Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
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TV and more ...
1) using profanity or any euphemisms for profanity
2) personally attacking other commenters
3) baiting other commenters
4) arguing for the sake of arguing
5) discussing politics
6) using hyperbole when something less will suffice
7) using sarcasm in a way that can be misinterpreted negatively
8) making the same point over and over again
9) typing "no-hitter" or "perfect game" to describe either in progress
10) being annoyed by the existence of this list
11) commenting under the obvious influence
12) claiming your opinion isn't allowed when it's just being disagreed with
The Tony Abreu Saga (recently upgraded from The Tony Abreu Situation, now that the major Dodger beat writers began addressing it in their notebooks almost simulatenously) is strange to say the least. As Diamond Leung of the Press-Enterprise reports, the Dodgers do not seem to believe that Abreu is really hurt, when he says he is.
Questions the Dodgers have regarding the severity of an abdomen injury to demoted infielder Tony Abreu have led the team to place the rookie on the temporary inactive list rather than the disabled list.
Abreu originally suffered the injury July 6 while attempting to field a bunt by Hanley Ramirez of the Florida Marlins. He returned to play in four more games before complaining of the abdomen again upon being optioned to Class AAA Las Vegas.
"It's slightly strained," Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said Sunday. "Last time I saw, he was running from first to third in the big leagues."
That statement and the team's decision not to place Abreu on the disabled list illuminate the team's doubts about Abreu's injury.
Scott Boras, Abreu's agent, did not return a call for comment. … Abreu, who is still being paid his minor league salary, underwent a magnetic resonance imaging exam last week. It did not show signs of a sports hernia, the Dodgers said.
The argument is that Abreu is dogging it in the hopes of collecting major league salary even for the period he was demoted.
Despite a long conversation about this in the comments today, I still don't find the argument convincing.
There was never a reason for Abreu to think his July demotion would be permanent. With rosters expanding September 1, Abreu was guaranteed a recall then, if not sooner. And certainly, now that Wilson Betemit has been traded and Jeff Kent and Andy LaRoche have been stricken with nagging injuries, the team is practically crying out for a guy like Abreu. There's no way that the Dodgers want to be starting Ramon Martinez right now.
Abreu is losing major league salary right now that he could be earning if he were 100 percent.
Everyone acknowledges that Abreu was hurt in early July, and that he tried to make a go of it afterward but his play was subpar. Now which is more likely?
1) With LaRoche and Betemit heating up, Abreu tried to downplay the severity of his injury following July 6 so that he wouldn't lose playing time. After he was sent down, he lost his will to be stoic.
2) Abreu is faking an injury, a tactic that would kill his Dodger future.
I'm not saying I know whom to believe. I just don't know why we should take the Dodgers' word over Abreu's. The Dodgers are essentially basing the case on the fact that they can't figure out what's wrong with Abreu, so nothing must be wrong. Colletti's comment about seeing Abreu run from first to third a month ago is at best irrelevant, and at worse snarky, demeaning and wrongheaded. The Dodgers have anything but a spotless record in assessing the health of the players, and should be careful about throwing stones.
People have suggested that perhaps Boras is cutting off Abreu's nose (or abdomen) to spite the Dodgers' face. But again, it doesn't make sense that a bottom-line guy like Boras would actively seek to put a black mark on a client's career. The Dodgers will need a second baseman within 14 months, and Abreu could be that guy.
Or at least, he could have been. Now, Abreu will probably join the list that includes J.D. Drew and Luke Hochevar – ballplayers that ran afoul of the Dodgers' sensibilities and, for better or worse, were banished like Nicki from the compound.
For roughly $33,000, the Dodgers could have paid Abreu's salary for 15 days on the disabled list and then seen what happened. Instead, they have a tarred as a malingerer a player in whom they have invested years of development money and effort, diminishing his value to the team either as a future infielder or as trade bait.
If the Dodgers are right about this, great. But if they're right, it certainly is a strange tale – a lot stranger than a player who says he's hurt but can't figure out what's wrong.
