Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
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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
Dodger Thoughts reader Andrew Zicklin e-mailed last week following the final Dodger fantasy camp at Dodgertown in Vero.
Sixty-two players, including two women, spent the week with Tommy Davis, Maury Wills, Joe Pignatano, Rick Monday, Steve Yeager, Bill Russell, Jerry Reuss and Carl Erskine. Also along as instructors and coaches were John Shoemaker, Craig (Nacho) Bjornson, Garey (Chicken) Ingram, Marty Reed, Glenn Dishman and Casey Deskins.
It shows what kind of tradition and respect the Dodgers and the camp have when the guys that have moved on to other teams - Bjornson, Reed and Ingram - come back to hang with us campers.
The week started off rainy, games cancelled, so we were able to take advantage of the time and listen to the coaches talk about their specialties. Sunday, it was Yeager and Piggy on catching and Tommy Davis on hitting. Monday, we had Reuss and Erskine on pitching, Tuesday, Wills on baserunning.
We did get the games in, though: doubleheader on Monday, doubleheader on Tuesday. On Wednesday, we played nine innings, plus two innings in the camper/instructor game at Holman Field, which always ends with Jimmy Erskine, who has Down syndrome, hitting a ball pitched by Carl and running the bases. Then another nine on Thursday. You can see the stats and participants at www.ladabc.com.
The evenings were spent with Monday and Reuss recapping the season and taking questions, Carl and Piggy with conference calls by Duke Snider and Ralph Branca talking about the Brooklyn days, and an evening with Bruce Froemming, who umpires games throughout camp and ran the kangaroo court, which Branca used to do.
All fines go to the Jimmy Fund, which helps families with special needs children. This tradition was started by a former camper who was moved by Jimmy Erskine's story. The campers raised about $5,000 for the fund this week.
Of course after dinner, the campers and instructors all headed over to the clubhouse bar, where we proceeded to self-medicate, seeking relief from the sore hamstrings, quads, knees and shoulders that we incurred during the day.
It was a bittersweet week. ... As far as I know, there is no other camp where the campers and instructors eat, drink and even dress in the clubhouse locker room together, and no other camp of a team that has relocated has kept the tradition of their former and current home so interconnected and strong as the Brooklyn and LA teams have.
A chapter has definitely ended.
* * *
Elsewhere ...
I need reg to tell me some defensive metric actually hates him or I'm doomed.
Granted, so did the last Dodger MVP, but still.
AL VORP Leaders
1) A-Rod - 62.4
2) Sizemore - 60.7
3) Pedroia - 59.8
4) Mauer - 57.1
5) Bradley - 56.2
6) Hamilton - 55.9
7) Huff - 55.6
8) Kinsler - 53.7
9) Youkilis - 53.4
10) Quentin - 51.3
Jacob, I agree with your first placers. Who was the --? Quentin & Mr. HR Derby might get some love too.
I need reg to tell me some defensive metric actually hates him or I'm doomed
According to Bill James Online, Pedroia went from -5 (25th in MLB) in 2007 to +15 (5th) in 2008.
http://tinyurl.com/6za4gl
However, Bill James Online rates him as #5 in terms of +/- at +15. (Utley owns everybody else at +47)
RZR (from the Hardball Times) has him at 6th.
I don't think Quentin will get a first place vote. Story Of The Year (I'm going to keep making up nicknames until one sticks) could get one, and I did take the over, so I may throw him in, but I'm sticking by my guess, in this order (of first place votes received):
Pedroia
Mauer
Morneau
Youk
K-Rod
Longoria (St. Petersburg Times is officially put on my completely blank Obelisk if this happens).
Chase Utley +47
Mark Ellis +26
Adam Kennedy +19
Brandon Phillips +17
Dustin Pedroia +15
THT link:
http://tinyurl.com/6cykln
Because of his ink, maybe J-Ham (that one won't stick) could be "da plane."
Youkilis comes out ahead if you look at VORP/PA.
Then again, I'd be rooting for a baseball player I may actually dislike more in Youk. I can't win. I'm jumping on the Mauer boat.
Isn't health a skill, at least to some extent? Pedroia played in 12 more games than Youk, and started 14 more times. That doesn't account for all the PA difference (maybe half).
Youkilis is harder to hate because of two things:
1) "The Greek God of Walks" nickname
2) His goatee
That said, he's more on the "hate" side of my personal spectrum.
I understand why you feel that way, but such a system rewards players based on their position in the lineup, which a "good" system wouldn't do.
Wouldn't Man-Ram have won the NL MVP if he we were going by value/PA?
