Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
Jon's other site:
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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
| Colorado Clint Barmes, SS Seth Smith, CF Matt Holliday, LF Brad Hawpe, RF Garrett Atkins, 1B Ian Stewart, 3B Chris Iannetta, C Jeff Baker, 2B Jorge de la Rosa, P |
Los Angeles Matt Kemp, CF Andre Ethier, RF Nomar Garciaparra, SS Manny Ramirez, LF Russell Martin, C James Loney, 1B Casey Blake, 3B Angel Berroa, 2B Derek Lowe, P |
Why does this idiot have a vendetta against the Dodgers? First, he bashed them for not doing anything; now this.
I'd be shocked to see Kent in any baseball capacity after he retires.
In his 4 career relief appearances against LA, he has given up 5 runs, 11 H, and 4 BB in only 6 IP.
Tee time is 12:10.
I'll never forget the game in 1993 when Piazza hit those 2 home runs to sink the Giants' season. It was so sweet, even if I was sitting in literally the 2nd worst seat in the stadium.
Maybe the echo is intense in here. My ears hurt, for serious.
Reno 911!
(I know, I'm going straight to Hell)
Copious amounts of alcohol can help with that.
The 4+1 game was loud and full of crazy energy, but when Kent hit the homerun to tie it in game 3 against the Mets, my ears were ringing.
That reminds me of the guy who sat in front of us at game 3. He and his friends were averaging a large beer each inning. He leaves in the 5th, and by the 8th he has not returned. His friend shows us the text message "in dodger jail...shouldn't have hit the guy"
Loney is sitting on 20. He's tied for 4th in MLB with Adrian Gonzalez.
It will likely be canceled soon because it's the eighth inning.
But I'll be away from my computer for a while. My proxy has the authority to cancel the alert.
That is my guess. Some room where he is processed and booted, but keeps his personal property
The first sentence was good but it went down hill after that.
He's out-homered Andruw for the season now ...
He's out-homered Andruw and Juan for the season now ...
That was probably Torre's fault, too.
1.
25/4
Thats staggering considering it seems like he's hit pretty well.
Still, I can say with a authority that Wrigley is the loudest regular season place I've seen a baseball game. My ears usually only hurt at Yankee playoff games. I mean, they hurt! Soto just threw someone out and now they hurt again!
I felt like tearing off my loney jersey and tossing into center field, but as always I tell myself we can turn this around. I just hope I wasn't there for the beginning of the end.
I sort of felt the same way after that S.F. series, but we went on to sweep philly, so I guess its still possible that we have a successful road trip.
anyway, i'm not sure why I decided to vent that, maybe just because this is the last game I'll watch in L.A.
but hey another Billy Buckner, lets see if we can get something going!
I better not repeat that in texas though, they are quite proud of their state to say the least lol.
http://earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net/silnatrubear.html
He just doesn't catch the ball very much at this stage of his career.
vr, Xei
http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er20.aspx
They're supposed to reduce noise (about) equally across all frequencies, so you could wear them at a concert. I have them and they work pretty well. I'll probably be wearing them at Outside Lands this weekend.
72 - my wife is from Arkansas. Back when there was such a thing as the Southwest Conference in the NCAA, it consisted of Arkansas and Texas. Conference officiating was so notoriously bad and pro-Texas that Arkansas teams playing out-of-conference games (or bowl etc. games) would routinely call for the other conference's officials.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/08/21/bp.pecota50/1.html
A rare stolen base.
No longer hitless, no longer scoreless, no longer losing.
we're dreadlocked at 1
Excellent!
I still think we see Kershaw on that list since it is supposed to be about upside.
Top Chef! The food/venue is the story, methinks.
He got a nice round of applause, I even saw some one with an SC shirt clap.
How were his throwing skills?
127 is exactly right.
I'm not saying Loney will never be good, but if he was an elite defender, shouldn't he catch the ball more often?
Most of us here do watch every game the Dodgers play and I won't speak for them but from what I've seen(subjectively) Loney is simply not that great a defensive 1st baseman. He makes quite a few excellent plays but he sprinkles in to many bad plays to be considered an elite defensive 1st baseman.
The scouts and so forth rave because they see the excellent plays, but over a whole season his consistency at this point is lacking. He certainly has the skills to be elite, but he simply isn't there yet.
And we take the lead! My bags are still packed, but now they're further back in the bedroom.
