Who's better? Liriano or Santana?

Lackey. No contest. But then again the kid Jered Weaver has been lights out and neither of them could touch him.

I expect Weaver to have to make some adjustments soon since he is a rook.

Lackey is flat out dominant and is right there with your top 2 in most categories. Still, the kid Weaver blows them all away.

Liriano doesn't qualify in my book since he's only got 12 starts in his pocket. Santana and Lackey both have 20 starts and their numbers are very comparable, but Lackey is better in some Santana in others.

I just don't think you can compare a guy who's put up a good chunk of his stats coming out of the pen. It doesn't require the kind of arm management that starting does. A reliever can go flat out for an inning or two while a starter has to pace himself for 6-7 innings. A starter can get a lineup stacked against him, a reliever often comes in against specific situations that favor him (righties against a string of righties) and they're often a change of pace that batters have to adjust to. They're two different animals really.

Both Weaver and Liriano need to prove their stuff over time, but right now, if you compare the two Weaver is a leap ahead of Liriano, and Liriano's numbers are great! So what's that say about Weaver's?
 
I respect your opinion even if I disagree with you if you are comparing Lackey to Liriano and Johan Santana, Rupert. Now if you meant that Lackey is better than Ervin Santana, that's different.

I will say this. Lackey is getting better each year and that's what you want to see as a player. That guy can throw strikeouts which is important for a pitcher to succeed. He was good as a rookie in 2002, but now he is becoming an dominant pitcher in which he expects himself to win every five starts. He is in the class of Halladay, Santana, Liriano, and Schilling.

As for Jered Weaver, you have to love what you see from him. I know Francisco has gotten lot of fanfare, but let's not forget what Jered has done. I like how the poise and command that he has. He is not fazed unlike his brother, Jeff.

Angels got the pitching, but their offense is why I don't think they will win the AL West. Angels are going with youth, but their young players such as Kotchman, Macpherson, and Mathis has all struggled. Angels hitters are going through what the Twins young hitters in Mauer, Bartlett, and Morneau went through last year as they struggled. You just hope Angels hitters progress the way the Twins young hitters are.

People talk about how no one wants to face the Twins come playoff time. Let me tell you something. No one wants to face the Angels come playoff time.
 
Yeah, I was comparing Lackey to Liriano and Johan Santana. I started out a little glib, but he's the equivalent of Johan without question, whether you agree or not. If you disagree I can only assume it's because of a little home-town bias. They're basically equivalent, check the numbers. You may like Johan better, but that doesn't dispute the numbers, which put them neck and neck as pitchers.

Liriano is pitching better that just about anyone in the majors right now, except maybe Jered Weaver, but Weaver is on a very short roll. Time must prove he's as good as his initial numbers, as with Liriano.

Yeah, the Angels tried to stretch out the life of cherished veterans Anderson, Erstad, Salmon, and Kennedy. The first 3 have wrung almost everything they have to give out of their careers, and Kennedy is suffering from the knowledge that he won't work near home anymore.

I think you're wrong in counting them out of the AL West, they're the best positioned to take it. Neither the A's nor the Rangers have the whole package, and the Angels have the pitching to keep them in it and probably take it. Unfortunately the bats and an injury or two have shuffled people around enough to send us on an error tear, worst in the freaking league, most unearned runs in the league. Horrible.

And speaking of Ervin Santana, he's going to be a star in the league very soon. He's just got to get a handle on his emotions and he'll start dominating more regularly. Our starters are the best group of 5 in the league, and we've got 1 or 2 itching for a shot (or as trade bait). Now if only we could do something about that middle relief.
 
In addition, I was a bit surprised when the Twins dropped off the radar last year. It's, uh good?, that the bats have come around. Though I'm not happy about it. But I certainly wouldn't be disappointed slugging it out with a good team year after year instead of the store-bought variety.
 
Twins/Tigers tonight at the Metrodome for the three-game series. I will talk more in depth about them later.
 
Thanks for the link, CB. I will post some stuff later tonight.

BTW, Liriano is done for the year. This stinks. The Twins are done. Twins did the right thing. If he is not fit to pitch, I don't want this to be even worse.
 
What happened to him? I heard something about his pitching arm. Too bad really. Kid was tight. Hope he can come back.
 
His shoulder was hurting and it was being ineffective.

I hope he comes back, but there has to be a reason why the Giants had no qualms about giving him up. They had to know something the Twins didn't. I don't think any MLB team is dumb enough to give up a guy like Liriano. One thing about Brian Sabean. He makes trades with the idea that those guys are never going to be good as you saw with him trading prospects for Robb Nen, Livan Hernandez, and Sidney Ponson. This does not excuse Sabean for getting ripped off because he was. He gave up a very good closer, a solid starter in Boof, and maybe a very good starter if he is healthy for a guy that was awful not to mention being released after that season.
 
The way the Giants are going right now I'm not sure they know what city they are playing in! :mad:

TMG...I expect you to register here. :D
 
The way the Giants are going I'm not sure the organization knows what city they play in. :mad:

TMG, I expect you to register here and talk some baseball with us. :D

Rupert, you might want to jump on too the way your Angels are going lately! ;)
 
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