Bloggy Goodness

Well I have neglected this space over the past few days. No way around it, i have written half posts only to be interrupted by this thing they call "work".

 

I hate work.

 

Anyways, lets get down to it this fine morning.

 

The batting helmet argument takes a philosophical turn. I honestly don't care about what this guy thinks. I have read some of his articles before and as you can probably guess from the topic he is writing about...he is a full blown idiot. My favorite part of this article is that taking a ball to the head is natural selection. Only those who can get out of the way, or have that intangible skill,  will nature allow to play.  Ok, so if we want to extrapolate this idea lets see some other things that we should get rid of...

 

1. Airbags. If you cannot survive a crash you shouldn't be in the car in the first place.

2. DUI Arrests- Hey, if you are sober and do not have the reflexes to get out of the way of a drunk speeding his way down the wrong side of the road...well that's just natural selection.

3. Batting Helmets all together- Well if you cant get out of the way you shouldn't be playing.

4. Medicine- Hey, that is just natures way of saying you are prone to being sick and should not be kept alive.

 

Simply put, this is the argument of someone who never took the time to think about what he is writing.  Which is fine, he is a philosophy professor, which makes him only one notch above a homeless person who screams in a park while chugging down a bottle of malt liquor.  Lets be honest...the drunk around the corner of my place makes more sense than this guy.  Of course the brain doesn't have any control over how good a player David Wright is, that is a lot of natural ability, but you can't field a fucking grounder if your brain is smashed to shit. MLB should make the new Rawlings Helmet, which can withstand the impact of a 100 MPH pitch, mandatory. It's improved technology that keeps you safe...should be a no brainer (pun intended).

 

This picture sums up Tim Lincecum's night. He got rocked...worst outing sincee giving up 5 ER in 6 innings to the Mets back in May (he also was embarrassed by Atlanta in July...4 runs in 5 innings).  Anyways, his ERA ballooned to 2.37 and he is starting to lose his shot at the MLB pitching triple crown...and maybe the NL Cy Young. Personally I still think he will win it, this was just one of those games where you pitch against a terrible team with a terrible offense and they happen to get the bat on the ball.  If Lincecum doesn't win the Cy this year I will be more than surprised.  Speaking of the Bay Area some people just have no clue. Tim Lincecum was underpaid last year...not shocking...he was only underpaid by $2.7 million...that's just stupid talk.  How can someone who sounds smart be so dumb? Simple, he doesn't understand sabermetrics and what goes into winning.  Tim Lincecum made approximately $400,000 last year.  According to his stats he was worth approximately 7.5 wins, which equates to $33.9 million. Ok, so I dispute this figure because it is purely stat based and if baseball was not a business that would be fine. I bet Lincecum was probably worth $20+ million to the Giants, maybe more, we would have to look at attendance, souvenir sales, concession sales, and everything involving when he took the mound.  Maybe he is worth more than $33.9 million when taken into account, and he is probably worth that much this year, but to say he was only worth $3.1 million last year is maybe the second dumbest thing I have read today...especially when the same guy is making the argument that Barry Zito should be paid more than Lincecum based on performance and service time. Yikes.

 

What do you get for signing Stephen Strasburg, trading for Nyjer Morgan, and starting the slow turnaround for the Oakland Raiders of Baseball? Fired.  Yup, the Nationals ownership in all their infinite wisdom are deciding on a new GM and instead of going with Mike Rizzo, are going with Arizona Diamondbacks VP of Player Personnel Jerry Dipoto.  Yeah, i am not joking.  The other finalist was former Red Sox GM and the man that fills Theo Epstein's shadow, Jed Hoyer (ok, so he was half-GM and it was for a few weeks until Theo decided that he has an awesome job).  This is shocking to me because Rizzo actually knew what he was doing, a first for the Nationals organization, and he got Strasburg to sign. He has done everything in his powers to improve the team.  While the Nationals do need to clean house, and boy do they ever, it seems to me that Rizzo could have done it while providing some sort of stability to the organization.  I wonder how many people will show up to this. Not a bad way to get some revenue out of the new face of the organization (sorry Zimmerman).

 

Wow. I have nothing to say. 9 players with .300 average.  Second best record since the All-Star break too (to the Yankees).

 

Smoltz to be 5th starter for Cards. I hope he does well.  He won't, but I hope he does.

 

Off to catch a flight...might have some post's tonight.

 

Hey, that rhymed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another Idiot Fan

Ok, so everyone knows that alcohol and sports mix like peanut butter and jelly.  Sometimes fans say things to other fans that might not be appropriate and sometimes things happen.  Generally it is just a drunken swear fest that ends with no punches being thrown because fighting is not really an acceptable way of handling disputes at a ballgame, or at least not every argument.  I am a supporter of jabbing fans of the other team...as long as they do not have any outward sign of them being overly aggressive.  I believe most people go to a game to have fun, have a few drinks, watch baseball, and enjoy time spent away from real responsibility. 

 

Sometimes there are bad eggs in the crowd though.  Generally they are fans of the home team that get a little too.....shall we say, impaired, and then things can go south really fast. I remember going to many Sox-Yanks games and seeing fights break out.  If you wear a Yankees jersey to Fenway you run the risk of being harassed by drunks.  Hold up a sign that told Duquette to take Roger Clemens back after he got shelled the day before (he then received a face full of fists).  Also after a blown call the fans showered the field with debris.  Lately the new rage is getting to physical altercations with players.  Everyone remember the incident in right field with Gary Sheffield (not the first player I would pick a fight with) and there are all sorts of other examples.  Anyways, last night there was a doozy...

 

North Side Shenanigans

 

I was watching the game when this happened. Am I surprised? No, not really. Like I said, alcohol and baseball mix together almost too well....especially when your team is getting the stuffing knocked out of them.  Anyways, hopefully this jackass gets caught...I mean look at him. I have no problem judging a book by the cover and this book looks like a Grade A Douchebag.

One More Shot

What are you supposed to do at work on a Thurday morning? Watch the PGA Championship. Tiger, Paddy, and Rich Beem are grouped together through the first 2 rounds. I would like to see Tiger v. Paddy on Sunday again. I wanted to see that at Augusta in April since Paddy won the last 2 majors of 2008 when Tiger was out with a torn up knee and broken leg.  Now that Paddy seems to have found his stride again (except for those pesky rules officials) I think him and Tiger are probably the two best golfers out there today...ok, you got me, Tiger, Phil, and Paddy would be just a blast to watch.

 

Oh, wait, there is baseball to talk about?

 

Let's talk about Golf and Baseball So Golf and Rugby are going to be voted on to be included in the Olympics.  So in 2016 Tiger Woods will be 40 years old when that comes around...I think golf should be a lock to make it into the Olympics.  It is a Global sport and frankly I am surprised it is not included already. What is more taxing, playing 72 holes in 4 days or speedwalking? Yeah, golf is a sport so shut the hell up.  Rugby should be a lock as well. However, Baseball was left off the vote to be included, same with squash, roller sports (really, how the hell should that be in the Olympics) and softball.  I am fine with baseball not being included...kind of. We do not send out good players, MLB will not shut down for a few weeks for the tournament, and not even the best prospects go to play.  Some people do not like the idea of tournament baseball or nations playing each other and blah blah blah. Sack up, its baseball, and most big time fans will watch the USA games.  Still, I think softball should be in the Olympics.  Ok, so the USA wins every year, boo hoo. Australia and Japan always give us a game and sometimes pull off the win.  I like watching Olympic softball.  I will admit it would be hard to find an Olympic sport I do not enjoy watching (Ice Dancing would be one) but still, I think Softball has a better case than baseball because the elite talent in the sport shows up to play.

 

What would you pay Aaron Harang? So he strikes out a lot of guys, gives up a ton of long balls (away from the bandbox he plays in as well), and he has an astronomical BABIP and line drive %.  He cleared waivers and is set to earn $12.5 million next year.  I'm not an expert on putting a monetary value on a player, though it seems like a fairly simple statistical exercise, but from what I know about Aaron Harang...that is a little more than he is worth now, unless to goes back to 2005-2007 Aaron Harang when he was worth appx. $17-20 million a year.  He is worth a shot for someone, especially a team that plays in a pitchers park (hey Detroit, how is Washburn working out?).

 

Lots and lots of math. Wow, and you need to have read The Book in order to understand everything. In short it is about finding the true talent level of a player with previous data, error, bias, and regression to the mean. It's a fun read and I will probably sit down and do the math at some point, but right now it seems like too much. 

 

Strasburg negotiations to go down to the wire. No way, really? Once again, if he turns down over $20 Million......i just keep telling myself do not wish bad on others.

 

Your Idiot of the Day. Well let me tell you something Bronson...they are not working.

 

 

Back with more in a bit..

 

 

 

 

I Cannot Think Of A Title

Today there seems to be a whole bunch to talk about, which is good for me because it gives me something to do. 

 

The following links are brought to you by the US Postal Service, who was used as an example of a government program getting destroyed by private corporations. This example was made by President Obama while trying to convince people that government run health care is the most efficient solution to combat rising health care costs....time to fire a speech writer Mr. President. Wait, this was during a bumbling, stumbling teleprompter free Q&A session with people hand picked by the White House.  Yikes.