* * *
The Dodgers have until Wednesday evening to sign draft pick Kyle Blair, a first-round talent that they nabbed in the fifth round because other teams feared they wouldn't be able to sign him. Supposedly, Blair does have a price he would give up his University of San Diego scholarship for – somewhere above $1 million.
If Blair's ceiling is the Dodger starting rotation, if they can essentially steal another first-round talent out of the 2007 draft, then they should not be haggling over low six-figures in money. Forgo the next middling reliever and give the money to Blair.
* * *
From Amy Dickinson's syndicated advice column, Dear Amy:
Dear Amy: My wife and I have a 2-year-old son who is my world.
I am a big Yankees fan and can't wait to take my son to games. My in-laws are way too smothering and involved with my son. My father-in-law micromanages every single decision that has to do with him.
I feel as if I am being undermined as a father. I also feel as if I have to rush to do specific things with him or my in-laws will accomplish these "firsts" in my absence (I work nights).
My wife is not a confrontational person, so she does nothing to address these issues. I have no problem expressing my feelings to my father-in-law, but I don't want to cause bad feelings.
The final straw was when my son came home from their house chanting, "Let's Go, Mets!" Although this sounds funny, I took it as a direct insult. They know that it would really bother me.
-- Not Just a Sperm Donor
Click the link for Amy's response. I have to say, my father-in-law is a Mets fan, but fortunately, he has not pushed an agenda.
* * *
My latest posting at SI.com's Fungoes starts with a big round of Rockies.
Top 10 things wrong with the Dodgers, from the home office
10. Team refuses to change name to Diamondbacks to take advantage of better record
9. Players disheartened by presence of Patrick O'Neal from Fox Sports because after watching "John from Cincinnati", they really don't want to hit on his wife anymore.
8. Ned Colletti keeps accusing Vin Scully of not being able to suck it up and announce games east of the Rockies
7. Grady Little can't find lineup card with #10 slot printed on it in order to hide poor hitters.
6. Rich Donnelly distracts too many runners on third with anecdotes about how once he forget what the steal sign was.
5. Derek Lowe can't get in touch with Bert Shepard to find out how to pitch with just one leg.
4. Nomar Garciaparra disappointed that Nike wouldn't give Mia and he Nike-branded baby clothes for the twins.
3. Team petition to move to NL Central denied by Commissioner Selig.
2. Failure to score enough runs.
1. Failure to win enough games.
-------
297 The point I was making is not that ace-caliber pitchers are less likely to get hurt. It's just that, when they are unhurt, or when they come back from injury, they are still outstanding pitchers. Even Darren Dreifort, the most extreme example of an injured pitcher, still pitched significant innings over the course of his contract. The problem wasn't so much that he got hurt, but that when he did pitch, he didn't pitch well.
Somebody like Kevin Brown represents the worst-case scenario of such a contract. And what did the Dodgers get out of Brown's contract, in between all the injuries? They got 873 innings pitched with a 149 ERA+, plus Jeff Weaver and Yhency Brazoban. The Brown contract was a spectacular success for the Dodgers. And that's the worst-case scenario.
So let's say you sign somebody like Santana to a seven-year contract. It just isn't physically possible for him to be hurt for all seven of those years. Even in a worst-case scenario -- let's say he loses three of the seven years to injury -- you still have four years of an outstanding pitcher.
Further, I would say that the odds of Santana suffering a disastrous injury are fairly slim given his injury history. He's not immune from injury, but he ain't Kevin Brown or Jason Schmidt either. For one thing, he's a lot younger than those guys. You'd be signing him for his prime, not for his late thirties.
And I'll say it again: Ace pitchers in their late twenties simply do not suffer career-ending arm injuries anymore. They used to, but now they come back from injury and are still outstanding pitchers.
If you look at all the long-term deals signed by pitchers of Santana's caliber, you'll see that almost all of them paid off big-time. Maddux signing with the Braves in '92. Clemens' signing by Toronto in '97. Randy Johnson's signing with AZ in '99. Pedro's trade and simultaneous long-term signing with the Red Sox in '98. In every one of those cases, the pitcher's team won at least one World Championship during his contract (with Clemens getting traded to NY).
Just looking at everything that's happened in the past, plus looking at the specifics of Santana's case, it seems like it's about as low-risk, high-reward a scenario as a long-term deal gets.