At the same time, Loney makes a lot of extremely difficult look effortless on a daily basis.
Its not that we can blame fans or DT commentors for not noticing his defense, James is laid back, relaxed, hes a natural. He's not flashy so his wonderful stretching catches and picks go unnoticed.
obviously the guy makes mistakes, he's still young, but his defense is undeniably good.
I mean Don Mattingly, the hitting coach, worked with Loney after he got here in July on how to agreesively go after the throw as opposed to waiting for it.
He has the tools, but he is not a great defender. He could be. So consider me in the middle of this debate.
Sounds like a great catch by the Bison.
Speaking of brillance, Matty Kemp. Great catch.
--
I asked this earlier, but what's the prognosis for Wade? When's he supposed to be back?
but I do agree hes not elite now, but I think he clearly has the skill set to be a gold glover
His defense would be more than adequate now if he could just hit for power though..
Darn,it seems like Martin has almost been a negative this month.
And that gets back to the old question, do errors really give us a good picture of a player's defensive play? Sophisticated baseball analysis, sabermetrics included, says no. Is is possible for a defender with more errors to be better than a defender with less errors? Yes.
When people say Loney makes too many errors, I have no problem with that. Nobody said he was perfect, and Gold Glovers aren't perfect. But no more than the discredited metric of "fielding percentage" do the more modern metrics recognize what LONEY does VERY WELL, and those are the plays that have to be seen with the human eye, that can't be accounted for in metrics because they can't be reduced to quantifiable data points.
Lowe's done. Looked a little tired after going over 100. Hats off to him.
Kent and Pierre are on the bench.
When do Martin, Ethier, Loney, and Kemp become veterans? 200 games - 300 game - 400 games
Why was Lowe pulled, and Kuo in? They're going to kill Kuo's arm.
Hopefully Kuo can work the 8th also.
Count me in as never having used the word "error". You are trying to pigeon hole some of us into your conceived notion that we are judging Loney on the number of errors he's made.
JoeyP brought up the numbers of statistical errors, no one else has.
Nomar was probably involved, and I think Martin is going through something at present.
The classic argument is that fielders with exceptional range get penalized on errors because often such errors are charged at the extreme end of the player's range. (This is also the case with fielding percentage.) The problem I have with this is simply that Loney makes unforced errors like throwing balls into center field, or doesn't get to routine grounders. You're trying to have it both ways: you want us to accept sabermetric arguments (errors shouldn't be used against a fielder) when they bolster your position, but walk away from them (advanced fielding metrics) when they don't.
That is quite a feat given how long a history beach volleyball has in the Olympics.
Is that a negative comment, I don't think so.
It was a pretty exciting match, even though it was straight sets.
US-Korea table tennis right after was great too.
LONEY!!!
3-1 LA.
I kid, but I agree, "has room for improvement" is hardly a condemnation.
Darn, I wanted to see another Kuo bat toss.
http://tinyurl.com/6azdx7
Damn, I meant Paul Molitor.
Nice pick Nomar! One more inning to go.
Each opponent for each team should be weighted by their own H-R numbers. My guess is that basically evens things out.
Dodgers have 3 in Washington and 4 in Pittsburgh. If we don't take advantage during those games we don't deserve the divison.
If we are lucky he is Grace reincarnate. Grace was a damn good ballplayer. Not sure why the focus is on how many home runs James hits, he has the 2nd most XBH on the team and only trails what some would call a "franchise player".
For his age only Fielder has a higher slug% for first baseman. He just went a head of Votto. If was 27 and still putting up a 440 slug% I could understand the concern but by the time he's 27, 480-500 will be his norm and people will wonder why he can't slug 550.
214 Broxton.
Give it time.
I better finish packing my backpack and gear just in case.
He's saving himself for the walk off in the 11th.
As long as Brox doesnt give up a homer, he should save this out fine.
And underdog doesn't have to head back to the mountains.
Lose 2 of 3 to the Giants/Win 6 of 7 against the Phils and Brewers/Lose 2 of 3 to the Rox
Like I said though, probably just my perception.
Steiner: "On its way...."
wait
wait
wait
wait
"SWING AND A MISS STRIKE 3!"
Either he was early with "on its way," or it took him a while to process the swing-and-miss. Or Broxton's pitch took a circuitous route to Martin's mitt - like by way of Pasadena.
Now have to go at least 5-5 on the road trip to stay in the race.
