Dan Haren is the best starter in the league...maybe both!
| 5
|
by user Theidiotchronicles
This was cross posted on my blog The Idiot Chronicles back on June 10th but I think it's worth posting here as well. I did update the stats for this post.
Yeah I said it. Fans of the Boston ballclub will whine and claim Josh Beckett (10-1, 3.14, 1.07 WHIP, .224 opponents batting average). Beckett has been very good but not as great as Haren. Look at Haren's numbers: 8-2, 1.64, 0.88 WHIP, .183 opponents batting average.
The reason for the 2 losses? Opening night against Felix Hernandez when he shut out the A's and his second start against the Angels he lost a 2-1 game to John Lackey (10-4, 2.96, 1.22 WHIP). 13 of his 14 starts are deemed "quality" starts. So one bad outing? Apparently that's his 5 inning-3 run-no decision outing against the New York City baseball club. Not really a bad outing.
Haren has 5 more starts before the All-Star break and should start the All-Star Game. Jim Leyland hopefully will have more class than to choose his boy Justin Verlander (8-2, 2.90, 1.16 WHIP, .217 opponents batting average) who doesn't have anything close to Haren's stats. Hopefully he has more class than Joe Torre. We'll see.
The other guy to watch, oddily enough is Haren's own teammate Chad Gaudin. Gaudin was a reliever until both Harden and Loiaza got hurt. Nobody has noticed that because of Gaudin, who should be an All-Star. His stats speak loudly: 6-2, 3.05, 1.41 WHIP, .256 opponents batting average. He needs to be given a slot on the team.
So back to Haren. What a great trade that was huh? Mark Mulder still isn't pitching foe the Cards. The A's got Haren along with Kiko Calero who is a steady reliever and a guy named Daric Barton, who I've mentioned before...he will be a star. Haren already is a star, an All-Star.