Henry Rowengartner
The Rangers may have been better off with Gary Busey making some starts for them on the mound.
I agree with you about distinguishing between players who were in the lineup vs. out, but I don't think players should be rewarded for batting higher in the lineup.
So ARod's season looks similar to Youkilis' to me, other than the playoff team thing, and he plays a tougher position.
That depends in large part upon the disparity in time spent out of the lineup. If the disparity is small, then batting order matters a (relative) lot.
That said, it's not like either Youk or Pedroia is a likable villain, ala Bonds or MJ. I don't get that grin you get when you prepare to jeer someone, or that belly laugh when someone three row behind you comes up with a particularly funny fourth grade insult against the guys. I think of them and they just frustrate and annoy me.
If we're looking at #4 vs. #7, then probably so.
But probably not if we're looking at #1 vs. #4.
SportsNation Rob Neyer: Ummm, do you have some sort of proof of this, Kevin? Because a reasonable person could make a reasonable argument that Howard wasn't one of the 10 best players in the league. I'm just saying.
http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=23698
1. Actual value of a player to his team, that is, strength of offense and defense.
2. Number of games played.
3. General character, disposition, loyalty and effort.
4. Former winners are eligible.
5. Members of the committee may vote for more than one member of a team.
No. 3 allows for a lot of wiggle room.
17 starts batting 2nd
8 GS batting 3rd
48 GS batting 4th
22 GS batting 5th
47 GS batting 6th
ABs by position:
Batting #1: 2
Batting #2: 69
Batting #3: 33
Batting #4: 174
Batting #5: 86
Batting #6: 174
first in WPA (http://tinyurl.com/5czgss)
second in VORP
second in OBP
batting title (yay)
damn fine catcher
11am can't come soon enough!
How low would a typical MVP candidate bat?
Marty Marion won the 1944 NL MVP. I don't have play-by-play data for that season, but he batted 7th in all six games of the World Series.
Marion, however, was not your typical MVP. He probably batted the lowest of them all.
SportsNation Rob Neyer: I'm not sure exactly why, when, or how. But yes, I seem to have been freed. Eat it, Blogger Boy!
He is, however, rather prompt on email. It only took him a day to get back to me regarding lowest PA before an IBB. I forgot the answer, but it was 0 PA.
Factoring in Pedroia playing a harder position (2B) than Youkilis (mostly 1B and some 3B) and playing it better (according to +/-), would that overcome Youklis's better VORP/PA and Pedroia's lead-off "handicap"?
SportsNation Rob Neyer: It's even harder for me to watch Chase Utley get screwed by the MVP voters every year. Cheers! And until next time, don't forget: "Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die."
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedailymirror/2008/11/november-18-196.html
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedailymirror/files/1968_1118_sports.JPG
http://www.bb-ref.com/pi/shareit/GR9C
54 Lopez was his answer, thank you! And to think it came in the AL...
Only 5 players with 1st place votes. Boo.
Of the Delmon Young / Matt Garza trade, I would have given large odds that Bartlett would be the first in that trade to receive MVP votes.
16 1st place votes
6 2nd place
4 3rd
1 4th
1 11th or worse
Kind of weird.
Probably the same ballot that gave the 8th place vote to Mike Mussina.
Me too. That would have been amusing.
So was Boras.
And I couldn't get to work early because I carpool and I couldn't tell the other people that I needed to come in earlier because a half dozen people on a blog want to see what I post for the AL MVP award.
I tried it once.
Comparing Kuroda to free agent Kawakami.
http://tinyurl.com/635g76
I should write the lyrics to the unfinished song.
How do you the squigally over the "N"?
Hold down "Alt", and type 164, and you get ñ, aka the tilde.
Peña
Gagnè (according to his jersey)
On an apple, option+n will get you a tilde pre-mark, type any tilde-taking letter afterward to get the full letter.
Many names I can think of have accents that tend to get anglosized out. Esmé being a personal favorite.
There's always Björk.
He must be trying to anger D4P.
The tilde is the mark above it, not it with an N
I think I knew that at one time, but somehow forgot.
I don't know if I'd ever use the tilde feature more than a couple of times, but it seems like a cool selling point for a Mac. :)
The key, as is often the case in MVP voting, is to be on a team that is not great, but rather just good enough to barely make or narrowly miss the playoffs.
Even though Tex was amazing with Anaheim, nobody thought he was the reason the Angels made the playoffs, as they basically had the division won at the time of the trade.
Going back to the last post, if I am ever blessed with a daughter, it would take a hell of a fight from the Misses to not name her Esmé.