If that's true, that would predict close games, no matter the opponent. But losing to bad teams and beating good ones means playing "beyond" the level of the opponent, as it were.
Dbax are 6-2 with Dunn.
Now that would be a curve ball for the ages.
1. His glove is on that side, and
2. He races the ball to the OF to his left. Gets a lot of grounders a few feet out on the grass, because he still has time to make the short throw to 1st. To his right, he often doesn't even take a first step, probably calculating (correctly) that even if he could chase it down, he'd never make that throw.
That's consistent with my observation that the good plays he DOES make to his right are on force-outs.
Basically, Kent exerts himself when he thinks it will matter and otherwise doesn't bother. Since he's a PVL, we'll call that "savvy." If he were 10-15 yrs younger, we'd go with "lazy."
On home/Away and "playing to the level of the competition" affects, what I think may be very important is that the teams in our division play twice as hard against the Dodgers as anyone else, and I don't think this is as unimportant as most national analysts seem to.
We develop most of our own players and then spend the entire budget of 2 out of three orgs. (Pads, Rocks, and Snakes) on extra weapons (at the moment Pierre, Jones and Schmidt) so they have motivation to try hard agaist us. And the other team in our division is SF. I just hope things fall our way, but I am pretty sure this is a real affect.
http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_10266378
I have no idea what this means, or how one would know.
The DBacks just kill the NL West. Does that mean that the other NL West teams roll over for them?
Also, he is apprently a good pitcher.
I wouldn't unpack just yet...
Blame Troy Miller. I know. I wuz there.
(no, i don't entirely know what that last sentence means either)
257. ToyCannon
Whew, nothing seems easy. Going to be a long 6 weeks, this is why I'm bald.
So's Matt Holliday and I wish we had him too.
vr, Xei
"it will be interesting to see how Kershaw reponds when he sees the short porches at the Zen.
There's a big difference between it and Dodger Stadium.
OTOH, he's a high-velocity pitcher and could come in and just dominate.
But if the breeze is blowing out he may find that what would be "li'l old fly balls" at Chavez Ravine turn into runs for the Phils in the cozy confines of the Zen.
If that happens it will be interesting to see how he responds.
Also, this Dodger lineup could be licking their collective chops at the opportunity to hit in Philly.
It should be fun."
I guess that depends on what bald is. I have tons of hair on the left and right side of my head but if I let it grow I become the guy from Dilbert or Constanza.
One of my favorite George moments is when Elaine is dating a guy from the "shaved community" who had stayed shaved to long and when he went to grow his hair he had the Constanza look.
On that note, does it appear to anyone that more and more hair pieces are showing up? Costas sure looks like he's wearing one these days.
But I am sure that it is false to say that defensive ability/quality/performance is inherently unmeasurable.
Just because nobody has yet figured out a way to measure it well (and quickly) doesn't mean it's impossible. The logic behind each of ZR, RF and +/- is clever, but of course imperfect.
The problems with subjective judgments are well known. They are biased toward unusual events (great plays and big screwups are remembered, whereas routine-looking plays are not) as well as subject to observer bias (observers subconsciously basing their judgment of someone else's performance on what they think they themselves could have done).
For now, until someone builds a better mousetrap, I'd trust the objective measures much more than the subjective ones, but also be explicit about how the objective ones are constructed. Instead of looking at ZR and calling someone a good or bad defender, look at ZR and say that someone has a good or bad ZR. +/- tells us something very different from ZR. I suppose that if someone rates very highly on EVERY measure of defense, you can start to have some confidence that a summary statement of "good defender" is warranted, but otherwise, I'd just accept that there is no single overall measure of quality that ends the discussion.
"The Zen" is the dumbest nickname for a ballpark ever.
The Vet was the old Veterans' Stadium. They play at Citi zen s Bank Park now.
Me too. And Pac Bell Park is the most alliterative of the three names for the SF stadium, and not just because Kevin Elster owns the stadium.
I like it then. You need nicknames when someone forces a commercial entity on you as the name.
When McCourt sells our naming rights to BofA we don't want to be calling it the big BA.
CiBaPa works for me! :)
I'll just pronounce BofA like Jimmy Hoffa's last name.
"LETS GO TO THE BANK!" "TIME TO CASH IN SOME RUNS!" "OH, LOOKS LIKE WE JUST APR'ED THAT PITCHING STAFF." "THAT'LL TEACH YOU TO SUB PRIMED THAT LOAN."(For a rental trade where you won't really feel the effects until years later.)
