bringing my total of this card to 16 out of the 825)

2002 Bowman Chrome Draft, Card #BDP113, Refractor

#163/300 (bringing my total to 9 of the 300)

Sorry for the bad image. Something is wrong with the camera in my phone when used with the office lighting.

Game Day Log - Start #2 - Against the Phillies in NY - The Final Home Opener at Shea

2008-04-10T15:49:00.004-04:00

Well this one is only a few days late. Hopefully I will be more timely in the future and add some of the other pieces I wanted to add. The is the second straight start I missed being able to watch. This one because it was a day game, and I was on a plane going from Ohio back to Albany after some business meetings.

4/12/08

In the final home opener at Shea - the Mets bullpen ruined the day for both Ollie and the Mets. The Mets lost 5-3 after another solid outing by Ollie.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=280408121

Ollie goes 5.2, again allowing 0 runs, and no extra base hits. From what I could tell, and what I have read - Ollie was not quite as sharp today as he was in FL last week - but he still shut the Phillies down. He did walk a few more, but from the pitch by pitch recap from the game log - some of the balls could have been called strikes based on their location on the system. Ollie left the game with 2 outs in the 5th. He got 2 quick outs, but then a walk, then a balk, then another walk. He did a great job maintaining his composure under presseure all-day but with a pitch count of 95, Willie decided to take hom out before a blow up. Out of the inning without any damage. The bullpen ruined the rest. On the bright side - Ollie did hit chase Utley 2 times, and the Pen hit him again. Teach that fu(&er to move off the plate a little!

Ollies Line: 5.2IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 2 K, 0 R, 0 ER

Fantasy Stats YTD: 1 Win, 0.00 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 10 K, Sandbox: 20.5ppg

Game Day Log - Start #1 - Against the Marlins in FL - a Week late!

2008-04-10T15:37:00.003-04:00

Here I am, being one of the worst bloggers AGAIN. I have all these great plans on what I am going to post about - yet I am either too busy, or too lazy to actually post what I plan!

Hopefully these posts will get more in-depth as the season rolls along, but for now this will have to do.

4/2/2008

Oliver dominated the Marlins, striking out 8 in 6 IP, allowing no runs, no extra base hits, and walking one. This line looked like this:

6IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K

Fantasy Stats to date: 1 Win, 1.00 WHIP, 8 K, 0.00 ERA - Sandbox - 30.0 PPG

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=280402128

I didn't get to watch the game in person, as it was one of my last bowling nights of the year, but I did watch most of it on the gamecase on my Sprint HTC touch phone. That feature is actually pretty cool as it allows me to see where all of the pitches were, the type of pitch, and the speed.

Ollie was in the low 90's, he hit 94/95 a few times - but seemed to be relying on his fastball low and away on almost every pitch. He rarely mixed in his slider and curve - but when he did I can imagine how hard it must have been for the hitters to react. If the mets weren't up by 11 he probably would have went deeper into the game, but the 93 pitches he threw probably had something to do with it as well.

Ollies First Start of the Year - Tonight!!!!

2008-04-02T13:39:00.001-04:00

As usual, I have been remiss in posting to this site - but that is mostly because it has been Spring training - and I really only care about the real deal.

After his start tonight I will be posting lots of great info and analysis!!!

GO OLLIE!!

Spring Training So Far

2008-03-11T09:04:00.002-04:00

Why do the Mets play such horrible defense behind Oliver Perez? He has had 2 starts this spring and has already given up 5 unearned runs. Is it because they never expect anyone to hit the ball so they fall asleep?

Last year he had a great ERA, but people pointed to his tendancy to give up unearned runs, and for him to lose his cool after a miscue. The mets have a solid defense - but I gotta blame them not Ollie. Someone should figure out why they can't catch a ball when he pitches the find a way to mentally fix it. Look back to his 2006 stint with the Mets - even in his first outing in a game against the Phillies the Mets gloves let him down leading to a Ryan Howard Grand Slam when he should have been out of the inning without allowing a baserunner. If I remember correctly they did not give any errors in that inning - but go back and watch the sloppy defense. It very easily could have been 4 more unearned runs.

Spitzer Swallows

2008-03-11T08:56:00.003-04:00

Ahh love potion number 9 ... oops I mean Prostitution Client #9.

Here's to you!

I don't make a habit of writing about politics, I will probably have a few posts about my personal presidential write in campaign, but I could not get past writing about this. Spitzer has become the latest politician to disgrace his constituency by doing the very thing he fought against - breaking the law. He won the NYS election by a landslide yet even before this report he had a lower approval rating than George Bush.

All I can say is - please please please someone show me a picture of the girl that cost him roughly $5,000 an hour. It must be pretty nice for the type of scratch!

Phillies Sluggers

2008-02-26T17:40:00.004-05:00

I have said many times before, I am not a Met fan at all. I bleed the Pinstripes - however fantasy baseball has turned me on to rooting for players more than teams, and by following Oliver Perez so closely - I obviously have started to enjoy watching the Mets every fifth day. That said - I am really starting to hate the Phillies. I shouldn't rub it in too hard though - I mean they are the losingest franchise in all of pro-sports of all-time!

That said - they have 3 players on their team that can all win an MVP in Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Jimmy Rollins.

2002 Bowman Chase Utley
2004 Leaf Ceritified Materials Ryan Howard
2002 Bowman Chrome Jimmy Rollins
Chase Utley is the only one of the 3 not to have won a MVP - but this could be his year if he stays healthy. He has had a few injuries the last few years, so that would have him fall to the end of the first round or the start of the second round.