I can't think of any wonderful, awe-inspiring male characters in Salinger that don't have really, really dorky names though. Elf actresses have taken whatever masculinity was left out of the name Zooey.
Détails, détails.
I actually only remembered è because it is Alt+138, and since Gagné's number was 38 I had a little memory association thing going.
I doubt Jim Carrey's upcoming movie is any good, but I'll always say yes to Zooey Deschanel.
At least it has Murray in it.
Yes Man doesn't look too different from Liar, Liar, but I'll probably go see it anyway. At a matinée price of course.
Cliff Lee: no first place votes, and 24 points.
I don't even like Cliff Lee, but that seems really screwy.
José
Zooey is in my top three actresses for sure, though at times she looks strikingly like an ex of mine, so my heartstrings can ruin it.
--
So who allowed Peter Gammons to vote 20 times in the MVP voting? Ah well, was a weak year, guess he deserved it as much as anyone.
I used to be high on her as well. Until she decided to do the debacle that was 'Tin Man'. Ouch.
Does anybody know exactly when Spring Training tickets go on sale?
Do not waste your time watching the Happening.
Does anybody know exactly when Spring Training tickets go on sale?
Last year spring training tickets went on sale December 21.
And Trillian in Hitchhiker's Guide, of course, and Kat on Weeds.
111 But they're still after Sabathia and Lowe? I still am amazed at the championship they are trying to buy, with a $300 million payroll.
http://www.npbtracker.com/2008/11/kawakami-vs-kuroda/#content
Kinda interesting...
The only "happening" I watch starts with "What's"
That's the only thing I've seen her in. She was good.
He says the Yankees will sign two guys out of CC, Burnett, and Lowe.
Gammons said Dodgers seem to be shifting focus to CC and if they get him, then they won't even attempt to re-sign Manny.
He then said maybe Manny would be a Giant or Boras would try to help Detroit move money around to sign him.
It'll be interesting to see who signs 1st of those 3 players.
It won't take much to top the resturants the Angels take potential FA's to sign.
http://fastfood.freedomblogging.com/2007/11/27/torii-hunter-deal-with-angels-consummated-at-del-taco/
And if I'm CC, I think I take that deal knowing that he could hit free agency again at age 30.
Gammons talked about them dealing Magglio (I assume for pitching).
And by then we'll know what exactly is Loney's ability is.
$4m bonus
2009: $8m
2010: $12.5m
2011: $13.5m
2012: $14m
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3710712
If at least the early part of the rescinded offer to Manny comes to fruition ($15m in 2009), it will be less than $55m for CC, Manny, and Furcal too.
Or Kyle Lohse.
That might not be a bad deal for Pujols.
Besides, Pujols is a full 3 years from free agency. My guess is the Cards sign him to a long-term deal before his 2011 option year, giving him a big raise on the $16m he's scheduled to earn that year. The Cards have their new stadium, and he's the biggest draw that just happens to be the best player in MLB.
Actually, it would be cool if Pujols in July 2010 forgets which knee is hurting, and is traded to the Dodgers with the condition that his 2011 option is declined.
A's liked Ethier, but I do not think they expected him to put up the numbers he did last year. They saw him and Buck as very similar players.
Bradley only played 115 games for the A's, and then Beane cut him after he was rehabbing from an injury. If Beane really did value him, he'd find a way to keep Bradley, even with his salary demands.
If Pujols took the original extension that he did, I can't see the Cards not locking him up. They're not the Yankees, but they're not the A's either, and it seems like too smooth of a working relationship. At least I hope. I respect no ball player more than Albert Pujols, and outside of a half a dozen Colts, no sportsman more. I really hope he spends every PA of his career as a Card.
He's also the only athlete--including NFL and NBA players--to send me into shivers when I saw him up close in person via the Dugout Club. I have probably mentioned this a hundred times, but it's a moment that will never leave me.
David Eckstein's next at bat helped shake me loose, though. He really is that tiny!
There's also a good chance that Billy Beane isn't quite the tactical genius he's hailed as.
Found it.
http://www.athleticsnation.com/2006/1/16/125218/977
Woo hoo! I remembered correctly.
You mean, a situation in which Andre shoots Andruw and leaves him for dead, and then, when Andruw runs out to jump on the chopper, Ethier has the pilot take off, leaving Andruw to get shot some more by Charlie?
Sure: I can see that.
That is my all-time favorite D4P comment. Well done, sir.
The strange colon usage in the last line is my favorite part. I am also humming "Adagio for Strings" at this moment.
You had me until you said Andruw would run and jump.
Go figure.