Fetters was unique, right up there with Hrabosky.
The Red Sox probably like his .381 OBP.
They're weird like that.
We did the David Ross in Aug/Sept pennant race and it left a bitter taste. Hope the Red Sox enjoy him.
The Minotaur will live on.
Is that the kind of game you bet the house on and win only 20 bucks?
Cargill what are the odds tonight?
Oh, he's real now, and he's spectacular.
Shocked, just shocked that Jason Phillips is not in their select company.
I suppose Scioscia can be included in that company.
Sigh. We'll never know.
Could have been so beautiful
Could have been so right
We'll never know what could have been
On a cold & lonely night
344. Well, duh. That goes without saying (although, apparently not). I was a charter member of the Hee Seop Marching and Choider Society. But I didn't think Phillips should have been cast in the role of villain.
Juan Pierre on the other hand....
GoBears mentioned a better mousetrap and it just triggered a response.
Talk about they only come out at night!
351. Oh, was Phillips one of those guys? I don't remember that, but yeah, that would certainly mitigate the pity. Good, I'm glad. Hate that guy. Punk.
He was not very likable. The feeling I got was that he was a lousy ballplayer who felt he was better then he was. A better man would have told Jim Tracy, No, you cannot start me instead of the greatest Korean player in major league history. What would the fans chant? You cannot cheat them like this. I will humbly sit by your side as better to soak up how you can be so inept as a manager yet run one of the storied sports fanchises in all history. This should have been done in a slight bow.
They are quite effective inside the attic because you can use them over and over until the batteries run out unlike the old snap and crack which is only effective for one snap.
Depo shouldn't have acquired good players and gotten rid of bad ones. That really messed Jim up.
The biggest mistake Depo made was giving run of the mouth an extension for 2005. He should have taken the heat then and gotten his own manager.
I think he'd done just fine with Kemp. He was one of Milton's biggest backers until Milton stabbed him in the back by ignoring his request to keep his problems in house and ran crying to the press that Kent was a bad boy.
Toward the end of the year, I felt I was the only person still watching the Dodgers games. Everybody else watched Jacksonville.
They were going to take potshots at him anyway he might as well do something to better the club. I'm a little surprised that Jim Tracy was liked by the press, once he started talking they would always miss their deadlines.
http://tinyurl.com/6868ec
6 1/3 innings, 8 hits, 3 earned runs.
We were interested in seeing what major league ballplayers looked like, you were interested in tragedy.
But what do I know?
I listened to every darned game that year (and attended more than a few), with the exception of about 10-15 contests that my then-gf thought were worth skipping in favor of going out with her. In retrospect she was clearly right, but I lived and died (early on) with that team.
Yuck!
In the words of Wyatt Earp (or Kevin Costner playing Wyatt Earp): Women come and women go, the Dodgers are forever.
Unless she's become something more than a girlfriend. in which case, i got nothing.
Cory Wade, the unsung rookie workhorse who was disabled last week with shoulder tenderness, will accompany the club on the trip to Philadelphia on Thursday night, have a bullpen session Friday or Saturday, to be followed with one game for Double-A Jacksonville while the club is on the East Coast. He is eligible to be activated Sunday.
http://tinyurl.com/68gofh
Not.
She's now dating some dude who's 10 years younger than I am (and 7 years younger than she is).
The real big shame of it all is that she had a nice place in Echo Park within walking distance of the Stadium. Not much into baseball, though. She kept referring to runs as "points," despite my best efforts.
I didn't let her live that one down for a couple of years.
Sisters are easier. They have to stick with you no matter what, despite your obsessions and your teasing. (Mine just moved in to my apartment two months ago.)
Though the fight I was watching did get significantly better, approximately when one of the fighters got kicked right in the face.
If a player is especially good at not making outs, he will be booed because he strikes out (see Burrell).
Nationals load the bases with two outs in the top of the ninth, and Acta lets Hanrahan hit. (He infield grounds out.)
So, to the bottom of the ninth looking for a two innning save . . .
Also, Sams of the world, Unite!
Granted, one was watching MLB Gameday feeds from my iPhone as a practice-sheet, so anything will make that more enjoyable.
Thanks again to BH for the ticket yesterday--despite the loss, I had a great time.
Scary Scoring-Game questions to come for a Mr. Timmerman or whomever, but probably not until this weekend.
