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Originally Posted by Lefty Noob  Well said, stepay. Like you, I love that the NL game involves so much more strategy. Plus, everyone's so convinced that the AL's pitching is so much better than the NL's, but the situations aren't equal since the NL hurlers are batting basically every start and the AL guys don't have to go through that. Look at what happens when guys like Barry Zito come to the NL. His numbers have fallen off dramatically. Coincidence? Perhaps, but interesting nonetheless. |
First of all, I live in the bay area and I'm a fan of both the Giants and the Athletics. I enjoy watching both NL and AL ball but I would just like to say that Barry Zito didn't just "fall apart" since coming over to the giants, he was falling apart a good 2-3 years before his contract had expired in Oakland. Each consecutive season since his amazing 24-7 2.85 era (something liek that) Cy young season, he's been doing worse and worse every single year. Hitters around the league are getting used to the curveball, his 88-90 mph fastball and new slider aren't lights out pitches. So his bust as a giant isn't very surprising to me. Secondly, a big factor is coaching. Plain and simple: Curt Young has to be one of the best pitching coaches I have ever seen, just look at the A's pitching over the last couple years, ever since he inheritied the Big 3 (Hudson, Zito, Mulder), the A's have produced AMAZING pitchers all the way to their ridiculously low ERA currently this season. I mean, just look at Haren (1.78 ERA), gaudin, street, harden, dinardo, blanton, embree. They're all having a good season. Now cross the bridge and look at the giant's pitching staff. Who have they produced in the last couple of years? The only good pitching the giant's have been able to produce was bringing in morris, and even then he hasn't performed up to his potential. Morris was an ace when he was with the cardinals, now he's just another weak link in a fragile chain which we call the Giant's starting rotation. You got lincecum who's falling real fast after 2 or 3 good starts, matt cain often shows flashes of brilliance but isnt anything special, and noah lowry isnt much either. Plus the AL pitches have to face the likes of A-rod, Manny, Big papi, Vlad, magglio, etc. Who do NL pitches have to face? maybe pujols? Plus, NL pitches pretty much get a free out every time through the rotation for the first 6 innings of every game.
All in all, Pitching is better in the AL, hitting is better in the AL, and the AL have won 6 out of the last 9 World series.
06-21-2007, 08:08 AM
Re: AL vs. NL 
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