Jimmy Rollins is a monster and should be drafted back to back with Hansley Ramirez and Jose Reyes in the middle of the first round. You can't go wrong with his power, speed, average, and all at a weak position. I know there are 3 - but after that you have what Jeter? Then who? What will they give your fantasy team! There are 3 first round shortstops, one that should go in round 3, then no one for the next 5-6 rounds. If you dont get one of the big guys you might as well punt the position!

Ryan Howard is an enigma. He can win the MVP award as he did 2 years ago or he can strike out 200 times. Possibly both in the same season. I don't know about you but I will take a pass until round 3. He will most likely be taken before that in most drafts, but I wont be buying!

David Wright and Jose Reyes

2008-02-26T17:21:00.006-05:00

David Wright and Jose Reyes are the real key to the Mets in 2008. They both need to play strong defense - especially when Ollie is on the mound so he doesn't get all the unearned runs he had last year. They need to hit. They need to steal. They are both legitimate MVP Candidates!

Also, my boss's daughter used to date David in High School - so although I have never met the girl, or David - I still feel a strange bond! ROFL.

David Wright - 2002 Bowman and 2002 Bowman's Best Blue
Jose Reyes - 2001 Bowman and 2001 Topps Update Chrome
David Wright and Jose Reyes
I plan on posting my fantasy reviews of players seperately when I do a multiple player post like this one - but in this case they 2 are so similar in fantasy baseball ...

Both are first rounders (giving the Mets and astounding 3 players in the first round of my 14 team league) David Wright is the 2nd most valuable Third Basemen and Reyes is tied for the best SS in all of fantasy baseball. It is hard to choose between Rollins and Hansley Ramirez. Unless you have one of the top 3 picks in your draft one of these 2 should warrant consideration as your pick!

Baseball Cards and my Fantasy Take on the Players

2008-02-26T16:46:00.006-05:00

One of my goals of starting this site was to display some of my cards, and to see if anyone has any interest in trading or purchasing any of them. If there is any interest I will put them up on eBay. For the next few posts I will be displaying some cards of some players, and giving my fantasy take on the players displayed.

2004 Upper Deck Etchings - Etched in time Auto's
Joe Mauer
Carlos Zambrano

Joe Mauer, Catcher for the Twins
Joe will be THE elite catcher in baseball if he can stay healthy. One has to wonder when he will be moved from being a catcher to either DH or to 1B. He can flat out rake - and his injuries have been with his knees. Seems to me like he should stop catching ... DUH! I love that he can play catcher on my fantasy team and I would hate for him to lose the position eligibility - but it has to be done soon. Take him in round 3 if he is still available!

Carlos Zambrano, Pitcher for the Cubs
Is it just me, or has he sucked every April for the last few years, yet he always ends up with some of the best fantasy numbers a manager can ask for. I say don't pick him in the first few rounds. Someone will take him in rounds 2-3. When he has his bad April like he always does you can grab him cheap for trade. I have done it many times and it always works like a charm!

Ollie Wins His Arbitration Case

2008-02-22T11:07:00.003-05:00

Well according to SI.com and Metsblog.com Ollie has won is arbitration case. I really didn't think he would win after what happened with Mr. Wang. Wang has clearly shown more success over the last 2 years. He doesn't have the exciting stats that Ollie has, nor the service time - but his success is among the best in baseball. Ollie does have a higher ceiling too, but I thought only results counted - and Wangs win total is impressive.

Here is my post on metsblog.com comments on the item. For some reason not all my posts show up on the site:

Hopefully winning his case will make him happy ... and the thought of a payday in 2009 will give him the motivation to stay focused this year.

A focused Ollie plus an A+ slider plus an A fastball plus a B+ slow curve + a B change + mentoring of Pedro + mentoring of Johan + Rick Peterson + NL Hitters + Shea Stadium + Contract year + pitching against other teams 3,4, and 5 starters ...
Equals

CY YOUNG FOR OLLIE IN 2008

(then probably Yankees in 2009 due to their penchant for grabbing players that excel against them)
http://oliverperezfan.blogspot.com

ESPN.COM 2008 Player Predictions and Oliver Perez

2008-02-21T11:32:00.005-05:00

Is it just me or does ESPN's rating system really suck. They are so far off on so many players it isn't funny. Especially players on the rise, or on the downside of their careers (it isn't hard to predict that Pujols will be good.) I was glancing through ESPN.com's FLB Projections for 2008. I am not sure what system they use to predict the stats for 2008, but I do not really understand how they are so low on Oliver. They mark him as the #55 fantasy starter for 2008. I clearly understand he is not top 20 - but I think #55 is pretty low.

Lets look at some of the other pitchers they have in the same range:

#47 - Bronson Arroyo - they predict 11 wins, and a K/9 ratio of 6.59 and a K/BB ratio of 2.48

#50 - Curt Schilling - umm they predict 0 appearances, and still put him in the top 50. That is pretty bold!

#51 - Zach Grienke - their numbers are off because the system they use pretty much has him as a reliver. I agree with him being at #51 - but Ollie should be way ahead. they say: There will be pressure, but if the kid can hold up, 12 wins, an ERA of about 4.00 and better than seven strikeouts per nine innings are possible.. If Ollie has these numbers it would be a HUGE dissapointment.

Here are the numbers they predict for Oliver Perez:

12 Wins - on this team, pitching against the other teams #3 or #4 ... come on he should easily have 15 like last year or much better

178 IP - this falls in line with what he did last year, but it was only that low due to 3 missed starts in the middle of the year. I think this is probably right, but if he has no injuries he should get closer to the 196 he threw in 2004, and probably reach 200 for the first time.