He's killing the D-backs.
Now that I think of it, I don't think anyone involved with the franchise is or ever has given up. That doesn't preclude stupidity of course.
Blake DeWitt just might be a player that goes though slumps and streaks. Prolonged slumps that drive you insane and confusing streaks.
Hanrahan was 25 years old, he was throwing his fastball in the high 80s, and he'd posted ERAs over 5 in two of his last three minor league seasons. He wasn't worth wasting a 40-man roster spot on at the time. Keeping Miller was the right move since he had better upside. (Although it's nice to see that Hanrahan has his fastball back.)
412 - don't all players go through slumps and streaks? i would posit that the objective is to narrow the gap between slumps and streaks, but the nature of the game is you can go hitless for two weeks and then get a hit everyday for a month. funny game, baseball.
When has PCH ever been an easy drive?
Padres 0
Top of 6th.
Lowe (W, 10-10)
Kuo (H, 10)
Broxton (S, 10)
The thought of Penny as a fire-balling reliever has always intrigued scouts and club officials, particularly after he started the 2006 All-Star Game throwing 100-mph fastballs past Ichiro Suzuki, Derek Jeter and David Ortiz, striking out the side while knowing that he didn't need to pace himself for 100-plus pitches.
if it was previous posted my apologies.
Aha, dueces wild--binary style.
How was the game in person?
Decenas wild!
It took me longer because I had to look up the Spanish plural of tens! :)
http://www.yahoo.com/s/940028
I was going for the alliteration...decenas sounds sort of like deuces.
That needs to be made into a movie.
I wonder if Maddux has given up the most doubles all-time.
Cy Young probably gave up more doubles, since he has about 2300 more IP, even though he pitched in the dead ball era there were still a fair amount of doubles hit.
Here are the pre-1956 pitchers with more IP than Maddux:
Cy Young - 7354.2 IP
Pud Galvin - 6003.1
Walter Johnson - 5914.2
Warren Spahn - 5243.2
Pete Alexander - 5190
Kid Nichols - 5056.1
Tim Keefe - 5047.2
It's certainly possible/probable that Maddux is no worse than the 3rd most all-time doubles giver upper.
article on the 'ninjas'
Delivering warning letters...
lol
Tell that to Barry Newman of the Wall Street Journal.
L.A Times Dylan Hernandez:
Lowe pitched 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball in the Dodgers' 3-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday at Dodger Stadium, something he said he didn't do alone.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-dodgers22-2008aug22,0,3075458.story
Race walking is pretty entertaining to watch, if only for the soccer-style overzealous refs and their yellow and red cards.
I don't doubt that Maddux understands what particular hitters are trying to do and how pitchers can best get them out.
The thing I don't get is why Maddux is unique in this respect. I have to think that any pitcher could sit down with the coaching staff, look at tapes of hitters, and figure out an effective strategy for how to pitch to them.
I suspect that the difference between Maddux and other pitchers is not that Maddux is inherently smarter or much better able to figure this stuff out, but rather that most pitchers don't go to so much trouble, especially those with guaranteed lucrative contracts. They rely on the managers and catchers to call the pitches and set up the target, and they throw what and where they're told to throw.
I don't mean
1. If a pitcher has a GLC, he won't put "a lot" of effort into figuring out how to pitch to individual hitters.
I do mean
1. If a pitcher has a GLC, he may be less likely to put "a lot" of effort into figuring out how to pitch to individual hitters.
More to the point, I'm trying to figure out why other pitchers can't do what Maddux allegedly does. I'm hesitant to accept that other pitchers can't do what he does, so I'm looking for an alternative explanation.
Argentina- 40
At halftime.
Different pitchers have different skill sets. Maddux knew that he needed to work on his approach to hitters to be successful. It's not like he throws like CC Sabathia.
But we're apparently supposed to believe that Maddux is helping our pitchers, simply by telling them how to pitch to particular hitters, independent of the pitchers' respective skill sets.
If Penny and Lowe are being helped in this way, why couldn't they have figured out the things Maddux is telling them, either on their own or with the coaching staff and scouts? Isn't that largely what the coaching staff and scouts are for?
I don't think most pitchers have the control that Maddux does. He is 52 all time in career BB / 9 IP at 1.8.
Maddux is able to figure out how to pitch to batters and actually do it. A contrast would be Bannister, who seems to know what to do, but just can't carry it out.