 

Honey, I made a mistake... Yeah, ok, so non-baseball links have been common place lately, but holy crap this is amazingly poor judgement.  You are a multi-million dollar head coach for a major college basketball power and in your free time you knock up women and pay for their abortions.  Way to go Rick Pitino, you are just the worst.  I cannot wait until he goes into Kentucky this year...those signs are going to be horrific.

 

Don't worry Jamie, you will be back in the rotation in a week. Yeah, this was a tough spot for Philadelphia to be in. You cannot not resign Moyer after the year he had last year but on the other hand he has been absolutely worthless.  Maybe he just needs a 1,000,000 mile check up. I understand why he is mad, but I know he understands why he was moved to the bullpen.  I wouldnt lose sleep over it though, you are a hero in Philly, and the guy taking your spot got lit up in the Minors and will be absolutely crushed by MLB hitting.  Sorry Pedro, but you just don't have it anymore.

 

Ah, the love of nostalgia. There was a Soprano's episode when Tony Soprano was unusually quiet during a conversation and Paulie asked him why he was being so quiet. Tony responded with "Because 'Remember When' is the lowest form of conversation" and left the table.  Ok, so this was during the sometimes strange final season where Tony was looking at all the people around him and himself and contemplating life after his near death experience (his peyote experience was much cooler).  Anyways, sometimes I agree with that statement, especially when the conversation dies when the Remember When's end.  On the other hand, we have this article, which is a baseball remember when. Actually it is more like the 'things I wish they brought back' but hey, what do I know, I'm just a steroid era kid. Anyways, here are some thoughts on this article.

 

1. Stirrups. Yes, I even wore stirrups in little league.  I appreciate that guys still wear their socks high and not the baggy pant look because I never wore a pair of baggy baseball pants in my life. 

6. Baseball on the radio. Thanks to XM radio I am able to listen to all the games I want to on the radio and it is awesome.  The announcers are better, the feel is better, and I have many many many fond memories of listening to baseball on the radio.

7. Quality Mustaches. Rollie Fingers where art thou!

10. Youppi!. Yeah, the coolest mascot in all the land. No freaking idea what the hell it was, but anything that is 7+ feet tall, orange, and cheers for the Expos I am going to support. 

11. Fans running onto the field.  Ok, so the last time I saw this was in the Mid-90's. I used to hear stories of people running and scooping up the dirt on the infield. I think it was after the 1995 one game playoff between the Mariners and the Angels (Not sure if they were the California, Los Angeles, Anaheim, or Los Angeles of Anaheim breed, but it was the Angels) Or how about the guy who ran to congratulate Hank Aaron? If he did that today the only part of him that would touch Aaron would be his brains as they splattered all over the infield due to a sniper's bullet. I want to see the fans on the field at some point.  Let's face it, cops on horseback at a ballgame are garbage.

17. Bill Veeck. Eddie Gaedel anyone? Veeck was the master of the promotion. Now the only promotion are stupid t-shirt giveaways (at best), bobbleheads, and the very worst-magnet calenders. Wow John Henry, I just spent $100 on two tickets with an obstructed view and to thank me i get a Dunkin Donuts fridge magnet.  Thanks man.

18. The Eephus Pitch. Whenever I create a pitcher in baseball video games he always has an eephus. The thing is deadly and just plain awesome. No one ever expects it. The last guy I remember throwing one is Casey Fossum who had his famous 'Fossum Flop'.  When you are used to the heat and all of sudden you get a breaking ball at 40 mph that is lobbed sky high...yeah, have fun with that.

23. World Series Day Games. HOW AWESOME WOULD THAT BE! That right there shows you that I have never been able to experience one. Oh, and I hate staying up until 12:30 listening to the mangled mess of idiocy that comes out of Tim McCarver's mouth.

25. Bullpen Carts. Once again, how awesome would that be. And it's another toy for parents to buy their kids (it will pay for itself). 

 

For me, those are the highlights of that article.

 

500th Home Run? Yawn. Ok, so thats not really what the article is about (the who cares part because it is still quite the accomplishment) but I'm not sure if 500 home runs is an automatic HoF qualifier anymore. I think it should be just because so few have reached that number. There is a good point made in the article about the boom of 500-HR Club members in the 60's was similar to today.  It's hard to argue that most of the guys who have recently made it would not have unless they used PED's so I kind of throw that out the window.  It's still special though, and one hell of an achievement.

 

Oswalt v. Pujols v. Ortiz Cool stuff with projections. Just fun to look at how one of the more accurate projection systems sees the future.

 

Back with more later...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grading a GM

Ok, so this is an old article, and I had a whole big post brewing up in my head and then BAM! I had to actually do work.  Anyways, start by reading the link and then I will offer my comments...

 

Rich Sox

 

Ok, so the idea of the article is that Theo Epstein can afford to make more mistakes than almost every other GM because he has a huge pile of cash behind him.  In some respects, this is true.  Epstein has more to play with and, thus, has a large margin for error. However, he is the GM of the Boston Red Sox, has built a team that has won 2 World Series in the last 5 years, and has to answer to 'Red Sox Nation' which is not easy.  Thats fine though, because like I said, he has won 2 World Championships and has been a great GM.  Of course, we do need to look at the good and the bad.

 

Bad:

Julio Lugo. One of the worst contracts the Red Sox have given out in recent times.  Lugo slumped when he went to LA and the Red Sox hoped that was a fluke.  It was, Lugo's offense was not terrible but it was not good.  He glove, however, was the most atrocious display of fielding since....

 

Edgar Renteria- Awful. Awful Awful Awful.  He was the absolute worst defensive shortstop I have ever seen.  According to FanGraphs the Red Sox (Theo) signed him after his worst year since 1998.  He was probably worth more in 1998 than I am giving him credit for, but the point being is this.  He was worth $6 Million in 2004, so the Red Sox signed him for $10 Million a year for 4 years...then he put up a $6.4 million year and he was out of town.  Why didn't we resign Orlando Cabrera?

 

J.D Drew. 5-years $70 Million.  He will never live up to this contract.  He had a good walk year and cashed in...the Red Sox were the suckers.  If he could stay healthy he would be decent.  I have more of a problem with the two guys above than I do with Drew though.

 

Daisuke Matsuzaka- The king of them all.  Ok, so it was unfair to think that he would come in and dominate the league and live up to the $100 Million spent to acquire and sign him. Now we know he is lazy, doesnt like the Red Sox pitching coaches (no matter how much he tries to cover that up) and cares more about pitching in a tournament no one cares about than he cares about winning the World Series.  He is a diva.  Worse, he is a diva who sucks at pitching. 

 

Now, onto the Good...

 

Drafting- Theo is a draft master.  Ellsbury, Pedroia, Papelbon, Lester, Buchholz, and Bard.  Theres a great lead off hitter, an MVP, a RoY, the second best reliever in the game, an elite lefty, 2 no hitters, and a fireballing rookie who up until lately was unhittable.  Not to mention the talent that is in the farm system.  Yeah, Theo has done well for himself in the draft.

 

Jason Bay- Ok, so Manny is a legend.  I don't care what anyone says, Manny and Ortiz will always be Manny and Ortiz.  If one Red Sox fan says they didn't like seeing them together you can disregard everything they will say after that.  However, Manny became a sideshow.  It was time to let him go and that was that. In return we received a great player who can play defense and knock the cover off the ball (In April and May).  Sometimes there is addition by subtraction, and this was one of those cases.

 

Trading Nomar- When Jeter lunged face first into the crowd at Yankee Stadium and bashed himself up while Nomar sat on the bench with a sore hammy...that was the final straw.  This trade won the Red Sox the World Series.

 

Ballplayers- If there is one contribution to the game that Theo brought it was this...put together not just a team of good player, but a team of good ballplayers.  Guys who are there to hustle, win, and have a fun time doing it. No need for guys like Roger Dorn (see Major League), no Theo wanted ballplayers.  2004 is the team by which most teams should be structured.  Stars, role players, and everyone having a blast while doing what they love to do, and that is play baseball.

 

Side Note: Theo's hand was not involved with the HanRam deal...which can be debated as bad or good.

 

 

So overall, 2 World Series, 4 ALCS appearences, and 5 playoffs in 6 years since taking over.  No one has accomplished more in that time frame so I think it is safe to say that Theo has done quite well for himself.  Of course, would he be able to afford the mistakes he has made with a mid-market club? Hell no, he would be probably be on his way out the door (see J.P. Ricciardi).  I hesitate to label him an elite GM, but it is hard not to.  In fact, with a $130+ Million payroll there are few people I would rather have run my team (Terry Ryan, Billy Beane, Pat Gillick, and John Schuerholz would be some people I would think about) but lets face it, Theo can build a team and build it well.  Until he proves otherwise, I don't see how he is anything less than the #3 GM in the game when he probably sits atop the list.

 

 

Finding Atlantis

I have a bunch of posts I have partially completed, some that are as long as the one I posted yesterday which was actually thought out for about 5 minutes before I just brain dumped all over the place.  Anyways, I am going to try to get a bunch of those out today...so let's get on with it.

 

In honor of the title of the post... Check it out on Google Earth.  It looks pretty cool and seems like it is man made.  Of course, it will probably turn out to be nothing, but whatever, still looks intriguing.