170 K - Last year was really the first year he had below 1K/1IP and it wasn't that far off with 174K in 177IP. If anything he should be back to where he was ... I see 210K in 200IP or even better.

K/BB - they predict 1.89. Are you serious? I know he has the tendancy to be wild and lose a little mental control - but why is this so far blow his career total? Last year he was 2.20 - but most of his walks came in just a couple outings. How many 0 and 1 walk outings did he have last year? Just as many as he had 4+ walk games ... (6 games with 0 walks, 1 game with 1 walk vs. 7 games with 4+ walks) His career is 1.96K/BB and that includes the horid 2005 and 2006 seasons. So ESPN thinks that this season will be a below average year for him in control? They think that the improvements he made last year were a fluke? WOW!

HR/9 - they predict 1.37 up from last years 1.12. Come on now. Yes he has a tendancy to give up the long ball - but that is mostly because he is a fly ball pitcher. He pitches half his games at Shea. Why would he regress? BTW his career numbers are 1.36HR/9. So again they think that this year will be worse than his career numbers. I don't see it. Remember he is still only 26. I don't think he is past his prime and ready to regress.

ERA - they predict 4.40. Considering his career ERA is 4.43 I can see them making this prediction. It could be right on - but with him pitching in the NL, with Rick Peterson helping, with Shea stadium helping, and the fact that he has veteran leadership helping him I can see him having much of a fall off from last years 3.56. I have already made my predictions on this site, and if you click on the predictions lable you can easily find what I wrote - but even if he has a "bad year" I can not see any worse than 3.99.

WHIP - They say 1.43. Again his career is 1.43 - so I guess they think he has made no improvements and is either a the peak of his career or the downside at age 26.

After looking at these statistics more for this post - I guess whoever did the numbers just looked at career numbers not trends or any other real analysis. I am too poor to pay for a lot of the analysis sites - if anyone wants to share Ollies PECOTA numbers or other predictions I would love to see it. I keep waiting for Amazin' Avenue to do their community predictions for Ollie.

How Old is El Duque

2008-02-19T20:35:00.003-05:00

Danish scientists have figured out how to tell how old someone is by the carbon isotopes in your eyes. They say it is accurate within a year. Some say he is 33, some say 37 ... I think he is more likely 47! Lets see what the Danes have to say!!!!!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080219/sc_nm/eyes_birth_dc

Kyle Kendrick of the Phillies Traded to Japan

2008-02-18T16:45:00.005-05:00

Kendrick was in "shock" he was traded for a relatively unknown. He thought the Phillies needed him this year - and that he was going to become a MLB star ... Its too bad that he doesn't yet realize that no one can ever be a HUGE star playing in Philidelphia. Even their biggest stars get little to no recognition on the big stage. They have MVP winners in Rollins and Howard, and that Utley guy is one of the best second basemen in the game - but outside of the Fantasy world and Phili - no one cares. He will gain more national recognition and endorsement money playing in Japan. (Companies don't shell out money to players who play for the team with the most losses of any professional sports team in history)

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/rumors/post/-Trade-to-Japan-leaves-Kendrick-in-shock?urn=mlb%2C67246

(Yes I am aware it was a joke played on him - pretty funny though)

Tom Glavine is Happy to be back on the Braves

2008-02-17T13:31:00.006-05:00

That was the headline on ESPN.com a day or so ago. It should have read:

Mets fans rejoice!

There were a lot of fans who loved Glavine on the Mets before the epic loss he threw during the last game of last season. I have always disliked Glavine - just as most Met fans do now. He was an Atlanta Brave to me, and will always be a Brave - and I became a baseball fanatic when the Braves were the team to hate.

So here's to you ... BUH BYE GLAVINE ... Hello Johan.

Lazy Me ... AAAAh Spring

2008-02-16T12:57:00.002-05:00

Pitchers and Catchers have reported

Sandbox.com has opened its baseball doors

I am traveling full tilt for work.

I have a bunch of great ideas for this coming season. I cant wait.

For now lets just hope that Ollies arbitration case goes well. I would hate to see him leave NY as a free agent this off-season. It will make it infintately harder to watch his outings.

Joba Rules

2008-02-02T14:13:00.001-05:00

Speaking of young powerfull arms ... I am really torn on what to think on Joba Chamberlain.

The Yankees still don't know what they will do with him in 2008. Will he be the set-up man for Rivera and be groomed for the closer role - just like they did with Rivera when John Wetland was the Yankee Closer? Joba has been a starter for his college and minor league career, and the Yankees have said that since he has so many plus pitches - they feel he will be a front line starter.

By looking at his stats though college and the minors, I have to think his incredible start was an abberation. Yes he can blow people away ... but ... I don't see how you can have average minor league numbers, and blow major league hitters away the way he did. The AL will figure him out this season, and his numbers should regress to the mean. That mean might be real good, but definately not what he did in 2007.

Here is my prediction for 2008:

He is a starter for the entire year, but the Yankees monitor his IP and Starts very closely.

He ends 15-6 with a 3.65 ERA, racks up 182 K's in 161.2 IP and has a WHIP of 1.14

Thats a great line for a youngster in the AL, but definately not as good as most Yankee fans think he will have. I always hear people predicting an ERA in the low 1's and like 5 K's per IP, and 2 Cy Young awards in the same year. It just wont happen!

The Effect of Veteran Leadership

2008-02-02T12:59:00.000-05:00

One of the things I have spoken about in regards to Perez for the last few years, is the lack of coaching he had on the Pirates. And I am not talking about the pitching coach in Pittsburgh, because I know nothing about him. For all I know he is the best coach in the history of baseball.