It shouldn't be difficult to figure out whether a particular hitter prefers fastballs or off-speed pitches, inside or outside pitches, high or low pitches, etc. It also shouldn't be difficult to figure out whether a particular hitter tends to swing or not on particular counts, whether he "tries to go the other way" (or whatever) in particular situations, etc.
It's also possible that hitters have "tells" (in a poker sense), and reveal their intentions through body language.
I don't see any reason why Maddux would be the only pitcher to pay attention to this stuff, other than that other pitchers aren't taking the time to pay attention to this stuff. But even that's not a satisfactory explanation, because coaches and scouts are paid to make sure that pitchers are paying attention to this stuff (aren't they...?).
I understand that, but Lowe and Penny aren't saying that Maddux is helping them with their control. They're (apparently) saying that he's helping them with strategy.
I mean Maddux was in LA in 2006. Did Penny and Lowe forget everything Maddux told them between then and now? Did they see how important preparation can be and then decide they wouldn't do it once Maddux left? Is Maddux just an uber-scout?
Cheater.
You might be right. Something doesn't add up here.
It also sounded interesting in Sept of 2006, didn't really amount to much.
If he's only going to become a setup/closer I'd drop his option.
One thing about Maddux is what an incredible fielder he is. I only saw him off and on when he pitched for the Cubs/Braves but for that brief period he pitched for us he was the best fielder I'd ever seen on the Dodger mound. You must have serious reflexes to do what he does so while he may look like the most unathletic guy on the club it is probably the opposite. Probably a nasty table tennis player.
http://tinyurl.com/6fylqh
At least we aren't the Yankee's. Not trading Hughes/Kennedy for Santana is not looking good right now. Santana would not have made a difference this year but I'd rather have Santana next year than the constantly hurt Hughes and the ineffective Kennedy.
Its hard to see how that skill could be connected to his skills in pitching strategy, but some talents run together, and these are not very well studied skills.
Penny:
Before Maddux: 3.50 / .719
After Maddux: 6.21 / .861
Lowe:
Before Maddux: 4.29 / .701
After Maddux: 2.39 / .607
Penny was terrible after the Maddux acquisition. Lowe was great. I don't think we can isolate a Maddux effect here, but it's definitely not conclusive that he bettered the staff.
But, hey, if Lowe has a 2.5 ERA for the rest of this season and it's really because of Maddux, I'd be ecstatic.
The pitching strategy is probably overrated. Everyone has a strategy, the difference is that in his hey day he could execute the strategy to perfection thus making it look like he had a better strategy, instead of just acknowledging he was simply an outstanding pitcher.
The athletic skills translate into a repeatable delivery.
package of prospects? Really? For Jack Wilson?
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08235/906166-63.stm
Penny was hurt in the 2nd half of 2006. To many variables to make any case for or against the Maddux effect.
http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/sportsblog/2008/08/mike-schmidt-pa.html
Thank you Nomar for still being able to play SS.
1. Speed ironing
2. 110 Freeway navigation
3. Perfect spot parking
4. the 1000 meter Chavez Ravine hike
5. Taking score while not spilling condiments on the card
He's only been caught 6 times. Since 1920, there have only been 5 seasons with more SB by a player with fewer than 10 CS:
Tim Raines: 70 out of 79 (both 1985 & 1986)
Bert Campaneris: 62/70, 1969
Tony Womack: 60/67, 1997
Joe Morgan: 60/69, 1976 (MVP)
Speaking of high SB rates, Jimmy Rollins is 31/33 this season (93.9%), and the Phillies as a team have been successful an amazing 83.9% as a team (they were 87.9% last year).
Ironing a Dodger jersey? Just throw it in the dryer! :)
I wonder how long it will take once Furcal starts his comeback.
.... and readying to turn around and sell them in another 3 years.
I'll take selling in 3 years please.
Why? If we were the A's we'd be trading Kemp, Loney, Martin, Kershaw, and Chad within a few years. Beane has historically done a great job trading for young major league players, who exactly has he traded for that was a prospect that became a star? Ellis is the only name that comes to mind and he is hardly a star.
Haren was a young established pitcher for the Cardinals. Meyer was the prospect who failed. Daric Barton was the big prospect from the Cardinals in the Haren deal. He kind of sucks after all the hype.
He has gotten a ton of guys but who knows if any will make them forget Haren. Maybe Gonzalez is the guy to breakthrough but I'd rather have my guys then keep trying to build over and over again.