But you forgot to go back an fill in the site of the home office. I nominate Glasgow, Delaware.
I confess Dreifort came to mind during the conversation but because of his injury history before the contract I think we had some warning and Santana has not had that.
Ortiz gave some hints that something was wrong as well. While I think he was better than some here think his ERA rose 3 years in a row from 3.29 all the way up to 4.13, about 0.25 points per year, and his walks increased every year as well. Santana does not show any such trends.
I think it will be great fun this off season to see what happens with him. I actually fear him signing with someone in our division and having 6 great years far more than I do having him sign with us and be a bust. We can win carrying a $30 million non-performer more easily than we can win having him pitch like he does in SD or AZ and them eating our lunch.
Again, thanks for the conversation.
Thanks, that was a great explanation.
Sammy is right, Niedenfuer did much more then give up one gopher ball. What are we the RedSox where we can't forgive one play. It should not define his career.
There will be absolutely nothing funny about either of my children ever, having been influenced by my in-laws, chanting "Let's go Gi-ants".
Should my kids choose their proximity to the team on their own, I will suffer with benevolence in my heart, but if it is due to undue influence of the in-laws, well... it ain't gonna be pretty.
{cough}
I wish the Dodgers would just start winning again so we could all agree: winning makes everything better.
Not having my wife around to ask, who is Patrick O'Neals wife?
Mailbag: What's Little's status?
What can you tell me about James McDonald?
Would the Dodgers ever move Russell Martin back to third base to preserve his legs?
Would the Dodgers ever make a starter out of Jonathan Broxton?
Just how badly hurt is Derek Lowe?
http://tinyurl.com/29duc4
Rebecca De Mornay
P.S. I was in Orange County yesterday when I crossed over a street named "Bison" and needless to say I thought of Matt Kemp and everyone here.
Did you not pay attention to JD Drew-gate? Now he's openly questioning a player's honesty.
I know hyperbole may be your current favorite word, but you're using it wrong in this case, dude.
LATed - v. past tense and past participle
To add a comment to the end of a Dodger Thoughts thread only to find out that Jon Weisman has entered "new post up top" while the person was typing it.
(derivation: from the propensity of commenter LAT to have this happen to him.)
Two emotional reactions over one year and he's a whiny, helpless fool? He may very well be a fool but I don't see the whiny, helpless part. I thought his comment on Abreu was flippant, hardly whiny.
http://www.1947project.com/thisaintnoparty
Yeah, I remember when he was the toast of Orange County.
When it becomes more of a scandal he'll start crying more about how selfish Abreu is. That way he won't get roasted for dealing him for Russ Ortiz.
vr, Xei
I give you permission to trust Wikipedia in this case.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Kemp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Kemp
Kemp's nickname is "The Bison." 1 During the second major league game of Kemp's career, on May 29, 2006, Kemp stole second base in the fourth inning, after which an Atlanta Braves television announcer Don Sutton said he looked "like a big buffalo running around the bases." The observation was appropriate due to Kemp's imposing size and surprisingly fast footspeed. The nickname was modified to "The Bison," the more proper term for the North American mammal to which the moniker refers."
Equation for a hyperbola.
vr, Xei
Yes, I did. He's sitting here in my office being changed by a nurse as we speak.
Al Davis also gets that done at Icaros' office.
Please tell me Blair's agent is not Boras.
There're some good nurses here if you're into islanders (like I am).
SFW link to the article: http://tinyurl.com/26e3cy
vr, Xei
Maybe this is why many think Matt Kemp is getting screwed.
Or maybe not.
Thanks! I usually check Wikipedia and Google first, but for some reason didn't do that before asking the question here. Of course right after I pressed "submit," I remembered Wikipedia.
Ha-doo-ken!
Are you ready for the new Street Fighter movie?
From the article that xeifrank linked:
"Interestingly enough, Hamermesh's research found that the race of the batter didn't seem to matter — the correlation was only between the pitcher and the home-plate ump."
(Bolding mine)
Didn't know there was one. I definitely avoided the first.
Not much into action movies these days.