When Perez was on the Pirates, he was in his early 20's, and had just completed one of the best seasons a 23 year old could ask for. He led the league in K/9, was near the top in ERA, and had the likes of Barry Bonds and Chipper Jones singing his praises. I don't know about you - but when I was 23 - I didn't listen well to authority figures.

What Perez needed, was exactly what he didn't have. He went into 2005 as the ace of the staff at 24. He was the veteran - pitching with the Snell, Fogg, and Wells, and the rookies. (Snell was a rookie then too.) His mechanics and work ethic suffered. His mental game fell apart. He needed guidance, and beyond the coaching staff - he had no one to give it to him.

Fast forward a year and a half. Perez is given up on by the Pirates, and was basically a throw in contained in a deal for Roberto Hernandez to get the deal done. The Pirates wanted to shed payroll in Bert, and get a promising young outfielder in Xavier Nady. The Mets desperately needed a reliever to fill in for the injured Duaner Sanchez.

Oliver was now in an environment with the likes of Tom Glavine, Pedro Martinez, and Orlando Hernandez to help mentor him to better things.

Now he gets to hear the input of another great Hispanic pitcher with Johan Santana. Both are lefty, and have great stuff.

I really do think that this will bode real well for Ollie in 2008 and beyond!

Johan Santana Trade and the Effect on Oliver Perez

2008-02-01T13:28:00.000-05:00

I have been thinking about this for a bit, and I am not quite sure what to think. I would love to hear any comments - if so - please post in the comments, or e-mail me at oliverperezfan@gmail.com.

Baseball Card Values and stats changes

Pitching in NY gives him a visibility boost, and allows more fans to follow him, thus helping his values, however pitching in the #3 or #4 slot definately makes him a less visible star.

Pitching against the other teams #3 or #4 should help his wins totals, and increase his chances at awards, which should also help.

Having another power pitching lefty in the rotation could hurt though. Both pitchers have a similar style. Strike em out, fast ball, fly ball. I think the difference is the out pitch. While Johan has one of if not the best changeup in the game, Ollie relies on an unhittable slider.

My prediction for Ollie in 2008 stays the same - just the award is different.

Johan Santana wins the Cy Young, Peavy comes in second, and Ollie comes in a distant third.

The Mets rotation this year 1-4 could have one of the best stat lines we have seen in a long long time.

1. Johan Santana
2. Pedro Martinez
3. Oliver Perez
4. John Maine
5. Orlando Hernandez / Mike Pelfrey / Some other pickup

I wonder what the record for most K's in a season by a pitching staff is? The Mets will rack em up this year!

The Complex Case of Oliver Perez

2008-01-26T12:43:00.000-05:00

Baseball Think Factory is an excellent site that does an excellent job of posting about the actual inner workings of baseball. The break down swings, strengths, weakness, pitching mechanics, and lots more stuff. After the 2006 season they did a great write up on Oliver Perez, and what he did right in 2004, what he did wrong in 2005 and 2006, and what Rick Peterson changed to bring him back. It's a great read, but this post is just so I can beg him to update his Oliver Perez review, and show the differences in 2007.

I reccomend checking out their site, and this great post!

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/mechanics/discussion/the_complex_case_of_oliver_perez/

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/

Lost in the Johan Santana Rumors

2008-01-24T11:23:00.000-05:00

Every day on hundreds of blogs across the country, Johan Santana is the main focus of fans due to his impending trade demands. No one knows if he will in fact be traded, or if it is all just a dream that we all have. I would love to see him go to the Yankees or the Mets - for the same reason I want Oliver Perez on either the Yankees or the Mets. It will give me the opportunity to watch him pitch more. Any opportunity you have to see one of the greatest pitchers of a generation - you should count your blessings. I got to see Roger Clemens regulary - I was at opening day when he broke Walter Johnsons AL strikeout record. I got to see Randy Johnson - albeit at the downside of his career. I got to watch Dwight Gooden as a flamethrowin youngster and at the end of his career. I could go on about perfect games and no hitters, Jim Abbott and his one hand. If these guys never played for the Mets or Yankees I would have almost never seen them. That is why I need Johan in NY.

The thing most people are not talking about in the Johan trade rumors is the fact the Twins have someone coming back from an injury that has the ability to make the fans forget Johan pitched there. Francisco Liriano will be returning with Spring training, and from what I have seen - he has the ability to be much better than Johan. He proved it in 2006 before he got hurt. If he is back to 80% of where he was - he will have a shot at the AL Cy Young in 2008.

2002 Bowman Draft Picks
Card# BDP147

Chrome Version - (1)

Fantasy Baseball

2008-01-24T11:13:00.000-05:00

February 4th is right around the corner, and I am getting excited for another season of Sandbox fantasy baseball!!!!

I saw a real stupid list of the 101 best fantasy baseball teams in another blog. Normally I would not link it as it is pretty bad, but a few made me giggle.

I link it because it has:

28. Oliver for Perezident - Mets fans should like this one

I think I might steal that name this year in at least one of my leagues!

http://www.brockforbroglio.com/2008/01/23/101-of-the-best-fantasy-baseball-team-names/

Cheezy Youtube Video

2008-01-24T11:03:00.000-05:00

I thought I would add some fun youtube videos to the blog, and I just started looking for some. The first one that pops up when you di a search is about his performance in the 2006 NLCS game 7. It was a great game, and is what gave me back my confidence in him as a pitcher - but the music in this video makes me laugh.