(Wait, no, he comes out of the bullpen. No wait, that's a different movie.)
Wait, what was I talking about?
What position does Zooey Deschanel play?
Er, don't answer that.
That's one of the greatest customer service lines ever.
I wish John McCain's brother was involved in customer service.
I think the Dodgers have to hope both Loney and Ethier improve against lefties. 2008 was a down year for both against LHP, relative to their careers:
Either: .699 OPS 2008 / .736 career
Loney: .664 2008 / .744 career
Both are young enough to improve and should still be given the chance to do so at least in 2009.
To expand, there is definitely a point at which the Dodgers should decide to platoon, but in the case of Loney and Ethier I don't think we are there yet.
I'd say yes, never understood why baseball puts up with such small production against LHP by LHH.
Regfairfield did you retire from writing and neglect to tell anyone?
They must be the two most boring teenagers on Earth.
Rats. 258/77 = 3.35. I was hoping it was 3.5.
Maybe Reg's lost his drive from the DePo for President days.
I think as everyone gets older, arguing baseball becomes increasingly meaningless.
Apparently Mike Moser will announce tomorrow at 5 between USC and UCLA.
Pedroia .308/.391/.454
LaRoche .294/.380/.517
MLB debuts:
Pedroia 27-147 (.184/.211/.272)
LaRoche 33-152 (.217/.348/.316)
No I'm not still bitter. Pedroia is a great case of a smart team giving a talented guy a prolonged shot. I don't recall the Red Sox blocking him with Shea Hillenbrands and planting stories about his work ethic.
http://tinyurl.com/5935g5
I could see Pujols taking less than that. He really loves St. Louis and is heavily involved in the community. And, part of me wants to believe that there is a ball player out there willing to take a little less to stay with a team he loves and to allow them to be more competitive in the future.
It will be interesting to see if Andy LaRoche is able to finally relax and play well in Pittsburgh, of course he has a big time prospect right behind him who is costing the Pirates a lot of money, so we'll see how long Pittsburgh is patient with Andy LaRoche.
OK, for one thing, the Dodgers are not the only team who "planted" stories about LaRoche's work ethic. The Pirates basically traded Bay for him and within a month were, at the very least, disappointed about his work ethic.
Maybe this is just a great case of two infielders with talent, but one works hard and the other doesn't. And I say maybe because I don't presume to know.
For the record I love to watch Pujols play.
LaRoche may be a big time prospect but he simply didn't produce this year.
They look like straight goobers.
BTW, another top prospect, Brandon Wood was released from his Dominican club after a poor start, the Angels GM said this will not impact his standing but this is now two years in a row where Wood has been let go by his Winter League team.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117996076.html
http://www.variety.com/awardcentral_article/VR1117995820.html
Pujols also hit a homerun in the game, as did Ricky Ledee!
Got to see Ballast last weekend and it was a great experience.
Yahoo did a feature article about the movie and the lead actress.
I was driving home -- alone in the car. Pujols came up. I said, out loud, to no one, "He'll hit the home run here. This game is over." And then it was true.
The other moment I successfully predicted came during a Dodger game in 2007. Juan Pierre came up with a runner on first, and I predicted that Pierre would attempt to bunt for a hit, get thrown out, and get credit for a sacrifice.
As for that latter one... well, even my then-unborn daughter, at the time but a collection of cells in her mother, could be heard to say, "Well, duh. Whatcha gonna predict next, Nostradamus?"
Naw, these are the kids that are doing the documentary on him.
You've never correctly predicted an Andruw Jones strikeout...?
Link?
After all, Jones had shown once upon a time that he could hit. Getting back there all starts with one at bat. And I kept thinkin and wishin and hopin and prayin that I was watching that at-bat.
With Pierre, whatcha saw was whatcha got.
Still waiting for Icaros' email so I can send him an e-version.
They talked about it and showed them on Around the Horn.
http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=ap-italy-shortsdown&prov=ap&type=lgns
Sorry. It's coming, Jacob. I've been distracted the past week devouring all the Iron & Wine I can find. What a great writer/singer.
I am trying to figure out how that would possibly work with a penalty kick, especially when the defending is the team that normally lines up to block it.
208 - I liked The Wrestler and liked Slumdog more.
I'll put up a movie post at some point.
We can't confirm that Dustin Pedroia's head reaches a listed 5 feet, 9 inches into the atmosphere. But Boston's spark plug did reach out and snag a big prize, winning AL MVP honors Tuesday
222 I think I mentioned it before, but I also have an intense amount of Iron & Wine (read: entire discography + a few bootlegs + half a dozen live shows) I could ship your way.
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