Maddux is at 4.70 K/9, and has also had more than 4 K only thrice (5 all three times).
Tonight is a perfect matchup for KG16! :)
Unless Maddux faces off against the Rockies' Livan Hernandez later this season, tonight might be the last time this season Maddux is the relative strikeoutingest starter.
Maddux doesn't do anything that any other pitcher couldn't do, he just has a good combination of many years of experience, great preparation (review scouting reports and tape), a very good baseball mind (potential coaching mentality), plus good communication skills, from what I can tell.
Like having an extra coach. I can see why the other pitchers would like to pick his brain and try to understand how he sees the game.
Losing who. Jackson and Navarro might be the only two players I actually miss and that's arguable considering Martin and our minor league pitching depth.
We're not trading away a Pedro, folks.
If it costs Andy LaRoche to make a legitimate run at the playoffs, I'm all for it. Even if it ends in failure. I'm more partial to that approach than Oakland's revolving door of prospects.
It was more a comment on our management and how distrust makes trade rumors insufferable. I feel like other teams fans actually get excited when hearing trade rumors about their team.
If he gets un-due credit, he should get un-due blame.
If we want Edwin back, same thing.
Of course it would be a totally cool story if Zimmerman actually did something for the Yankees. Just think if the Met's hadn't been so stupid to trade Kazmir for Zimmerman how many GM's might have been inclined to do something as stupid. Now everytime they contemplate trading their best prospect for a run of the mill major league pitcher they have to ask themselves "Do I want to be a talking head for ESPN or working in baseball".
Zambrano?
Jim "Don't Call Me Dan" Duquette was the GM that traded Kazmir for Zambrano.
When you do the classic Ned send out mid level prospect for a player of little to no value, all it takes is one of those prospects to pan out for it to be a net loss in the end. Yeah, Tiffany, Guzman, Pedroza, and Seo never amounted to anything, but you can't argue that we won the series of deals with the Devil Rays.
Come now, Manny was only one trade. As Andrew and Jon have pointed out many times the problem is not in trading the chips, the problem is in the return. The more chips you give away the less of a pot you have to work with when you really want something.
An All-Star catcher like Navarro is nothing to sneeze at when you say I only miss Navarro. What do you think the Yankee's might have been willing to trade to get him back when Posada went down? A friggin mountain of gold, that is what. A pitcher like Edwin Jackson is in the rotation of the best team in baseball pitching in a tough AL division. Wily Aybar is now starting at 3rd base for the same team and since replacing Longoria is hitting better then Blake. These are not fungible players but key members of the best team in baseball.
I know, I wasn't referring to Steve Philips just that any failed baseball person seems to end up working for ESPN.
Cashman should be next.
Pavano is Spanish for Rosenberg, I believe.
Listening to Dylan?
Since the division isnt very good, I think the Dodgers could have kept Andy LaRoche & still made a legit run at the playoffs.
The Dodgers created another hole for 2009, & thinned out their minor league prospects. 2008 doesnt seem like the seasont to go all in, especially since the division sucks as is.
http://tinyurl.com/6dcmcd
You know who I like on ESPN, who I didn't think I would like at all? Buck Showalter. He seemed uptight as a manager (a little too detail oriented and taskmasterish) but he'll give good insight every now and then.
Bobby Valentine was also good, and it was always great to see how mad Gammons would get at him.
Orel Hershiser is probably my favorite person currently associated with ESPN baseball (present company excluded of course, Molly).
Lets me put it this way, we could have traded LaRoche for Jack Wilson this off season.
Dunn - 1.129
Nady - .991
Bay - .971
Sabathia - 73 IP, 1.60 ERA
There's some stiff competition for most influential mid-season acquistion.
That's what's so great about Manny. His slump is an 850 OPS! Which would still be leading the regulars (Kemp is at .829). Awesome.
535 - The Dodgers did not go all in. To extend the poker analogy (I apologize in advance for what this will do), they are not even pot committed. They've made a few aggressive bets (something you have to do in order to win pots). Sometimes aggressive bets work, some times they don't. Look at what the Dodgers have coming back next year: Kemp; Ethier; Martin; Billingsly; Kershaw; Loney (who we all know you hate, but still); Hu; Young; McDonald; Stultz. Are there holes, yes, but not major ones, and not ones that can't be addressed either internally or through the free agent/trade markets.
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