Gotta love watching him jump the foul line, and seeing the Chavez catch again still makes me smile!

Oliver Perez and his Arbitration

2008-01-24T10:47:00.001-05:00

Ollie can be a free agent at the end of the 2008 season, and this is the first season that he is arbitration eligible. He has signed with Scott Boras as his agent, and this will likely scare many teams off next season, but if he puts together a season anything like 2004 or 2007 this year he will be in line for a HUGE payday. I am sure the book that Boras will put together will make him look better than almost every pitcher. He will be only 27, and the K/9 will say everything.

I love Ollie playing in New York because I get to watch all of his outings on TV, so if he doesn't stay with the Mets than I hope the Yankees can squeeze a few more millions out of their tiny budget! He has shown he can pitch in New York, and in the past the Yankees have gone out of their way to sign players that do well against them (look at his stats against the Yankees in 2007)

Remember Danny Tartbull? He killed the Yankees in the late 80's - so when he was a free agent the Yankees made him rich (they got nothing for their money but the point is the same) Look at Jaret Wright. We all knew he sucked. We all knew he wasn't worth the money that the Yankees paid him - but they did it because of how well he pitched against them when he was on Cleveland. Sidney Ponson - same thing. I could go on forever.

Oliver Perez has asked the Mets for $6.5 million in 2008, and the Mets have countered with 4.7 million. If the team and Ollie can not come to an agreement then the case will go to arbitration. I have heard some people argue that the Mets should just give in to his demands, as it will show some confidence in him, and that could bode well when it comes time to resign. Personally I think that is a crock. Scott Boras will not allow it to happen unless Ollie kicks him to the curb like ARod did.

In my opinion, Omar Minaya should make a good faith effort to sit down with Oliver and Boras and come to a mutual agreement, and not let it go to arbitration. The results will probably be the same - in the 5.5 million dollar range, and it will show a willingness to work together. The Mets should then make a point to get Oliver to go to lunch with ARod when the subway series happens to talk about Boras. That might be the straw that allows the Mets to keep Ollie in 2009 and beyond!

Haven't posted in a while

2008-01-24T10:46:00.001-05:00

My readership is still pretty low, but I still want to apologize for not posting in a few days. Had to travel for work.

2005 Leaf Limited

2008-01-19T13:36:00.000-05:00

Another Non Rookie that I will post, and this one even deserves a separate post from the other non-rookies posted in the last entry. I do not have any of the standard version of the card, but I am interested in obtaining any other versions of this card that exist.

2005 Leaf Limited

Card #41

I currently have 3:

Spotlight Silver - 28/50

Spotlight Gold - 16/25

Spotlight Platinum - 1/1

Some Later Cards

2008-01-19T13:11:00.000-05:00

As I have said in my introductions, After posting my current collection, this site will be mostly about everything. Although I mostly collect only Oliver's rookie cards - every now and then something catches my eye and I purchase it. I am sure I have a ton of his cards throughout my collection - but again I will only be posting about the ones I like.

Here are a bunch of other cards that I consider postable:

2006 Topps Update

Card #UH67

Someone threw this card into one of my eBay purchases, and I like it for 2 reasons. First - it is the first card showing Ollie in a Mets uniform. Second - it has one of the best quotes about Oliver on the back, and it comes from one of the Mets most hated players:

"He's the closest thing to Randy Johnson you'll see," Chipper Jones once said of Perez.

it also says:

"If he's close to the pitcher of 2004, when he logged the third most strikeouts in Pirates history, they'll have made the deal of the century"

I think he came pretty close to 2004 in 2007, and I deel he will be more in 2008!

2003 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia

Card #147

I have the spectrum version of this card. It is serial numbered 036/100.

2003 Donruss

Card #36

I have 1 of these cards as well. Gotta love the Rated Rookie Subsets!

2003 Upper Deck

Card #23

I have 2 of these cards - one from the First Pitch version, and one standard.

2003 Upper Deck SP Authentic

Card #OP

This card is from the SP Chirography Young Stars Auto Subset. Serial numbered 17/50

Minor League Cards

2008-01-16T21:40:00.000-05:00

I am not a huge fan of collecting Minor League cards. They always seemed so low quality and so easy to forge. I have a few of Olivers - mostly cards that were thrown in to trades or eBay purchases. I am lumping them toether for this post:

2001 Fort Wayne Wizards - (1)

2001 Multi-Ad Sports - (7)

2002 Fleer Tradition

2008-01-16T21:34:00.000-05:00

This is the last of the 2002 rookies I own. I will be posting some of the other cards of his I have - but I mainly only collect the 2002 rookies. If anyone has anything else good - I always want to see it, and possibly buy it - but I really only collect the rookies.

This card is real plain. It reminds me of the set that Fleer put out in the early 60's. 1961 if I remember correctly. Anyway it is just plain, no serial numbers - but apparently it was pretty hard to find this card and set.

2002 Fleer Tradition Update

Card #U58

Standard Version - (2)

2002 Upper Deck Ball Park Idols

2008-01-16T21:25:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post - this is by far the worst issue of 2002. WAY WAY WAY TOOOOOOO Much border. It is serial numbered - but that is about it.

2002 Upper Deck Ballpark Idols

Card #241

Standard Version - (3) each serial numbered to 1750. I currently have #'s 0519, 0587, and 1657

2002 Donruss Originals

2008-01-16T21:14:00.001-05:00

Another throwback set. They take the stars and rookies of today, and use their old designs to make new cards. People must be way out of ideas! This phenomenon has been going on toooooooooooooooooooooo long now. In 2002 Donruss decided to remake their 1982 and 1984 sets (the original 1984 Donruss sets is one of the rarest of the 80's)

Oliver had 2 cards in this set.

