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.