 

The real story of the day is J.P Ricciardi doing this.  Why else would you trade away Alex Rios, who is having a subpar year, for...nothing.  His contract is steep, more than most teams would have paid him, but the White Sox walked away with a 28 year old outfielder who could go 20/20 with a .290/.340/.450 slash line and plus defense.  If Rios finds his groove again then Kenny Williams, like most GM's, made Ricciardi look like the sack of crap he is. The best part of the story is that Rios was just given away.  Sure the White Sox take a huge risk, but it's only money, and they gave up zero prospects.  Ricciardi actually was offered a trade from the White Sox for Rios and DECLINED.  Why get prospects for someone when you can get nothing at all? Why wouldn't you give up your best outfielder (Adam Lind doesn't count as he has DH's 3 times as much as he has played the field) when you held on to Roy Halladay because you were committed to making a run next year? What is the line on Ricciardi being gone before Halladay? 

 

Well you are not going to Queens next year J.P.... I am taking the Mets to win the NL East within 5 years if they kick out Minaya.  Probably within 3 years because this guy is all about sabermetric and  cost-benefit analysis.  We all know those are not Minaya's strong points...then again, I'm not sure what Minaya's strong points are.

 

Pedro To Start Wednesday. Jamie Moyer will now be operating out of the bullpen...until the Phillies realize that they signed Pedro and he cannot handle MLB hitters anymore.  Will he last longer than John Smoltz? My guess is no.

 

In a night of great achievements Troy Tulowitzki hit for the cycle, making him only the 2nd MLB player to both hit for the cycle and turn an unassisted triple play in his career. The other player is someone who I grew up watching, John Valentin.  Also, some outfielder with bad knees and a love for pitches out of the strike zone hit his 399th and 400th career home runs last night, the 400th won the game for the Angels.  I think Vlad will be in the HOF some day (unless he is penalized by his rapid decline).  He put up some sick numbers and has never been linked to steroids which will give him a major boost.  His comparables according to Baseball reference look like this...Larry Walker, Chuck Klein, Moises Alou, Juan Gonzalez, Joe DiMaggio, Albert Belle, Johnny Mize, Ellis Burks, Duke Snider, and Jim Edmonds.  4 of those guys are Hall of Famers. Anyways, I'm not sure why I am making this argument because I would be shocked if he didn't get in...shocked.

 

Ok, so I have to post this football story because I think this may be the single most revolting thing I have read this summer. I'm an NFL player and I don't need to be punished for DUI manslaughter. Ok, so maybe I did not quote Mr. Stallworth directly there, but come on, you get 30 days in jail for DUI Manslaughter and you want your sentence REDUCED? Why, because getting off with a slap on the wrist wasn't good enough? You think you have served your time? You didn't even spend 30 days in jail and now living in your mansion under house arrest is just too much for you to handle for a few months? Just for asking for his sentence to be reduced should be grounds to kick his ass out of the NFL.  Oh, but doesnt he deserve to earn an income? NO. If it was me behind the wheel of that car I would not be typing this because I would be in prison, sleeping with an eye open, trying to see if I can go around to High Schools to tell kids about the dangers of drinking and driving, and being a model inmate. If Donte Stallworth ever steps foot on an NFL field again I hope the uprights fall and smash his pea sized brain all over the field...a yard short of the endzone.

 

Well, like I said before, I am going to post some stuff during the day that I have been working on.  Why not, right? It's not like I have something else to do *pushes projects aside*........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strasburg, Chapman, and CB

The Nationals have won 8 straight games and are 12-4 in their last 16 games.  Impressive right?  Very.  I love seeing this team win.  Hell, they might be playing themselves right out of the #1 overall draft pick next year and this GED carrying future superstar, but before we start thinking about handing out tens of millions to next years 'once in a generation' talent...we have to sign this year's. (By the way, both Strasburg and Harper are represented by someone who is very good at their job and has an ego larger than every athlete he represents...combined.)  Anyways, right now in DC the discussion is starting to shift to Strasburg.  So far this is what we know...

 

-Boras is using Dice-K's 6-year $52 million contract as the reference point. This is significantly larger than Mark Prior's $10.5 million (who is this Mark Prior you speak of?)

-The Nationals have not been playing media games.  Despite a report that the Nationals have not been in contact with Boras about Strasburg, which I think is false, this has been on the back burner for some weeks now.

-The Nationals will offer Strasburg a record breaking contract.

-Strasburg will not sign until the last possible second if he does.

-He won't sign...partly because of him.

 

Meet Aroldis Chapman.  Most baseball fans have not been following the story of Chapman until this weekend when ESPN produced an Outside The Lines report on this 21-year old power lefty.  He are the fast facts.  He is 21-years old with an arm that is from God.  He has been clocked at 102, is developing his secondary pitches (nothing like Strasburg's slider though), and he recently defected from Cuba.  So, when was the last time a pitcher with the raw tools that Chapman has defected from Cuba and became a free agent at the age of 21? Never.  Needless to say he is a prized possession for any team that gets him. The cost? According to ESPN anywhere from $40-$100 MILLION.  Not bad for a kid who has only recently been in a car made after 1959. So why is this important?

 

Because, tools wise, Strasburg is better. Aroldis may throw like Kenny Powers (if you don't get that reference, and are not offended by cursing, racism, sexism, homophobia, drug use, and general unsavory behavior then click here and . If you don't click I will explain. Kenny Powers is a fictional pitcher who is the main character in Eastbound & Down, which is a show about how a promising young fireballer got caught up in fame and fell back down to earth) but Strasburg can compliment his 100+ MPH heater with a slider that actually slides and a change up that is improving.  Scouts have seen Strasburg pitch every 5 days...no one has seen Chapman do that consistently.  By the way, that Strasbug 100+ MPH fastball moves too.  That being said, Strasburg, having been born in the US, played in the US, and having gone to college in US is forced to enter the draft. Chapman, who played in Cuba and now resides in the Netherlands, is now available as an international free agent who can sign with any team willing to bid for his services. 

 

Just like not being able to trade draft picks, this is another part of the system that is curious.  I understand that it is hard to gauge talent from all over the world and throwing everyone into such a massive draft as the MLB one is a challenge, but around 40% of the players in organized baseball in the United States are born outside of the country.  Not all were international signings, but many were, and so this leads to the question at hand...What makes Chapman different from Strasburg other than he was born in Cuba and didn't play college or high school ball in America?  The answer is nothing.  Which is the point that Boras wants to make.  Why should a group of individuals qualify for a larger pay day (at a younger age I might add. Last year's International Signing sensation Michael Ynoa was 16 when he inked a $4.25 million bonus to join the Oakland Athletics organization)?  There really is not a good answer. Other sports do not behave this way. Football is primarily an American sport and their minor leagues are the NCAA, and basketball has the NCAA, but makes sure that foreigners have to enter the draft in order to compete.  Hockey is the same way.  Why is should baseball be different? 

 

I will push aside the problems with the Latin American talent selection process (based on tools not game play, they are generally older than they claim to be, and of all the international signings in past few years, only 2 Latino players under age 26 played in the 2009 All-Star Game- Hanley Ramirez and Felix Hernandez).  Not to mention this current system give a massive advantage to rich teams who can afford to throw stupid money at kids who may never work out...money that smaller market teams do not have.  So, do we have an international draft with a slotting system? No, we should lump them all together into one draft.  Since there is little organized baseball in some of these places due to monetary issues I can see why this current system may make sense, but it is hard to disagree with Boras, who I will say again, is very good at his job.  Is Strasburg being screwed? No, not really, because he has a great arm and will be making millions of dollars.  The problem is that there is a double standard that Boras is pointing out (one that will end up hurting his future clients possibly) but the larger issue that should come out of this is the competitive balance issue.

 

Competitive Balance is a topic in economics that is exclusive to sports.  Sports leagues thrive on many things, one of them is unpredictability.  If fans saw the same teams win year after year for decades then they would be turned off to the sport. Competitive balance can be measure by revenue, winning percentage, or any factor that contributes the well being of the league as a whole.  The idea is simple. The more balanced a league is the more exciting it is to watch (generally). A reverse order draft helps improve CB by offering the best new talent to the worst teams. Revenue sharing does not as it only depresses player wages. Salary caps can help, albeit not much, but there is not silver bullet to the problem (Salary Cap's are not that great argument number 1- 2008 Detroit Lions). Of course baseball is a business, if you think it is a sport first and a business second you are simply fooling yourself. However, this competitive balance issue is real.  Lets face it, the same resources New York has are not the same that Milwaukee has.  At no point are these two teams playing on the same level. Remember, almost all amateur players were free agents until 1965 when the first year amateur draft was implemented (shockingly the 4 teams that tried to fight this were the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, and Cardinals).