2002 Donruss Originals

Cards #9 and 122

Card # 9 - 1982 Version - (2) 1 of which is BGS graded 9.5 (9.5, 9.5, 9.5, 9.5)

Card #122 - 1984 Version - (2)

2002 Upper Deck Ovation

2008-01-16T21:05:00.000-05:00

Not too much to say about this card. Another upper deck issue, another ugly card! At least it isnt as bad as the ballpark idols card I will post about later! The cards are serial numbered so they got that going for them ... which is nice! The back says almost nothing except that he had 94K's in 90 innings in 2002. This set must have been released after the season was complete.

2002 Upper Deck Ovation

Card #171

Standard Version: (4) Each serial numbered XXXX/2002. I currently have #'s 0652, 0752, 0957, 1586

2002 Donruss Diamond Kings

2008-01-15T21:23:00.000-05:00

Ahhh remember the good old days? You know they days when you could buy a pack of Donruss for $0.45 each and each pack contained 15 player cards? Compare that today when you get 5 cards for $2.99! Think back to those 1980's packs. The diamond kings were a great set, and normalled occupied the first 26 spots in the set - followed by the Rated Rookies. To be a diamond king you had to be the best player on your team, and not voted a diamond king in any of the previous 5 years. When the subset had been around long enough - they wrote on the back the years the player had been chosen. The cards were great artist renditions of the players. Sometimes the artwork was great - sometimes it wasn't. That all added to the fun.

Well those days are gone. Donruss took the great idea and ruined it. In the early 2000's they put out a set of all Diamond kings. Doesn't that remove some of the honor? They included rookies like Oliver Perez - who had never played a game in the majors!

2002 Donruss Diamond Kings

Card number 153

Standard Version: (7)

Bronze Version: (1)

Silver Version: (3) serial numbered to 250. I currently have #'s 101, 150, and 170

Gold Version: (1) serial numbered 042/100

2002 Upper Deck Sweet Spot

2008-01-15T21:14:00.000-05:00

My last post was talking about all the crap cards that were produced and the redundancy of sets in the market. Well this is a set that I kind of like and I cant explain why. The foil hologram on the front and the design of the card just gives it a great feel.

2002 Upper Deck Sweet Spot

Card #116

Standard Version: (5) serial numbered to 1300. I currently have #'s 0059 (his jersey number at the time), 0466, 0668, 0730, 1261

2002 Upper Deck Diamond Connection

2008-01-15T21:04:00.000-05:00

Is it just me or is it right around this time that companies started putting out WAY too many sets. I love the variety - don't get me wrong - but some of these sets are just redundant. They don't even look nice or have great photography. They are really just the byproduct of the license to print money that Upper Deck and Topps have! This is another pointless issue - but it had another serial numbers Ollie card - so I have some. The Oliver Perez card was part of the same release as the SPx Auto card. It came in the rookies and updates boxes.

2002 Upper Deck Diamon Connection
Card# 153

Standard Version: (8) Serial numbered XXXX/1500. I currently have #'s 0035, 0091, 0327, 0446, 0563, 1064, 1308, 1320

2002 Upper Deck SP Authentic

2008-01-15T20:41:00.000-05:00

I don't know why, but for some stange reason I really don't like this card. There is too much white border, and the card just doesn't look good to me. Anywho I have a few of these....

2002 SP Authentic

Card #120

Standard Version: (6) Serial numbered XXXX/1999 - I currently have #'s 0250, 0528, 0611, 0782, 1467, 1976

Limited Version: (3) Serial numbered XXX/125 - I currently have #'s 013, 038, 096

Gold Limited Version (2) Serial numbers XX/50 - I currently have #'s 39 and 50

Typos

2008-01-15T14:23:00.000-05:00

Yes I am aware there are typos - and I have mentioned this before. Blogger is kind of pissing me off at the moment though. I type "Serial Numbered" and "Serial Numbers" is what shows up every time. I dont know if it is an auto spell check our what. Maybe me putting the quotes in this post will make it work!

2008 Oliver Perez Predictions

2008-01-15T13:18:00.000-05:00

As I have posted before, I am a fantasy baseball addict. I play on a few sites - but the one that holds my interest the best, and the one I enjoy the most is sandbox.com. I play in a roto league, and 3 head to head leagues there. It is a lot of fun. 2 of the H2H leagues are keep leagues that have been together since the site went to a paid format 5-6 years ago - and the basis of the league was together for 3-4 years before that.

That site has a pretty good forum/community for people to discuss fantasy and real sports. Last year - I was predicting great things for Ollie, and I started a discussion on his prospects for 2007. There were some arguments and some good discussion - and the thread turned into the official prediction thread for 2007.

My prediction was pretty good. Although I threw a bunch of ideas around - my official prediction was not bad. I guessed 17-8, 3.96 ERA, 17.8fppg. I also threw out some other numbers - but those were the official stats we were predicting. With Ollie finishing at 15-10 with a 3.56ERA and 16.8FPPG - I was pretty close.

You can read the thread here: http://usatoday.sandbox.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=37349

Well - I have started the offical 2008 thread, and made my predictions. If you play Sandbox you should log in and post your thoughts. Or just use the comments section here to make fun of mine!

My predictions for 2008 are as follows:

Wins: 19
Losses: 8
IP: 202
K: 219
BB: 69
WHIP: 1.21
ERA: 3.11
PPG: 19.8

You can read the full thread here: http://usatoday.sandbox.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=41648

Todays Posts

2008-01-14T21:31:00.000-05:00

Well thats about all for today. I have a bunch of cards left from his 2002 rookies - in fact that is about all I will be posting as that is all I care about ...

