Offensive numbers allowed by the pitching staffs of the Central since the All-Star Break:
BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | |
Twins | .269 | .313 | .406 | .721 |
Royals | .283 | .348 | .419 | .767 |
Indians | .288 | .338 | .460 | .798 |
White Sox | .293 | .348 | .472 | .820 |
Tigers | .267 | .347 | .491 | .838 |
Is it just me, or does everyone with a microphone always get the Twins wrong?
Have you heard they "do the little things" like bunt and hit and run and steal bases and bunt and tip well and bunt and move runners over and leave mint drops on pillows and bunt and support our troops and steal bases and bunt and put pressure on the defense and speak French fluently and bunt and can fold clothes neatly and bunt?
I guess that is just a more interesting story than the fact that they can generate #3 starters who don't walk anyone as if they own a Brad Radke mold?
As we used to say in debate, you can cross-apply this to the Angels. (I haven't watched an Angels broadcast with the sound on in three years, no lie.) Somehow, sluggardly teams are easier to understand: no one goes on and on about the Rangers winning because of their pitching staff featuring old-school athletes, though that makes about as much sense.
Finally, the Tigers are losing, obviously, because they have a station-to-station offense that doesn't do the little things.
Obviously.