 

Every year there are teams that surprise (Rangers, Rockies, and Giants are this year) and they inject life back into baseball just by hanging around (for the millionth time- If the Giants make the postseason they are going to kick the ever-living snot out of their first round opponent) but the point is that we don't care about the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Angels, Cubs, Phillies, and so on because they are not interesting.  Popular, rich, and expected to contend every year? Absolutely they are.  What keeps baseball alive is when the Rays go into the Bronx and provide a good old fashioned beat down of the Yanks, then go into Fenway and make the pink-hatters cry.  This is why the larger issue at hand is not if Strasburg is getting his full value (he will probably get more if we look at the history of pitchers taken #1 overall) or if Chapman has an advantage (he does), it is the issue that there is a growing pool of talent from around the world that is soon only going to be available to the aforementioned perennial contenders.  Yes, the amateur draft has a reverse order and there is 'slotting', but the draft can only help so much, especially if only 60% of the players who will end up being in organized baseball enter through that system (to be fair the number of foreign born players in MLB was 28% on opening day). That leaves a lot of players up for grabs...and soon they will be up for grabs for only the big guys. 

 

In short...18 years old minimum and enter through the draft. That's the only way to even a playing field that is going to become more even since teams have started competing over 16 year olds who will have to visit Dr. Andrews is 2 years.

 

Oh, and to bring this all back to Strasburg. Offer him $25 Million and make him look you in the eye and decline.  If a 21-year old kid can turn down $25 million face to face with a Major League GM with a contract in front of him then he is not bright or mature enough to play big league ball yet.

Umpires and Sweeps

Right now, at this time, are the Red Sox the worst team in a playoff spot?  Yeah, and it is not close.  6 in a row to Tampa and New York.  With 7 games against Detroit and Texas this week, if this team doesnt take at least 5 games...well its going to be another long second half for Sox fans everywhere. Now, onto the links...

 

This was big news. I woke up Saturday morning from a wonderful slumber, turned on my computer, and BOOM! Pictures of Josh Hamilton licking whipped cream off of, shall we say, busty women.  Apparently he was also in search of some coke (not the fizzy kind) and left to track some down.  After his 24 hour bender he called his wife (not seen in the pictures because she was not there) MLB, his GM, and his 'Mentor' who he apparently holds bible study sessions with when his teammates go out of town.  Yes, he is an addict. A full blown, almost ruined a potentially amazing baseball career by smoking crack, addict.  I have some problems with how his story is promoted.  Sometimes it is framed as an "overcoming adversity" story which is wrong because Hamilton only overcame something he brought on himself....a love of cocaine.  Yes, he should stand as a role model for recovering addicts, and this event may bring further credibility to case to help recovering addicts. It was nice to see a player address a news story head on, right away.  See, the story went away once he admitted the truth, effectively killing the media firestorm brewing because there was nothing else to report on. Sometimes people wait too long to handle certain matters and that almost never turns out well.

 

Once again, at my computer this weekend, just checking to see the updates for the sunday afternoon games and I read that Shane Victorino was thrown out for arguing balls and strikes from centerfield.  You read that last part right, from centerfield, when his team go hosed on a called ball that looked to be in the same location as a called strike on teammate Ryan Howard. I don't know what go into Victorino, being so riled up...oh wait, now I remember. 

 

What? You just beat Boston twice and yeah, took your lumps against a surprisingly good Seattle team, but you are far from being out of contention because of strikeouts.  The Rays are not even close to being out of the postseason, and to blame it on strikeouts is preposterous.  This is how close the AL East is in terms of talent...or at least based on runs scored and runs allowed. The Pythagorean standings look like this.

 

NYY 64-47

TBA 63-48

BOS 62-48

TOR 59-51

 

Oh, and don't forget about Baltimore who has a lineup that will embarrass any pitcher (imagine if Matt Wieters ends up being half as good expected to be...right now he is slightly above replacement level (.263/.310/.371)..)

 

Someone to Cheer for and I do mean cheer for.  Unless your dream is to be the next Jeffrey Dahmer or someone of equivalent value to society, you should always be supported in following your dream. This guy is, and I hope he makes it.

 

Proof positive that Adderall is not a Performance Enhancing Drug... I really do not even need to say more.  Nick Green filled in great but if the Sox open the 2010 season with him starting at shortstop I might not watch.

 

The Most Ridiculous Item Of The Day. Well, it's nice to know that this man has never heard of Barry Zito or Vernon Wells.  I'm pretty sure San Francisco will now be contacting the Cubs about a trade if Big Z really is a waste of money. Oh, Chicago doesnt want to trade him? I'm shocked.  By the way, nice analysis using only wins and Cy Young awards as measures of success. Awful...but I am going to assume that Dave Kaplan does not moonlight as a nuclear scientist at Los Alamos so I guess we can forgive him for his lack of critical thinking...or just thinking at all.

 

 

 

 

Town Hall Madness

Well things are getting out of hand fast at these town hall meetings on health care....just take a look here.

 

Anyways, there was a big game last night. Yankees embarrased the Red Sox 13-6. I think it is safe to say that we have seen the last of John Smoltz in Major League Baseball.  It was a good gamble made by Theo & Co. but at the end of the sometimes these things just do not work out.  I hate to say it, but the Red Sox of 2009 look like the Red Sox of 2006.  No energy, no will to win, and some injuries that do not help the matter.  I hope that is not what happens this year but I can tell you there is something missing. (I know, boo hoo, the Sox are in position for the Wild Card.  Thats great, but after Beckett and Lester, I have serious problems with the rotation).

 

Anyways, on to more things than the downers that are Universal Health Care and the current state of the Red Sox....

 

Well this is an interesting scenario...5 years ago Andrew Jones looked like a lock for the Hall.  3 years ago it looked like he needed to make some changes. Now, the 19 year old that baseball fell in love with is now a 32 year old pinch hitter.  I think if he can string 3-4 more good seasons together he might get the totals that would make him a really interesting HoF case. He was one of, if not, the premier center fielder for 8 years or so.  Is that enough to get you into the hall?

 

Max Scherzer meet Brian Bannister I wonder if this is part of the new young crop of solid major league pitchers.  Kids my age and a little older know stats, love stats, and have been living in the baseball statistical boom for a while now.  The wealth of data on the effectivness of certain pitches in certain locations should be looked at by pitchers.  I think Scherzer, who was blessed with a hell of an arm, is setting himself up for long term success with his interest (and his brother's interest) in stats.  It never hurts to have another weapon...and deep knowledge of your opponants stats is a good one to have in your back pocket.

 

Just imagine what Roy Halladay would be doing! Actually ,I doubt it would be much better than Lee, and it might not even be as impressive.  15 K's in 16 innings, only 3 BB's, 2 ER's, and most importantly, 2 wins.  We all know that Cliff Lee is a great pitcher, andhe is certainly backing up his Cy Young campaign with a season that is almost just as impressive.  Now that he is in the NL he should start racking up the wins. I didn't know if Lee would fundamentally change how we look at the National League. If these past two starts are any indication, I think he might be one of the top 3 pitchers in the NL.

 

Ouch. I like how it starts by saying that the police are investigating the matter.  Call me crrraaaaazzzzyyyy...but I am going to say he was drunk, thought sitting on the side of a moving escalator would be fun, and then proceeded to lose his balance (cause he was wasted) and fell 40 feet.  Feel free to object to my well thought out opinion on this matter.

 

VMart trade does not change much in the AL? That could be some bad news. I think he does change it because the Red Sox can now rest guys who cannot play everyday.  I think he makes the race a lot closer and he makes the lineup stronger.  Its hard to say that an All-Star catcher does not change the race when he impacts a team already in the hunt.

 

Anyways, back with more later...

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Ortiz's friends think...

Courtesy of David Ortiz's Gmail inbox...

 

My personal favorites...The Message from C.C. about Red Lobster All-You-Can-Eat special and that he is apparently friends with Diane Keaton.

 

I think it goes without saying that there is NSFW language.

Fun With PowerPoint

Spending the morning doing PowerPoint presentations and finishing up some other projects....

 

Not sure what the 'Girlfriend Experience' is... I really do not have much to say since the good folks over at Deadspin have made every possible joke about this.  I pretty much posted this because it is funny and I grew up watch Troy O'Leary patrol the outfield for the Red Sox. I'm sure it delighted many of the Irish fans to see an O'Leary out there as well...then they found out Troy was black.

 

Only communists do not enjoy card collecting What a lot of people forget about is card collecting is supposed to be fun...not about collecting assets. Trust me, I have no moral objections to most, if not all, schemes to make a little extra dough.  Nefarious or not, I will side the person who is only using capitalism to their full advantage.  However, I will never sell my cards for anything.  They will be passed down to my kids because they have more value than what a Beckett guide says their 'market value' is.  Sure, I can get a lot of money for some of the cards I have (I mean, a lot of money.  More than enough money to have some serious fun for a good chunk of time) but why? There is a sentimental value to the cards you collect as a kid and that is something that should never go away.  I would, if prosperous enough in my life, to get my hands on this guy. Anyways, I hope card collecting never goes away, or , god forbid, turns into CyberCards.

 

Who do the Phillies take out of the rotation for one start? Lets face it, Pedro is not going to change the playoff prospects of the Phillies.  Maybe Moyer needs a 2 million mile check up?

 

Does Dusty even want to be safe? I like the Reds, they are getting there, but I'm not sure they have what it takes right now or in the next 2-3 years to contend for their division.

 

Wow, that could have been a real steal for Toronto. 

 

Back with more in a bit...

 

 

Too Early

I have decided that today came a little too fast. 

