Around the Majors: Thomas goes on the DL

1) The Whitesox placed DH Frank Thomas on the 15 day DL and called up OF Joe Borchard.

Thomas has an ankle injury and is hoping to be able to avoid season ending surgery.

Borchard has -7 RCAA/.562 OPS in 32 career games.

2) The A’s activated 3B Eric Chavez from the DL and placed INF Esteban German on the 15 day DL.

After 21 RCAA/.860 OPS and 26 RCAA/.864 OPS seasons, Chavez is hitting .484 SLG, .381 OBA, .865 OPS, 4 RCAA in his first 50 games. He has a .850 career OPS, compared to his league average of .772, and 91 RCAA in 794 games.

German has a left internal oblique strain. He has -7 RCAA/.547 OPS in 34 career games, including a .300 SLG, .283 OBA, .583 OPS, -4 RCAA in 20 games in 2004.

3) According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, while the Phillies made a Morris-Kline for Millwood-Polanco offer, the talks didn’t go anywhere. The paper also reports that, “Barring injury, the Cardinals are expected to pursue a corner outfielder or a righthanded reliever and are unlikely to part with a significant prospect or take on significant salary.”

4) Astros owner Drayton McLane and GM Gerry Hunsicker deny rumors that Roger Clemens will put on the trading block, while Hunsicker also denies rumors that Carlos Beltran will be retraded. There are rumors that both the Yankees and Redsox are interested in reacquiring Clemens.

5) According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark, the Marlins could be interested in Pirates C Jason Kendall and the Cubs are interested in Expos SS Orlando Cabrera.

6) According to the New York Daily News, Randy Johnson has said he would waive his no trade clause to go to the Yankees. But, Johnson’s agent says he’s never officially been asked.

7) The Brewers sent P Wes Obermueller to the minors and called up INF Matt Erickson.

Obermueller has a 6.23 ERA/-31 RSAA in 29 career games, including a 6.69 ERA/-20 RSAA in 13 starts (15 games) in 2004.

8) Indians minor league OF Alex Escobar will have season ending surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right foot.

Escobar has -9 RCAA/.677 OPS in 92 career games, including a .309 SLG, .318 OBA, .627 OPS, -8 RCAA in 46 games in 2004, before being sent down last month.

9) The Dodgers placed OF Juan Encarnacion on the 15 day DL, retroactive to July 4, and called up OF Chin-Feng Chen.

Encarnacion has inflammation in his left (nonthrowing) shoulder. After -8 RCAA/.773 OPS and -5 RCAA/.759 OPS seasons, he is off to a .431 SLG, .292 OBA, .723 OPS, -9 RCAA start in his first 75 games. Encarnacion has a .755 career OPS, compared to his league average of .776, and -57 RCAA in 827 games.

Feng is 0 for 9, with -2 RCAA and 1 BB, in 7 career games, including 0 for 3, with -1 RCAA, in 3 games in 2004.

10) The Redsox placed P Lenny DiNardo on the 15 day DL, retroactive to Monday, called up P Joe Nelson and designated minor league P Tim Hamulack for assignment.

DiNardo has a blister and has a 4.23 ERA/2 RSAA in his first 22 career games.

Nelson had a 36.00 ERA/-7 RSAA in 2 games with the 2001 Braves.

11) The Mets activated OF Karim Garcia from the DL and sent P Matt Ginter to the minors.

After 3 RCAA/.889 OPS and -6 RCAA/.724 OPS seasons, Garcia is off to a .405 SLG, .275 OBA, .680 OPS, -9 RCAA start in his first 59 games. He has a .709 career OPS, compared to his league average of .770, and -51 RCAA in 462 games.

Ginter has a 5.48 ERA/-17 RSAA in 74 career games, including a 4.80 ERA/-3 RSAA in 11 starts in 2004.

12) Orioles P Sidney Ponson will be scratched from today’s start, due to a groin injury.

After 4.09 ERA/6 RSAA and 3.75 ERA/13 RSAA seasons, Ponson is off to a 6.29 ERA/-19 RSAA start in his first 18 starts. He has a 4.71 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.65, and -27 RSAA in 195 games.

13) The Tigers activated utilityman Chris Shelton from the DL and sent P Steve Colyer to the minors.

Shelton is off to a .375 SLG, .359 OBA, .734 OPS, -1 RCAA start in his first 16 career games.

Colyer has a 5.16 ERA/-5 RSAA in 44 career games, including a 7.01 ERA/-8 RSAA in 31 games in 2004.

14) Expos 3B Tony Batista reached 1000 career hits.

After -3 RCAA/.766 OPS and -29 RCAA/.663 OPS seasons, Batista is off to a .373 SLG, .256 OBA, .629 OPS, -16 RCAA start in his first 80 games. He has a .751 career OPS, compared to his league average of .774, and -16 RCAA in 1102 games.

Among players with 1000+ career hits, Batista has one of the worst OBA vs. the league average in the past half century–

OBA DIFF PLAYER LEAGUE H
1 Aurelio Rodriguez -.051 .275 .326 1570
2 Ozzie Guillen -.048 .287 .335 1764
3 Tim Foli -.047 .283 .331 1515
4 Ed Brinkman -.043 .280 .323 1355
5 Alfredo Griffin -.043 .285 .328 1688
6 Ken Reitz -.043 .290 .333 1243
7 Neifi Perez -.043 .300 .342 1092
8 Tony Batista -.042 .298 .340 1000
9 Tony Armas -.041 .287 .328 1302
10 Alex Gonzalez (Cubs) -.039 .303 .343 1069

15) The Royals sold minor league INF Mendy Lopez to the Samsung Lions, in Korea.

Lopez has -26 RCAA/.643 OPS in 190 career games, including a .184 SLG, .209 OBA, .394 OPS, -6 RCAA in 18 games in 2004.

16) The Diamondbacks placed P Scott Service on the 15 day DL, retroactive to Tuesday, and called up OF Luis Terrero.

After being out of the majors in 2001-02, Service had a 4.72 ERA/0 RSAA in 2003 and is off to a 6.75 ERA/-4 RSAA start in his first 14 games. He has a 4.96 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.48, and -19 RSAA in 331 games.

Terrero is 1 for 5, with -1 RCAA, in 6 career games.

According to Peter Gammons, “There is no greater baseball tool than Lee Sinins’ Baseball Sabermetric Encyclopedia. Get thee to Baseball Immortals and order the disc, haste post haste.” The product Jayson Stark called “the best invention since the toaster oven!” has gotten even more powerful.

If you enjoy the ATM reports and want to support them, check out my other creation–the sabermetric baseball encyclopedia. It’s powerful, yet extremely easy to use. Features extensive sorting, stat display options, and features that are not available in online and printed sources. Order the deluxe package and get a free player comments book. For more information, see
http://www.baseball-encyclopedia.com