59 New Street Fighter movie?! When? Where? How?
It's a significant disadvantage for Asian pitchers because the MLB doesn't have any Asian umpires.
What?
53 . So they are implying that the introduction of the QuesTec system forced white umps to begrudgingly call one close strike per game they would have otherwise given as a ball in a hostile attempt to keep the black man down.
Not seeing it myself.
is the equation for a hyperbola.
The excuses are so much fun!
>> If you've been thinking, "how are they doing it?", you're not alone. For certain, their numbers don't point to a 15-games-over-.500 record — particularly their deficit in runs scored (480) to runs allowed (510). But the D-Backs keep finding ways to win the close ones. <<
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20204945
(x - A)^2 * (y - B)^2 = C
it's the same equation as yours, but it makes it easier to graph by telling you where the starting point is (can't remember the technical name).
LOL.
I can't imagine what Dhalsim is like in that.
Sorry. She does have a safe wikipedia page, I believe.
>> If you are still waiting to see the "Game Over" Gagne, vintage 2002-04, you can stop now. It's not happening. <<
http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/51338
It reminded me of my favorite in-law joke.
What is the difference between outlaws and in-laws?
Outlaws are wanted! :-)
A LITTLE HELP, PLEASE – Chad Billinsgley has lost back-to-back games by a score of 1-0, becoming the first to suffer that fate in Los Angeles Dodger history, according to research by Bob Timmermann using baseball-reference.com's Retrosheet database. The only other close call was Don Drysdale, who started consecutive 1-0 losses but did not get a decision in the second when Ron Perranoski took the loss in extra innings. Three L.A. Dodgers have won back-to-back 1-0 games – Orel Hershiser and Drysdale during their record-setting streaks in 1988 and 1968 and Johnny Podres in 1963.
The best part of that was the spelling!
Of course, you should probably be writing the game notes every night. Your research outdoes the Dodgers own by a fair margin.
Or that they got Timmermann right?
Nah, there would be way too many references to catcher's interference, sacrifice flies, and runners left on base.
Furcal, SS
Martin, C
Loney, 1B
Kent, 2B
Gonzo, LF
Nomar, 3B
Pierre, CF
Ethier, RF
Billingsley, P
Serenity now!
If so, what's the origin of the usage?
Think of me if Flossie shows up.
I'm at work, and good thing I had a hunch it was NSFG. Her Wikipedia page indeed is safe.
BTW, I believe Kylie Minogue was in the first Street Fighter movie. She played Cammy.
If Pierre batted 8th, it would be like the old days when David Ross or Dioner Navarro batted 8th.
You are correct.
Now who wants to go home? And who wants to go with me?!!
He is one of our hotter hitters I don't understand either, Pierre needs to bat 8th if anything.
You confuse the other team's manager by putting good hitters in a slot where they will get less at-bats.
#1 Highest OBP/fast guy
#2 contact hitter
#3 best all around hitter
#4 best power hitter
#5 second best power hitter
#6 hits from opposite side as #5 guy
#7 worst hitter on team but placed here to avoid excessive punishment of 8 hole
#8 low seniority guy regardless of performance
In real life, you may know me as Mark Hendrickson.
Just like Rickey Henderson!
And Hal Chase!
This qualifies as child abuse.
They're called "Sunday through Saturday"
133 Glad I have you to keep me grounded Bob, thanks.
Sorry if this was already mentioned, I wasn't around a lot after the trade line and this is the first Yankee game I've seen.
Poor Marty. Guy never even had a chance.
Proctor: 3.2 VORP
Betemit: 1.2
That bomb might bring him a bit closer.
A lot of people have differences between what they can do with their small muscles (for writing) and large muscles (for sports).
Hal Chase supposedly batted right-handed even though he was a lefty because he didn't want people laughing at him for batting from the wrong side.
I found that theory less than compelling.
Inigo Montoya: Because I know something you don't know.
Dread Pirate Robert: And what is that?
Inigo Montoya: I... am not left-handed.
Dread Pirate Robert: You are amazing.
Inigo Montoya: I ought to be, after 20 years.
Dread Pirate Robert: Oh, there's something I ought to tell you.