 

What happens when you plunk a Prince Fielder? Well he probably will get a fine after he decides to get revenge by storming your clubhouse like a pissed off bull.  In case you do not know the dangers of something as large as Prince Fielder charging you, I direct you to this this. 

 

The World Wide Leader Is At It Again. Now, I do not use Twitter, have ever looked at Twitter, or ever plan on using Twitter because it sounds like the god damn dumbest thing on the planet.  I enjoy that there is an easier way to spread information around the world and it was certainly nice at the the Trade Deadline...but I just honestly do not care about what people can fit into 140 characters.  To be honest, and I generally do not like shirts with stupid phrases on them, but this NSFW shirt sums up what I think about Tweeting.  Anyways, in defense of people who do Tweet, i think the free flow of thoughts is a good things no matter what the arena.  Of course, this goes against everything that ESPN believes.  Except for Gammons, who can say whatever he damn well wants, and for good reason, everyone else is an expendable company man (da da da, da da da).  Whoever runs ESPN must realize that 1. ESPN sucks at reporting news and 2. They are the biggest sports entertainment channel in the USA.  I think it is safe to say that ESPN also has a massive small mans complex along with even smaller body parts in places where you would expect, especially from someone who thinks that Twitter is going to topple ESPN.

 

I think his opinion is more valid that almost anyone elses.  I agree, but at the end of the day it doesnt really matter. The names will eventually get released and that is just something that we will have to deal with.  Of course, the documents could be burned, but no one in the media wants to see that happen.

 

I really do not want to comment on something that was not clearly thought out but I will anyways.  Lets go down the list!

1.True

2.Funny, won't happen, but a good point.

3.DUMB.  I am going to assume that Kevin Kernan has neglected to realize that the two teams in Florida cannot draw a crowd while being good ball teams.  Why on earth would you put another team in the MLB black hole known as Florida.  I mean, the Pirates? At least give them a fighting chance and move them to Portland, Oregon.  Don't put them in a place where no one will go to the games.

4.Decent idea, but it will never happen. You think A-Rod is going to sit and sign autographs for kids? Part of the fun is the challenge of getting an autograph.  Tips: Get there early, know the players first and last names and their stats and what they have been doing lately, and if all else fails, wait outside the player parking lot after the game.  At worst you will get the backup catcher.  However, I do remember seeing a gentleman who was drunk out of his mind fall face first in the middle of a street while waiting after a game for autographs. That is always entertaining for kids.

5. Eh, whatever. It isn't like the old days anymore Kevin, back when the team traveled by train with the writers on board.  This is fine, but you won't get anymore info out of them. Oh, and what is preventing them from doing this anyways?

6.YES! That's an easy one.

7. See, I think it should be tougher. 1st time- 1 year. 2nd time- Life.

8.Once again, nothing preventing this from happening now.

9.Well ballplayers and pitchers are fine, but if you are scouting center fielders, do you want someone who can run fast and play ball, or do you just want the kid who tries really hard. I agree, this should be part of player assessment, and it is, but you cannot start forgetting about tools.

10.Ok...clearly he needed some filler.

11.It never left.

12.Young assistant GM's are not good?  Ok, now I get the point of this article. Wait, no I don't, I just think this point is total crap. So does Theo Epstein, Jon Daniels, and Josh Byrnes.

13.Nah, that's another stupid idea.

14.Not quite sure what he means here...Baseball is long enough as it is.

15.Agreed.

 

Happy Anniversary to Nolan Ryan and Robin Ventura. Because nothing is better than getting thrown in a headlock and having the crap kicked out of you by someone who is 20 years older than you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Worst Thing You Will Read All Day

A Dinner With Team Levi... 

 

Yes, that Levi...as in Levi Johnston, the father of Sarah Palin's grandchild. If he is not on MTV starring in a dating 'reality' show within a year he needs new managers because this is the kind of stuff that crappy television is made from. They could call it something really classy too (16 and Pregnant? Oh wait, they did that already).  Better yet, they could make all the contestants the daughters of Gubernatorial hopefuls...

 

You really don't need to read the story. I am afraid the more page hits it gets, the more likely we are to see Levi pop up everywhere.  Yikes.

 

 

 

 

 

Real World Work

I spent last night partying like a rock star (playing video games, making popcorn, and then going to bed while watching George Lopez on Nickelodeon).  Now, onto some linktacular links...

 

Probably the most important news of the day...Paul McCartney, not a member of Red Sox Nation...or is he?

 

Winning isn't everything, but making money is.  It's true, the Marlins are totally content finishing 4th or 5th every year in the NL East because it maximizes their profits.  Even when they field good teams (I wonder how many people in Miami have heard of Hanley Ramirez?) people do not go.  Why spend $634 Million for a boost in attendance due to the honeymoon effect only for your fans to stop caring once the novelty of a new ball park wears off?  Well, at least it will have a retractable roof...

 

Wait, AT&T is more expensive than Fenway? I call bullshit. Fenway beers are small and over priced, just like everything that is not a Fenway Frank.  I just had the pleasure of going to AT&T to watch the Giants play (Do I even need to say I made sure to go when Timmy was on the mound) and let me tell you one thing that everyone knows...coolest modern ballpark in the land.  A lot of it has to do with the setting, which is beautiful, and the intimacy, which is great, and the garlic fries, which are delicious.  I had a beer, 12 oz, paid $5.75, and went on my merry way.  You really want to damage your wallet? Get a crab sandwich out in center field for 15 bucks. Anyways, at Camden in Baltimore...$5.75 for a 16 oz. draft.  Fantastic.

 

I choose...baseball ethics... I was good at ethics, so good that my teacher only allowed me to talk 3 times per class.  Did I say I was good? I meant I challenged the teacher who then docked me a grade because I didn't talk enough in class. It should come as no surprise that when he found out my Senior Superlative was 'Most Politically Conservative' that he ignored me for a whole week. He is also the perfect example of why having an Ivy league education does not mean you are educated...but it does mean you can repeat what the editorial page in the New York Times tells you to think.  Anyways, this is an article written by a crappy philosophy professor (sorry for the redundancy there) in which he bloviates about how to teach philosophy, why he is so good at it, and why he is left thinking that there is something wrong with taking steroids by using philosophy to answer a question that cannot be answered.  My favorite part is that he seems to believe, in conclusion, that we should give players a better response for why taking steroids than 'it just is' by using philosophy to show them why it is wrong.  Hmmm, i thought that because it is cheating and against the rules of baseball was enough (2004 to the present...pre-2003 is a simple answer. It was just a crappy thing to do, but it was legal, so you can't really blame people when there is an incentive to use a product that does not result in a negative consequence...which is something you learn is Economics and not Philosophy).

 

J.P.Ricciardi is a full blown moron.  I have to say something about this.  At first I thought there was no way in hell Halladay would be traded.  Then I saw that the Phillies, Dodgers, Red Sox, and Yankees were about to get into a bidding war and then I started to think that it might happen.  Then I realized that J.P. Ricciardi is probably biggest ass of a GM in baseball today.  He dangles his star player, the face of his team, out to the media for a month, negotiates through interviews, and then sets the price so high that no team would ever think of trading for him.  Of course, Ricciardi doesn't care, gets a deal in place, and they pulls the rug out from under the Rangers (Yes, I think Ricciardi did it and not Halladay.  If I was Doc I would want to get away from Ricciardi even if I had to play for the Nationals).  Look at the deals that got done that were massive...Holliday to St. Louis, VMart to Boston...PEAVY TO THE FREAKING WHITE SOX, and not one of these deals was a created from a full blown media war brought on by one GM who wanted to disrupt his team for an entire month. 

 

Neftali Feliz is sick. We all know he can throw gas...but a 100MPH fastball that tails in on a right hander it not a fun pitch to hit.

 

Thats all for this morning...back with more in a bit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Howdy Partner

Long and fun weekend. Now that I am back at work...on with the usual morning news shenanigans...

 

My love for fantasy sports requires me to post this... I always love the favorite team guy, especially when he picks right in front of me. I would never ever ever allow cell phones into a draft.  If you cannot go a few hours without your phone...I do not want you in my league. Oh, and this goes without saying...no girlfriends allowed.

 

Greinke start #22 today...I mean, what else to Royals fans have to look forward to. Greinke called his current Royals team "probably the worst team I have ever been on." Wow man, you have been there since 2004.  I wonder if the play of the Royals this season has influenced this bit of information.

 

I said I'm not on steroids! Ouch.  Boston gets the Papi news, goes into a deep depression, starts to come out of it, and then POW! Right in the kisser.  This story is worth a read only because it shows a few things. 1. The Red Sox might have a fairly large situation on their hands. 2. Ortiz used 'roids, he didn't get nabbed for something that was tainted. and 3. Jerry Remy's son looks like the loosest of cannons.  Your dad is Jerry Remy, you are practically guaranteed a job at Fenway for the rest of the time that your dad is alive...and you sell steroids. I honestly don't care one bit if Papi talks. It's like when your parents say they are no mad, they are just disappointed, which feels 10000000 times worse.  Papi, we are not mad, we are just disappointed. 