I should be done by the end of the week - then it is time to start posting about real stuff.

Have a great night!!!!

2002 Donruss Studio

2008-01-14T21:08:00.000-05:00

Donruss Studio is another stupidly redundant set. It was cool in the early 90's when the first set came out - you know the one - purple border with black and white portraits of each player. For some reason the Kirby Pucket card from that set is the one that sticks out in my mind. Maybe he was on the box or something - who knows!

2002 Donruss Studio

Card #270

Standard Version: (3) - each serial numbered XXXX/1500. I currently own #'s 0139, 0157, and 0747

Studio Proof Version: (2) - each serial numbered XXX/100. I currently have #'s 012 and 100

Private Signings Version: (1) - serial numbers 23/25

2002 Donruss Classics

2008-01-14T20:56:00.000-05:00

2002 Donruss Classics might be my favorite set for 2002. I dont know why - maybe it is because of the "classic" feel. It reminds me of the cards I first started collecting in the mid 80's. Not a replica like so many other rip-off brands are out now. It is a new design with an older feel. I dont know why - I just like it. For some reason I think I remember there being more versions of this card - but I only have 2:

2002 Donruss Classics

Card #201

Standard Version: (6) serial numbers to 1500. I currently have#'s: 1174, 1198, 1295, 1311, 1437, 1459

Significant Signatures Version: (1) Autographed card with a serial number 19/50

2002 Donruss Fan Club

2008-01-14T12:58:00.000-05:00

This is a set that I do not remember being on the shelves, and how it is organized is really strange to me. I still haven't been able to figure out what the best of, credits, spotlight ... etc was or how it was released. Never the less - I have a bunch of these!

200 Donruss Fan Club

Card #202

Standard Version - (0) - I do not know if this card exists. I haven't had a price guide, or the urge to look it up. If anyone has one let me know - I will buy or trade!

Credits Version - (2) - this one is serial numbers to 100. I have 083/100 and 089/100

Auto Version - (1) - there is no serial number on this card, but I am told that there are only 25 in existance. I haven't seen any on eBay except this one that I bought so it makes sense.

Best of Fan Club - (9) - These cards are serial numbers to 1350. They are pretty much the same as the fan club cards only are metallic. I have: XXXX/1350: 0140, 0581, 1157, 1158, 1165, 1185, 1287, 1327, 1338

Best of Fan Club Spotlight - (1) - same as above really only these have the word Spotlight on the top and are serial numbers to 100. I have# 074/100

2002 Donruss Elite

2008-01-14T12:34:00.000-05:00

The 2002 Donruss Elite series was a very nice looking set. The cards are metallic, the photography is nice, and there are some great cards. Ollies card shows the arm angle he had when he was throwing strikes and dominating - not the one where he turns his body and shoots ball after ball.

The are only 1000 in existance, the ones with a serial number 25 or under are autographed - making this one of his rarest rookies. numbers 26-100 are die cut, and numbers 101-1000 are the standard version.

2002 Donruss Elite Extra Edition
Card #212

Standard Version - (21) with serial numbers: XXXX/1000 - 115, 140, 173, 252, 328, 348, 371, 380, 437, 547, 587, 609, 605, 714, 735, 741, 776, 788, 805, 861, 894

Turn of the Century die Cut version - (1) with serial number 0028/1000

Turn of the Century Autographed Version - (1) with serial number 0010/1000

Posting

2008-01-13T16:39:00.000-05:00

For the first few days I will be posting an inventory of my Oliver Perez collection. I probably wont have much time to write about anything else - but I look forward to writing about just about everything.

From my new Sprint HTC Touch phone, the development of my 2 year old son, how I wish more players would take steroids and HGH so I have a more enjoyable product to watch on the field, to how Ollie fairs when Pitchers and Catchers report in just a few weeks.

I am excited to post - even if absolutely no one is reading. Because blogging is just a diary that you make public for the world to see - and since there are several billion to choose from - it is important to remember you are writing for yourself not the reader. I know full well I might get a few hits a day if I am lucky. Isn't that what blogging is all about?

2002 Bowman Draft Picks

2008-01-13T15:46:00.000-05:00

Bowman is one of the most popular sets for rookie cards. With all of the variations it can mean a lot of the same card to buy. Some are serial numbers, and some are not. It makes organizing these cards fairly difficult - but if you follow baseball cards at all - these also tend to be the most valuable - especially the Chrome Variations. I am currently bidding on a lot of 4 Chrome versions on eBay, and I will not count those cards in this inventory. If I win this cards, I will post an update when I receive the shipment!

2002 Bowman Draft Picks

# BDP113

Shandard Version: 10

Gold Version: 6

Chrome Version: 33 including 3 graded - (1) PSA 10, (1) PSA 9, (1) BGS 9.5 - 10, 9.5, 9.5, 9.0

Chrome Refractor: 8 including 2 graded - (1) PSA 10, (1) PSA 9 - Serial numbers XXX/300 - 044, 053, 112, 152, 155, 170, 211, 248

Chrome X-Fractor: 5 including 2 graded - (2) PSA 9 - Serial numbers XXX/150 - 040, 101, 106, 112, 138

Chrome Gold Refractor: 2 - Serial numbered 05/50 and 24/50

2002 Upper Deck - Ultimate Collection

2008-01-13T14:36:00.000-05:00

This card was also one of the most coveted rookies of the 2002 sets for a while (mostly in 2004 after Ollie's huge year). It was on the Beckett hotlist for a long time - and is just a real nice looking card.

