Yardbarker: Brandon League

75 to 88 Wins in 2 Simple Steps

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:46:00 -0500

It's easier than you might think. Step 1: Do NothingThe Jays won 75 games last year, but Pythagoras suggests they should have won 83 (actually, 83.5 to be more precise). The only significant non-random factor that affects a team's deviation from its Pythagorean record is the strength of its late-inning relievers. While the Jays don't have an elite closer like Rivera, Papelbon or Nathan, the tandem of Jason Frasor and Scott Downs was great last year, and between those guys, Brandon...

Breaking Down Arnsberg: What Are the Astros Getting?

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:00:27 -0500

by Darren Calabrese - AP Is the criticism of Brad Arnsberg justified? View full size photo uploaded November 2, 2009 In case you missed the FanShot from last Friday, the Astros hired a new pitching coach. Brad Arnsberg comes with a reputation as a young pitcher-killer, but was loved by all his staffs and seemed to be able to work some magic with 'reclamation projects.' The World Wide Web was abuzz with articles ab...

What was your least favorite Jay's game of the season?

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:32:04 -0500

We asked, yesterday, what your favorite game of the season was, so today we ask which was your least favorite? Which was the worst game, in your opinion, for the Jays? There are many possibilities, if you weren't paying attention, we lost a number of games last year. Many in depressing fashion. But for me one stands out in my memory as being particularly crushing. Back in the not so merry month of May, we had a 8 game losing streak going, we were in Baltimore and Roy Hal...

The End of the Road, But the O's Win 4th in a Row to Finish 2009...

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:51:00 -0500

After enduring a 13-game losing streak, the Orioles won their fourth straight game - and the penultimate one of the season - 5-4, thanks to an unbelievable 11th inning where the Orioles used two bunts aided by back-to-back errors by Toronto reliever Brandon League. League, who was on the mound in the deciding frame, threw away two balls - one by Lou Montanez and the other by Jeff Fiorentino - to stun the crowd. It goes without saying that the Blue Jays literally gave away the game on Sunday. ...

O's sweep Jays in 11, close with 4 straight wins

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 15:44:22 -0500

Michael Aubrey scored the winning run on Brandon League's second throwing error in the 11th inning Sunday, giving the Baltimore Orioles a 5-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays and a three-game sweep.

Blue Jays Report Card

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:15:53 -0500

The great Dave Till took care of this for us, year after year. I don't have Dave's fine sense of the classroom (it's been a while since I was actually in one, you know) but I'll do what I can.Something to do while I wait hopefully for Jim Balsillie to give up on his NHL dream (they don't want you, Jim, can't you see?) and turn his attention to baseball. Here's what the grades mean to me:A - OutstandingB - Good C - AverageD - Below AverageE - Fail. (Replacement Leve...

Toronto Blue Jays: Brandon League and Jesse Carlson Follow-Up

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:26:00 -0500

In a post earlier this week I took a look into the recent struggles of Brandon League and Jesse Carlson. While there was some statistical evidence, it felt like I had just scratched the surface on explaining the downward spiral of these two pitchers who at one point were two of the most prized relievers in the Blue Jays bullpen.Drew from Ghostrunner on First suggested that I venture a little further down into the rabbit hole and immerse myself in the statistics that would scare away an otherw...

Brandon League and Jesse Carlson: Mr. Inconsistency and Captain Facepalm

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 07:22:00 -0500

They're the faces we've seen all too often this season; the patented Jesse Carlson facepalm and the Brandon League look of disbelief. The struggles of both of these young hurlers have been well documented this season and were evident once again in the Toronto Blue Jays' 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.Once integral parts of the best bullpen in baseball (in 2008), Carlson and League have fallen from grace and have become the two worst relievers on the club. First off, let's star...

Brandon League Best AL Reliever at…

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:49:26 -0500

Brandon League Best AL Reliever at… Brandon League is one of those guys that always irks me. He has some nasty, nasty, stuff, yet at times he can be inconsistent. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised to see that he’s tied as the AL’s best in Inherited Runners Scored Percentage This season Brandon has inherited 14 base runners. [...]

New League Rules Required

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 09:47:08 -0500

Has anyone else noticed that Brandon League has been absolutely lights out coming out of the bullpen this season? Well, he has. Trust me. League struggles when he's coming out of the dugout.League has appeared in 23 games this season. Here's what he's done in that first inning, when he arrives at the mound directly from the bullpen.BULLPEN IP H R ER HR BB SO &nbs...

League Loser in Interleague Play

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:47:26 -0500

With Roy Halladay leaving early, the Blue Jays depended on their bullpen to get the job done against the Marlins. They did so until the eighth, when Brandon League gave up five runs, including a grand slam to Cody Ross. The Marlins turn a close game into a blow out as they win [...]

Lowrie’s late bomb propels Sox to series win

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 23:55:28 -0500

Sox 6, Jays 5 (11) WP: Papelbon (5-3) LP: League (0-2) SV: Delcarmen (1) HRs: BOS-Pedroia (14), Crisp (7), Lowrie (2); TOR-Wells (13), Overbay (11) Summary: The Red Sox salvaged a series win one day after getting torched in Toronto when Jed Lowrie hit a tie- breaking home run in the top of the 11th inning off Brandon League. [...]

Don't Believe the Hype - Carlos Quentin & Brandon League

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 16:59:58 -0500

Another new series, which will outline two players per article that will be over hyped come draft time. Give these articles a quick read, then sit back and watch your fellow owners bid up these 2007 fantasy players like the Royals bid up Gil Meche.