 

A load of Sabermetric Bullshit. I love sabermetrics analysis of baseball. It is nice because it is honest analysis that has no human bias because numbers do not contain emotions.  This article...is a total shot in the dark.  If we knew how valuable prospects would be in the future, they wouldn't be prospects, they would be guarantees.  I agree with the idea that trading a handful of prospects hurts you in the long-run...It is hard to argue that unless you win multiple World Series, or you have a superstar player who you underpay.  I doubt we have anyway of quantifying this statement with any sort of accuracy like this article suggests we can.  Lets face it, If the Phillies or Red Sox win the World Series...the trade pays off and the rest is gravy. It is a gamble on both teams parts, and this article suggests that the prospects will reach their true potential, which rarely happens.  Remembers, the Sox and Phillies never even touched their best prospects, which makes these trades wins because they kept their high-level farm talent and gave up future role players (most likely). 

 

The Code. There are a lot of unwritten rules in baseball.  A lot of it seems to be about padding stats and not embarrassing your opponent and crap like that. The stealing home example at the beginning of the article is great.  If a team can get a run in, you have to do it. I think a lot of these rules are just perpetrated by crybaby losers.

 

 

 

Lots more later on...

 

 

 

No MOTN!

Skipping MOTN! today because there are more important things to talk about. Such as...

 

STEROIDS!

 

I'm kidding.

 

 

Victor Martinez to Boston for Justin Masterson and Nick Hagadone.  Yowzers.

 

Masterson has been up and down, showing flashes of #2-3 starter stuff, mixing it with a big glass of fail against lefties.  Probably tops out as a solid starter, worst case is he is middle relief. Hagadone is one of the better prospects in the Red Sox organization.  Behind Buchholz, Bowden, and Kelly in terms of pitchers.  TJ surjury in 2008, returned this year to A ball in Greenville. Closed for university of Washington and was a PAC-10 All-Star in 2007.  Could be a closer, could be a starter, but definately has lightening stuff.

 

More to come...

Commander in Cheap

Come on Obama.

 

Etiquitte my man, etiquette.

 

Maybe he was charging them for hoops lessons.

 

 

First One Of The Day

Jarrod Washburn to Detroit...details coming in...


*Update*

Luke French and Mauricio Robles are the two players going to Seattle from the Tigers.

So to be clear on this...Detroit got a 35-year old flyball pitcher who hasn't been giving up as many home runs as his stats say he should...and Seattle got a younger version of Washburn who is under control for several years and a guy in Robles who is K-ing the crap out of A-ball.

Well done Seattle. I still think Detroit will be fine. If Washburn keeps this up, they win the Central by a semi-comfortable margin. It's better for Seattle in the end, but Detroit fans shouldn't be too upset...until midnight strikes or Washburn accepts arbitration and gets over $10 Million next year.

Christmas Come Early

Going to forget about the usual link-o-rama this morning.  Just going to recap some things and the rest of the day will be trade rumors and analysis...

-Boston had quite the day yesterday. The most beloved player in the city not named Thomas Brady showed up on 'The List'.  Fenway cheered when he hit his 3-run shot yesterday.  Ortiz tipped his cap.  The media fired every single possible bullet they could find at him. The team had his back. My favorite quotes are from Mr. Pedroia himself...

"I don't read very good. I don't read articles or anything like that, so no." In response to if he will read Michael Schmidt's article that broke the news.

also...

"In 2003, I was in college, hitting rockets there," he said. "I don't know shit about what was going on then."

Wow, since when did Pedey start talking like Paps? I think it has something to do his ability to hit the high and inside fastball.

-A heaping pile of honesty from Bronson Arroyo. I knew I always liked him. He's probably used steroids and this is his way of covering it up. He does close with a classic "I do what I do." I think this admission was just another way that Arroyo likes to cover his bases.

-Speaking of the Red Sox they are looking to acquire either Victor Martinez from the Indians or Adrian Gonzalez from the Padres. I think they need to make one of these deals happen.

-Umpire Bill Hohn should get suspended.  Just ask the Braves. Don't believe me?  Well lets go to the Zapruder like footage of the fist bump between Hohn and Marlins catcher John Baker...Good Job Asshat.

-The Orioles traded their All-Star closer George Sherrill to the Dodgers for two decent prospects named Josh Bell (3B) and Steve Johnson (RHP).  Two mid-level prospects for a reliever?  Good day for Baltimore.

-Nope, that would be the current team you play for.

I am just going to say "Wow, you couldn't have guessed that Manny would show up on the 2003 list when he was arrogant enough to get caught in 2009?"  I hate stupid people. Oh, and in case you didn't notice Bill, us Sox fans arn't exactly thrilled Ortiz tested positive.  We know what it means and what we will hear for a long time.  However, Bill, every team since the 1980's has been tainted.  Good job figuring that one out...or not. 

Anyways, enough for now...back with more in a bit.

Children of the Steroid Era

I love baseball.  No, correction, I am in love with baseball.  My parents know this, my friends know this, and my girlfriend knows this.  If there is a game, a story, a book, or a picture of something having to do with baseball I will lose my focus on whatever I am doing and start thinking about hot dogs, beer, and baseball. 

 

The history of the game is some of the most interesting reading anyone could do.  From the humble roots (which we still havent totally pinned down, though we have our ideas) to the deadball era, to the home run boom to the war to the pitching fueled 60's to today, the long ball era, there are great stories that we know and thousands more we may never know.  Men from all walks of life played the game, from college boys to illiterate farm hands to the poorest of the poor in Latin America, the game is filled with the every single story line of success, failure, hardship, and victory all combined with honesty, cheaters, hard workers, bums, stars, role players, perfection, imperfection, and, of course, the fans who pay to watch it all unfold in front of them on a daily basis.  No, no sport has captured the American people for as long as baseball has, and no sport has a fan base as knowledgeable and rabid as the most die hard of baseball fans.

 

Growing up in the 1990's provided me with a unique view of the game.  The era of the Free Agent began to take off.  Guys making 5, 10, 25 MILLION dollars to play a game.  The incentives created were just too big for there not to be shenanigans.  Guys have always tried to find ways to circumvent the rules to their advantage.  Horse pills to boost stamina, speed to keep themselves going at a super human pace.  All these things were there the whole time.  Everyone knew it, but why get in the middle of it. Sure it may have enhanced the performance of a few people, but it did nothing to prevent injuries, recover faster, boost strength, or, most importantly, teach you how to hit a curveball.  All of this was done during the era of the Reserve Clause which bound players to teams whether they liked it or not. There are stories of negotiation tactics by players who had leverage (Koufax and Drysdale are a famous example) but until the clause was lifted there was not much that could be done.  It was lifted, the money flew into the game like never before, and now players were able to be paid what they thought they were worth.

 

This brings us to today.  Baseball, if you did not know, is a multi-multi-multi-BILLION with a B dollar industry.  There is lots of money to be made because after all, this is a business.  The number one goal is to put fans in the seats and get them to buy jerseys, t-shirts, and foam fingers.  In 1994 MLB lost the trust of the fans.  The fans saw the players strike as greed that was unbecoming of a group of individuals who were lucky to be where they were. Then, a few years later, came 1998.  The most magical, amazing summer that baseball had seen in a long time.  Mark McGwire v. Sammy Sosa.  Each going back and forth chasing the most coveted record in American Sports...61.  61 Home Runs in a season.  61 times the ball was hit just right, launched at the right angle, and sent everyone on the base path home.  It's the most exciting play in sports...hands down. The chase captured America and as a 10 year old it captured me more than anything in sports had up until this point. 

 

Now we know the true story.  Yes, there were guys who played the game right.  Ripkin, Griffey, Biggio, and men like them who held themselves with integrity.  There were, also, the legends, our heros, who decided to take short cuts.  McGwire will never make the Hall of Fame because of it.  Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmero, and Alex Rodriguez, all locks for the Hall, are now on the edge because of what they did. Everyone who grew up during the same time I did has a hero who was dirty.  Downright stinking dirty.  It doesn't hurt anymore, our memories will never go away, but we will never look at success in the game of baseball the same way we did before we heard of anabolic steroids and hgh.  I have come to terms with it, and after today's revelations, a new handful of kids will have to come to terms with it.  It is part of growing up.  Life is a messy game that gets increasingly more complicated every single day.  The days of Pete Rose running full force into Ray Fosse at the All-Star Game are over.  The eras of men who smoked, drank, and played like overgrown sandlot kids is gone.  I'm not complaining, like I said, it doesnt change how much I love the game. It doesnt change how I view the game, it doesnt change what I still believe to be true.  I know the game is not a sacred virgin, in fact, anyone who knows the history of baseball knows that it never was. Today was just another one of those days that makes you shake your head and realize that in life, just like sports, 'If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying'.

 

By the way, the Red Sox won today...David Ortiz knocked in the go ahead runs...a 3-run 400+ foot home run to centerfield.  Hopefully this is a sign that things are going to be back to normal at Fenway....the crowd wanted a curtain call and got it.  Like I said, we don't care anymore, it doesn't change a thing, it just sucks to hear.

Someone Has The List

Ortiz and Ramirez on 2003 Doping List

 

I think that speaks for itself.

 

I knew Manny would be on it...I thought Ortiz would be...I just never wanted to believe.

 

 

Thursday at the Crazies...

I think that is an appropriate title for this morning.  29 hours to go...