Inigo Montoya: Tell me.
Dread Pirate Robert: I'm not left-handed either
As a righty I can get it up to 15! It should be noted I don't pitch (or play baseball at all, ever).
I've cracked 45 on the radar gun.
I think my arm almost fell off after that.
The 7 days before his benching he was 13-27 with 3 HR, 2 triples, 10 RBI, 4 K, and 2 BB. I dont think the change in performance in coincidental.
I also golf and play hockey righty, pretty much because it was easier to find equipment.
For the record, I do think it's unrelated. Slumps happen... he's certainly not the only Dodger in one.
Right-handed, but fiddled with switch-hitting in the cage. Limitations were reached more quickly left-handed. I am, however, an ambidextrous typist.
Aren't you also required to be female to play that sport?
All the talk about "Bonds should break the [home run] record in San Francisco and it can't happen in Los Angeles" got me thinking. L.A. fans, as much as I hate them and their Dodgers, have a love and an appreciation for the game, too. The memory I want to verify is Willie McCovey's last at-bat. I want to say it was 1980 and Jack Clark scored on a sacrifice fly in L.A. The Dodgers crowd gave "Stretch" a standing ovation. To this day, I am still shocked, but have great (regard) for the respect they showed that day.
-- David S., Ukiah, Calif.
Your memory is sharp. Retrosheet.org confirms it. Batting for Rennie Stennett in the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium on July 6, 1980, Willie Mac broke a 3-3 tie with a sacrifice fly. The Giants won it in 10 innings, 7-4. The box score said nothing about the standing O, but I recall it vividly.
I dont think its a coincidence it all. I really think it relates to his swing. He is a rhythm swinger with complicated mechanics. He needs reps to keep his timing right. Sitting and getting one AB a game and starting 2 games a week kills any type of timing and rhythm. Add on to that he is a young player likely pressing in his limited AB's and you get a huge slump.
With all due respect to Bhsportsguy, Underdog, and Zappala
Boom Boom goes the Betemit
Thank God we have Ramon Martinez to spell Nomar and Kent. Who needs a guy who hits homers at a greater rate then anyone on the team the way this team is piling up the runs.
[Broken Record]
same here, be honest did you have to look that word up? :o)
McCovey was gone before the reporters could interview him after the game. Mike Scioscia hit his first career home run in that game.
[Lowe is] pitching in occasional pain because of a hip injury that is believed to be a torn labrum and might require surgery unless he intends to pitch in pain the rest of his career.... The operation -- which involves repairing the labral tear and trimming the neck of the femur -- requires a five-month recovery, including the first month on crutches.
Pitchers and catchers report in what, mid-February? Five months earlier is mid-September.
Didn't Kevin Brown make the same mistake at the end of one of those miserable seasons?
I cranked out a list of 1-0 games lost by the Dodgers and then just looked for games that were 4-5 days apart.
It's not a big list.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/shareit/kTNB
He wasn't going to play here. Maybe its my problem that I tend to view things as they are not what I would wish them to be, I know that takes the fun out of sports but I can't seem to escape that viewpoint.
I've said Wilson didn't get a fair shot, his fate was sealed when Grady chose Loney over him and moved Nomar to third base.
But if everytime Wilson hits a homer or Jackson has a good game, I am going to be reminded of it, I guess that's the price I pay.
BTW, I did note when I looked at his stats that in 17 plate appearances prior to his home run, he also walked just once and struck out 5 times and that he had 0 fors in his last two games. Again, I never expected him to drop off the face of the earth so good for Wilson, may he win a World title in NYC.
Like the subtlety there.
http://tinyurl.com/2gtgsr
the Russell Martin question had a splash/sprinkles of hyperbole in my opinion but he sure is a dandy.
It's (hyperbole) been going around today. I caught it for about an hour, myself, but I'm feeling better now.
aren't you like 10 minutes away from Dodger Stadium Bob? your driving from work right. maybe my sarcasm batteries are running low.
From this blog, which claims to have "conducted microfilm research of the San Francisco Chronicle." : http://tinyurl.com/37w59u
¿Quién sabe?
starts James McDonald!
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