Only 550 were produced and autographed.

2002 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection

#117

Currently own (11)

Serial numbers - ###/550: 008, 133, 138, 242, 246, 355, 374, 484, 541, 542, 546

My Oliver Perez Collection - 2002 Upper Deck SPx

2008-01-13T14:23:00.000-05:00

This is one of the more desirable cards from Oliver's 2002 releases. There are 825 in existance, and was not released with the normal set. In 2002 Upper Deck released a product that provided updates for each of the sets it produced that year. In these boxes you could find the SPx, Authentic, Diamond Collection, etc. updates for the set.

2002 SPx

Card # 235

Of the 825 produced, I currently own 15

Serial numbers: ###/825: 022, 158, 203, 320, 341, 410, 501, 528, 550, 649, 682, 723, 733, 795, 812

My Oliver Perez Collection - 2002 Leaf Rookies and Stars

2008-01-13T13:47:00.000-05:00

I guess I chose this card to be next for the same reason as I chose Donruss the rookies for the last one. One of the Auto's is the next card in the to be sorted pile!

2002 Leaf Rookies and Stars
Card #354

Current Inventory:
Standard Version - (1)

Longevity Version - (1) Serial # 02/25 (creases in scan are the tape on the hard case)

Auto Version - only 175 made, no serial #'s - (9) - one of which is BGS graded 9 (10, 9, 9, 9) with an Auto grade of 10

My Oliver Perez Collection - 2002 Donruss

2008-01-13T13:23:00.000-05:00

I chose this card to be my first post on my Ollie Collection. Reason? There is no reason. This just happens to be one of the most recent cards I have purchased, and it is on the top of the two be sorted pile.

2002 Donruss the Rookies

Card #75

Current Inventory:

(23) of the standard card

Donruss put out at least one variation, actually only one that I have - but there may be others:

There is an autograph version of this card, and there are only 25 in existance. I now own 3 of the 25. The 3 I own have the following serial numbers: 05/25, 19/25, and 24/25 respectively.

First Post

2008-01-12T14:49:00.000-05:00

Where to begin?

I am a huge baseball fan, always have been since my first time watching games in the early 80's with my dad. I remember watching a game and being in awe of the talent of Dave Winfield - The Hall of Fame Outfielder. He made an incredible catch with the Yankees - reaching back into the 3rd or 4th row. From that moment on he was my favorite player. In the mid to late 80's I started collecting baseball cards. By the age of 12 I had a NYS sales tax ID and was selling cards at local shows. I did it mostly to be able to afford more cards! In 1995 I graduated High School and went to College at the University at Albany. My favorite team - the Yankees - had just completed a 7-10 year period of mediocrity, I had no money for baseball cards - and although I was still a huge fan - I stopped collecting.

In 1998 I was turned on to internet fantasy baseball - on a now defunct site called smallworld.com. We had a lot of fun! The next year we moved our league to sandbox.com and we haven't looked back.

Sometime in this area I began collecting again - although not as fervently as I had as a child. Combine this with my addiction to fantasy baseball, and I started to root more for players instead of teams. The yankees are still my favorite team - but I need my players to do well - so I can win my league.

In 2002 a 19 year old rookie was promoted to the majors for the San Diego Padres - and based on his monor league performance and his age, I took a shot on him. Throughout the end of 2002 Oliver Perez made me a fan. He struck out 16 rockies in one of his first games! I started collecting his cards then, but just a little.

In 2004 after being traded to the Padres - Oliver looked like the next greatest thing. Players compared him to a shorter Randy Johnson - Barry Bonds said he was the hardest to hit against in the league. I bought a bunch of his cards at this time.

In 2005 and 2006 - I followed him pretty strongly as he remained on my fantasy team - but I didnt really buy anything. If you look at his record you will see why. It seemed to me like he was a flash in the pan. A Steve Avery of the 2000's. That kid that pitched too much too early and was going to fade into history as a could have, should have, didn't.

In the second half of 2006 - a pitcher for the mets (Duaner Sanchez) was in a taxi cab accident - and the mets needed a reliever for their post season run. The mets almost instantly made a trade with the Pirates for Roberto Hernandez. Omer Minaya being pretty shrewd - asked the pirates to throw in Oliver - whom they had given up on and sent to the minors.

This gave Perez the opportunity to get a fresh start, and work with "The Jacket" - Rick Peterson, the mets pitching coach famous for working with young pitchers (sich as the big three in Oakland in the late 90's). Oliver made progress - and showed much poise in a few post season outings - including the game 7 of the NLCS that the Mets lost to the eventual World Series champ Cardinals. Oliver pitched well enough to win giving up only 1 run - but the mets bullpen blew the game. This strong outing convinced me that he would succeed in NY, that Rick Peterson could turn him back to what he was before, and made me start heavily collecting his cards again.

This Blog will be updated everytime I have something to say, about anything really. It will mostly focus on Oliver's performance. It will provide links to articles about him. I will show off my collection of his cards, and talk baseball in general.

Since I am a Yankee fan you will see posts on that subject as well. My Fantasy addicition will sometimes have me post on other stuff happening in baseball. Following Oliver makes me follow the mets, so Mets fans may find some interest as well. I work in the wireless phone industry so some technology stuff might be thrown in as well.

I like to type fast, and I probably will not be spell checking - so expect typos. If those bother you - then don't read the blog!

I hope everyone enjoys reading my thoughts as much as I expect to enjoy posting them!

Bill