 

Hi, my name is Matt Garza, and I enjoy being fined by Bud Selig.  Everyone knows it happens, retaliation that is, so don't go blabbing your mouth.  No one cares except your teammates who want to know that you have their back. 

 

Minaya is thisclose to being fired.  In other news the Pope is still Catholic, the sky is still blue, and the Mets have won 5 in a row...wait, what was that last one?  Well, I just hope that Minaya doesn't flip out like this disgruntled Mets employee. Road rage Mr. Met? You are better than that.

 

Baseball WANTS the Cubs to win? Yeah, and I shit Krugerrands. Of course, MLB is actually taking this claim seriously.  I wonder if this is the same argument Bobby Cox uses every night when he gets tossed for arguing balls and strikes?

 

A long response to Bill James and his Steroid Essay.  If you have time to read this go ahead.  It basically deconstructs James' argument that at some point we will over look the entire thing.  A lot of what James has to say is philosophical (crazy, right?) and there is a lot to say about drug use in baseball.  Even if steroids were legal or the rule was never enforced...there is just that stain for regular folk who look at these ballplayers and go "Really, you can't be happy with just playing the game and competing, you have to go enhance your performance?"  For the record I think James is right.  At some point we will stop caring...as long as Albert Pujols is clean.

 

That's pretty much it for this morning...most of the news centers around trade rumors and such.  It will all be posted here.

 

Identity Crisis

This post is going to be a temporary moment of rage...

 

 

The Boston Red Sox are not the Wild Card favorite.  They are certainly not the favorite to win the AL East, I think that ship has passed them by this past week.  I know that every team, even the good ones, go through phases during the season when no one can hit, no one can pitch, and as a result of this, the team performs far below expectations. Right now it looks like the Red Sox are going to drop another game behind the Yankees to fall to 3.5 games back.  No, this is not an insurmountable deficit, but it is also a 6.5 game swing since the All Star Break...which was 2 weeks ago.  This is not a bad team, its hard to say the 2nd best team in the AL East is bad, but there is something they lack...and identity.

 

Pre-2004 The Red Sox were lovable losers.  They fought, they scrapped, and us fans always said 'This is the Year' and they always disappointed in September and October.  In 2003 and 2004 they were a band of idiots.  They gave their middle finger to the world and said 'We are going to win if it fucking kills us'.  They did.  Trot Nixon's disgusting looking helmet matched his filthy jersey every night.  Johnny Damon looked like a caveman and behaved as such.  Ortiz and Manny were the comedians.  Millar was the Cowboy.  There were veterans who saw this as their last shot, there were young guys looking to make a difference.  They grew together.  Pedro even joined in on the fun.  This was a team that saw that being a team and playing their hearts out was the only path to success.  They did it with grit...they were determined to win at all costs.  In 2007 they were the favorites.  They were a combo of the old guard looking for a win and young kids who had good guidance.  Schilling was on his way out but he was a leader.  Varitek, the Captain, had shown his age, but he was the man in the clubhouse. Mike Lowell brought that dirtdog attitude of the 2004 team, same with Pedroia and Ellsbury.  Ortiz and Manny were still Ortiz and Manny, and the team thrived on being the team to beat all season.  They were confident, cocky, but they wanted it.

 

This team does not want it.  You can see it in their at-bats, you can see it in their defense, you can see it on the mound when Beckett or Lester are not out there.  They act as if they were robbed of something that was rightfully theirs last year and they are ripping apart at the seams because of it.  Dice-K decided that Japan and the WBC was more important than winning a World Series and now he is public enemy number 1.  Ortiz wants it, but isn't the same Big Papi. Pedroia and Youk still have the intensity.  Lowell is old and wants it, but just cant quite do it.  Paps is over confident, there is no shortstop to be seen, and Bay hasn't turned up for a game in god knows how long.  J.D. is not the player Theo paid for...wait, he was a 30 outfielder who was bound to decline during the contract so they did get what they paid for!  Anyways, this years team lacks a spark plug...and it's clear that if they do not find one soon, they will be exiting before anyone thought they would.

 

It may come down to a 9-17 (soon to be 9-18) record against the AL West. Which is a massive problem that a team of this calibre is capable of playing .333 ball against 2 teams that are not good, one team that only offers offense, and one team that we know will be there every year. 

 

Or, they just suck so bad right now that they are just an inch here or there away from going on a 10-2 run that will vault them up the standings.  I don't see it happening soon, but hopefully it will happen when they realize that if they don't..they are an also ran.

Sanchez to Giants and Other Related News

In an anticipated move that most have waited weeks for...The San Francisco Giants have traded for Freddy Sanchez, second baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  The booty?  Tim Alderson, the 4th ranked prospect in the Giants organization and a top 30 prospect overall (according to Keith Law over at the World Wide Leader).  That's an impressive haul for the Pirates who ended up with Jeff Clement, Ronny Cedeno, and 3 pitchers for Ian Snell and Jack Wilson earlier in the day.  Neil Huntington is serious about the whole 'building up the farm system thing'.  Alderson should develop into a solid number 3 starter and his future battery mate Clement could be a solid backstop or first baseman, depending on his knees and if he learns to hit Major League pitching.  At the end of the day, the Pirates cannot be mad at the situation they have put themselves in this year.  Trading Nate McLouth, Adam LaRoche, Jack Wilson, Ian Snell, and Freddy Sanchez has brought quite a haul in for them.  Hey, if you throw enough prospects at a wall...one of them will stick.

 

Now some more bullet points...

 

-Cleveland is now looking to trade Victor Martinez...or at least they are listening to offers. Consider the Red Sox on the top of this list.

 

-Roy Halladay better enjoy his home in Canada...because unless Ricciardi pulls the trigger and sends him to the Red Sox, Halladay is a Jay until he hits Free Agency.  I wonder if J.P knows something about the 2011 draft class that no one else does...like is there a Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden, and a Lars Anderson waiting for him? Well it can only be two of them because he will only get two compensation picks for letting Halladay leave in 2011...instead of at least 3 players who have proven themselves in some level of the Minor Leagues at the moment. That is what he is dealing with...prospects now or later.

 

There are probably only one or two more big trades left in this deadline period....unless something really cool pops up tomorrow or Friday morning.  You know where to be to follow it...on the Internet at this place.  Because I sure am not filtering through all the crap they do. I will just post comments on what goes down.

Trade Updates

A very big trade happened today.

 

Lee to Philly? 

 

Looks like it as of 1:30pm on this Wednesday afternoon.  The deal as of now...

 

Cliff Lee and someone for Carlos Carrasco, Jason Knapp, Jason Donald, and Lou Marson.

 

What are the implications of this?  It means that J.P. Ricciardi has a tough decision to make this week. Does he trade Halladay to Boston?  Does he hold onto Doc? Or does he send him somewhere else for an inferior offer?  Very interesting stuff.  If Lee to Philly then Boston is in the driver's seat.

 

*Update* That other player is Ben Francisco...and the trade has been accepted.

 

Oh yeah, that big trade I mentioned was a 7 player swap between the Mariners and Pirates...the highlights are Jack Wilson and Ian Snell to the Mariners for Jeff Clement, Ronny Cedeno, Aaron Pribanic, Brett Loriun, and Nate Adcock.

 

Win for the Pirates there I would have to say.

 

Halladay To....

Seattle...he has a game to pitch tonight.  Anyways, lets get on with the MOTN! (it's early, I know, but I want to post trade ideas later and I don't want this hanging over my head for the handful of people who check out what I have to say every now and then...

 

Well...Roy Halladay is on the mound against Seattle, who is sending out Ryan Rowland-Smith who was recently recalled to the Show.  If you would like to know more about what Halladay brings to the table, I would suggest not reading anymore of this post because, well, he is the Best Pitcher In Baseball (BPIB).  Roland-Smith apparently retired 14 batters in a row during his last start, or what I like to call 31.1% of a Buehrle (yeah, I am going to reference him here until it gets old).  His curveball is his best pitch so, well, this year it has been his slider, but for his career it is his curveball.  He had a decent year last year, 5-3 with a 1.37 WHIP and 3.42 ERA in 118 1/3 innings, but his FIP says his ERA was artificially low and according to this year (6.73 FIP to a 3.48 ERA) he is going to get lit up soon.

 

Zack Greinke takes the mound tonight against the Baltimore Orioles who are sending out potential future ace Chris Tillman for his first MLB start.  Greinke is Greinke, and like Halladay, I have nothing more to say about him.  About Tillman I will say this...the kid is an animal. 2.70 ERA in 96 2/3 innings while posting 99 K's to only 26 BB's during his tenure in AAA.  Tonight is the next big step for the Orioles, with Wieters being the first big one this year.

 

Joba v. Garza...Yankees v. Rays...it's on ESPN too.  We all know what this one is about.

 

Tigers v. Rangers.  Justin Verlander takes the mound tonight against Scott Feldman, who I had no idea has posted a 9-3 record with a 3.59 ERA.  What?!? Yeah, He has a great cutter and in his 16 starts this season has a 3.06 ERA.  He has a 1.14 WHIP on the year, but his FIP is almost a full run higher than his ERA, which is artificially deflated based on a very low BABIP (.237).  The Rangers do have greatly improved defense...but not this good.  He will regress to mean in BABIP which will raise the WHIP and probably the runs allowed.  Verlander has slowed down since his hot start, but still finds himself near the top of many pitching categories (tops in K's).  Too bad he is in Arlington tonight, because at home, he is 7-0 with a 1.15 ERA, on the road...4-5 with a 4.76 ERA.

 

Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers visit St. Louis and Joel Pineiro tonight.  Pineiro has been quite the surprise this season, his 2.95 ERA is HIGHER than his FIP (2.92) which, because it is so close, means he is putting together a great season without many statistical abnormalities (other than his ERA, which is healthy 1.45 runs lower than his career average).  He has an now effective fastball which at times has been the pitch that kills him the most.  Kershaw has been lowering his walk totals which hurt him last year and now he can claim his rightful place as the best pitcher for the Dodgers.  Should be a doozy.

 

Other games to watch...Matt Cain faces off against the Pirates and Zack Duke this afternoon.  Aaron Laffey and the Indians are out in Anaheim against John Lackey and the Angels.  J.A. Happ may make his last start as a member of the Phillies against the Diamondbacks. 

 

Enjoy

 

 

 

Twittle-do and Twittle-dee

I don't really get the fad either JoePa...Shockingly, I don't really care what other people really think.  Now, lets take a gander at said thoughts...

 

 

Speaking of Twitter...I think I am just going to go make myself a fake account and lay waste to world of trade rumors...now where shall I send Halladay...

 

Honus Wagner...The Bashing Dutchman? Maybe.  Certainly for his position he was (and still is).  Any all-time team is going to see him starting at shortstop.

 

Yeah...what about Ian Snell?  Not that he would change the course of a season for a team, but this looks like a pitcher who would love a change of scenery and could be a decent 4-5 starter...or a 3rd on a not so great team.  He certainly has the stuff to do that.  Either that or he is the Dallas McPherson of pitchers.

 

Size Doesn't Matter.  I do not find this to be all that shocking.  Have you ever seen Dustin Pedroia hit a home run?  He literally throws his entire body behind it and it floats into the first row of the Green Monster.  If he has even hit the Sports Authority Sign above the Monster I would be stunned.

 

If You Give a Moose a Muffin...he will eat it.  If you give a bureaucrat tax dollars...well, I like to avoid that at all costs. You think DC is pissed they spent all this money on a team that is worse than the Mets?

 

Hey, lets play the obvious game! I'm still stunned that Bill Plaschke holds weight as a credible sports writer...he is like that crazy teacher who can't be fired because she has tenure and the law requires he to stay.  Seriously, he is almost as bad at Mitch Album...and I cannot stand Album.  Still, neither are as bad as Mike Lupica, who has a garbage dump for brains and gets paid to write.  Anyways, yeah, Scully deserves something big.  Lets face it, he is the best thing about the Dodgers.

 

Hopefully something happens today with a trade or two...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beer Here

Every now and then you click a link...then another link...then another link...and even Internet GPS has no clue where you are, but that is sometimes a good thing.

 

9 Famous Vendors

 

They all seem fairly respectable.  But every Sox fan who frequented Fenway in the 1990's knows who should be on this list...

 

The Coke Guy.  Who was then fired for his antics...I think he spilled a coke on someone and they flipped out...i also heard a story about someone throwing money at him and hitting a woman...whatever it was it made headlines and people were mad. After that he became the Crunch N' Munch Guy at the Garden which was nice to see. He signed autographs. 

 

His name is Dave Kerpen...you can join his actual political campaign here

 

Or you can watch this show if you cannot get enough Dave.

 

Paradise Hotel

 

Excellent.

 

A Halladay Update-Tacular

We are approaching 2 major landmarks.  The first being that we are about 72 hours away from the baseball trade deadline.  This is when GM's get zero sleep and when they do finally take a nap their dreams are invaded by prospects, tobacco chewing scouts, owners who are pointing to the bottom line, and packs of hungry beat writers looking to break the story.  The second deadline comes today, which is the imaginary and, frankly, idiotic deadline set by J.P. Ricciardi on trading Roy Halladay.  After all, when the Phillies end up meeting Toronto's demand for J.A. Happ, Kyle Drabek, and Dominic Brown on Friday afternoon, they will gladly accept.  Anyways, as of now, here is where it all stands.

 

Philadelphia- The Favorties.  They know what Toronto wants and they know Toronto will keep the newly anointed best pitcher in baseball (A title held by Johan Santana until this year...not that Halladay wasn't #2 all along because he was).  I bet they pull the trigger, especially because it seems that Gillick and Manuel want Doc Halladay.

 

Red Sox- Will require Buchholz, Bard, and probably Casey Kelly.  Whatever the request from Toronto is, it will be significantly more expensive than the offer to the Phillies.

 

Dodgers- Unwilling to part with Billingsly and Kershaw.  They have nothing to offer beyond that.

 

Yankees- Joba and Hughes plus other. Will cost as much as the Red Sox would have to spend prospect wise. The loss of Hughes will effectively end their chances at postseason success as the rest of their bullpen is a mess except for Rivera unless they deal for a solid arm for the pen as well.

 

White Sox- Dark Horse candidates.  Clayton Richard has looked good...almost too good to give up.  He would certainly be apart of the package needed to pry Halladay away from Toronto.

 

There are other fringe teams. I doubt the Rangers make a serious play.  Neftali Feliz would be the centerpiece to that deal.  There is always the Brewers who are reluctant to give up Alcides Escobar and Mat Gamel, both of which the Jays would want.  Also, the Angels, but they wont give up Joe Saunders or Jered Weaver which means no deal.

 

 

I think he is heading to the Phillies if he gets traded.  The Red Sox could pull it off, but to be honest, I'm not sure how much I want them too.  It might be fun to watch Halladay lay waste to the National League like CC did last year.  As one senior scout said in the article linked above "The National League stinks...It's terrible."  Over/Under 1.65 ERA (C.C. Sabathia's in the NL last year) for Doc? I say under.

MOTN!

Get ready kids, it's another exciting edition of MOTN! The time when I get to tell you what to follow and you obey my exact commands (Except for tonight...at 9pm I will be watching this).

 

Two teams battling it out for who will finish second to the Phillies and contend for that all important Wild Card spot play tonight.  The Atlanta Braves will send out Jair Jurrjens (9-7 2.67) to face the Florida Marlins who respond with Ricky Nolasco (7-7 5.42).  The last time Jurrjens was on the mound he faced off against Tim Lincecum and won, throwing 7 2/3 innings of 1-run, absolutely dominant ball.  His secondary stats say he is not a 2.67 ERA pitcher, but it is hard to argue that he is turning himself into the ace of the Braves staff.  Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson will be a formidable front of the rotation duo for years to come.  Nolasco has bounced back from his downright awful first half.  In his last 9 starts he has shown off how dominant he can be (68 K's to only 13 BB's, thats better than a 5:1 ratio right there in 59 1/3 innings) and how downright awful he can be (back to back starts against Arizona and Philadelphia yielded 11 runs and 16 hits in 12 innings).  Those other 7 outings he never gave up more than 2 earned runs.  Should be a good battle.

 

The Yanks and Rays play again tonight, as C.C. Sabathia and Scott Kazmir take the mound for their respective teams.  Kazmir has been dreadful and the Rays have to start wondering if there is something (injury wise) wrong with him.  C.C. Is looking to continue his less than dominant, but still very good first season for the Bronx Bombers.  I think everyone knows what is at stake here for both teams, especially with the Red Sox facing the Athletics tonight. 

 

In a battle of two teams in the NL Central, the Chicago Cubs are battling the Houston Astros tonight, when Ryan Dempster and his Cubbie teammates invite Roy Oswalt and the Big Puma-less Astros into Wrigley.  Oswalt is a second half monster and Dempster is coming off a broken toe and looks to right the ship on his slightly above average season so far.  The Cubs won last night in an exciting, Grand Slam walkoff in the 13th by Alfonso Soriano.  Oswalt, except for a slight hiccup against the Cards in his last outing, giving up only 10 earned runs in 45 innings pitched in his last 6 outings with a 37/7 K:BB ratio.  Not bad at all.

 

BUZZZZZZZZZ.  The Buzzsaw Chad Billingsley will be facing Adam Wainwright as the Dodgers play the Cardinals tonight.  This is all I need to say about Adam Wainwright...1.57 ERA in July.  Billingsley had a hot start and then cooled off seeing his ERA gain a full run to a still respectable 3.72 ERA.  This is a match up I don't have much to say about as these two guys speak for themselves...especially that absolutely disgusting Wainwright curveball.

 

There are other games with minor notes attached to them.  Jason Marquis faces the Mets and Mike Pelfrey in his attempt for win number 13 on the season.  Jarrod Washburn might be making his last start for the Mariners tonight when he faces Mark Rzepczynski and the Blue Jays.  In another half-great matchup, Cole Hamels faces the Diamondbacks and the National League Cy Young front runner Dan Haren.  Is Cole Hamels a top 10 lefthander in baseball right now? I don't know about that. 

 

I feel like I am forgetting about something....

 

Mark Buehrle goes for Perfecto #2 tonight against the Twins.  And now the obligatory Johnny Vander Meer footnote...only one pitcher has thrown two no-hitters in a row, and that was Johnny Vander Meer in 1938.