Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
Jon's other site:
Screen Jam
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
Below is a chart of who brought in the players on the 2007 Dodger roster and how much those players have contributed to this year's success as hitters and pitchers, according to Baseball Prospectus and its Value Over Replacement Player statistic.
There are some major caveats that come with this chart:
And so on.
I did feel it was interesting to see how some of this broke down, forever, even if the presentation is unscientific. At a minimum, credit for the Dodgers' current first-place standing in the National League West should be shared.
Paul DePodesta (84.1)
Name Bat Pitch Total Penny 3.5 41.4 44.9 Lowe 2.2 25.1 27.3 Kent 11.9 --- 11.9
Logan White (60.3)
Name Bat Pitch Total Martin 23.0 --- 23.0 Loney 11.0 --- 11.0 Broxton --- 8.5 8.5 Kemp 7.7 --- 7.7 Billingsley 0.9 6.4 7.3 Abreu 2.1 --- 2.1 LaRoche 0.7 --- 0.7
Ned Colletti (50.9)
Name Bat Pitch Total Gonzalez 21.1 --- 21.1 Saito --- 14.8 14.8 Wolf 1.0 12.5 13.5 Seanez -0.1 7.0 6.9 Ethier 5.5 --- 5.5 Furcal 5.2 --- 5.2 Tsao --- 5.1 5.1 Hendrickson -1.8 5.5 3.7 Beimel --- 2.9 2.9 Betemit 2.7 --- 2.7 Pierre -0.3 --- -0.3 Anderson -0.9 --- -0.9 Valdez -1.8 --- -1.8 Clark -3.1 --- -3.1 Lieberthal -3.1 --- -3.1 Schmidt 0.9 -4.2 -3.3 Garciaparra -5.7 --- -5.7 Tomko -1.7 -4.2 -5.9 Martinez -6.4 --- -6.4
Dan Evans (-0.2)
Name Bat Pitch Total Saenz 2.9 --- 2.9 Brazoban --- -3.1 -3.1
Ed Creech (-0.9)
Name Bat Pitch Total Kuo 1.5 -2.4 -0.9
* * *
Fun with history, courtesy of Eric Enders:
Best Career Slugging Percentage in Baseball History
(since 1871, min. 100 PA)
.690 Babe Ruth
.662 James Loney
.634 Ted Williams
.632 Lou Gehrig
.621 Albert Pujols
.611 Ryan Howard
.609 Jimmie Foxx
.608 Barry Bonds
.605 Hank Greenberg
Enjoy it while it lasts ...
Average VORP
Depo: 20.3
White: 7.4
Evans: 2.9
Flanders: 2.7
Course, it's also worth noting that, among the four player acquisitioners, only Depo probably knows/cares about VORP.
I'm sure White knows about it, but also keep in mind he drafts them.
It seems odd that Ned has brought in 5X as many players as Depo. I look forward to seeing how their draft classes match up.
Depo brought in other players, they were just not on the team this year.
He can't keep that going forever, of course, but he has that going for him right now.
Saito!
The 2004 and 2005 drafts are a bit hazy right now.
2004 - Elbert remains as the best prospect but he is injured and will miss the rest of this season. Dewitt and Orenduff were the other high picks along with Dunlap, none of these players are destined to be in LA anytime soon.
2005 - Hochevar affair, enough said (some would put this in both DePo's and Ned's camp but he was drafted under Paul's regime so here he stays) Meloan and Josh Bell are two of best prospects in 2005, Meloan certainly seems to be on track to play in LA sooner rather than later and Bell is probably the best young power hitter in the system.
Under Ned you have 2006, which has Kershaw, a raw Mattingly, a TJed Morris and a Canadian named Orr at the top of the list, all young and at least 2-3 years away. 2007 remains to be seen.
I think it is unlikely to see the wealth of talent up with the Dodgers that White's first two drafts has brought in, Loney, Broxton, Martin, Billingsley, Kemp, LaRoche and now the latest to be added maybe in a few years, James McDonald. That's a lot of frontline talent for a decade of drafts let alone two years. And not even mentioning the guys from those drafts that are still in the system.
I had thought of that.
Your kind of cherry picking aren't you. Look at the VORP for Depo's boys in 2004/2005 when he had to fill a roster of 25 not with what is left of the good ones.
Using Jon's analysis it would be easy to look at the roster configuration for each of the Gm's starting with Evans last year through today. Last year Ned would have been on top with the positives from Furcal/Nomar/Maddux and the negatives Depo would have taken from Penny's meltdown.
In any given year I'd like to see the home grown boys with the largest VORP. We are well on our way to seeing that happen over the next few years.
Wolf and Gonzalez have probably done at least as much as could be expected and in Luis's case, he is having a good month so that reflects even better.
Obviously Nomar has been a double-edged sword, he certainly filled a need both in the PR sense for the team in 2006 and on the field. But no question, this year has been nothing short of a disaster.
Really, you don't care about Furcal, Saito, Ethier, Wolf, Betemit, and shockingly the 6th best LF in the NL this year?
If you want to carry the Depo average VORP a step further just figure out every player brought to the Dodgers by Depo, then calculate the average VORP based on how they are doing right now, no matter where they are. Don't forget to include the 0 vorp for Choi,Edwards, Grabowski and company since none of them are even in the major leagues two years later.
I think whatever GMs do, it's always a gamble, however informed, mis-informed, or un-informed. And we don't what information they have or use. It was gamble on Saito, just like SChmidt. One worked out, and one has not, but (tenuously) might still have value. Even he who shall remain nameless was OK last night... for the first time in my watching him.
Over 2006-2007, Marlon Anderson leads all Dodger batters with a 162 OPS+ (minimum 100 PA). All-time slugger James Loney stands at 160.
http://www.bb-ref.com/pi/shareit/FT2T
Why only partial, Depo gets the good year in 2005 the health impaired year in 2006 and Ned gets the age decline of 2007.
Hardley a gamble, he was a non-roster invitee.
The best way for Loney to pass Marlon is for Marlon to get more at bats.
So Evans is now -.2 VORP.
Which leaves DePo with the guy who was part of the worst trade ever (Penny).
The guy who admitted that his personal life influenced his pitching in 2005. (Lowe)
And, Mr. Warmth (Jeff Kent).
DePo's guys do have the highest average salary but only because Ned can sprinkle in the Ramon Martinezes and Betemits with the Pierres and Schmidts.
I think that's how the Kingdome was imploded (IM-plode?)...McGwire just kept hitting balls at it.
Its amazing that 1 pitcher can make the difference between being in contention, not being---and Penny is that guy for the Dodgers. All I can say is that he better keep it up in the 2nd half, or the Dodgers will inevitably fall out of contention.
Or someone else will step it up. It wasn't long ago that you said our season was done when Schmidt went down the 1st time.
If you're going to do that, we might as well average the VORP of the players that DePo would have brought to the Dodgers, since Edwards, Grabowski were not long-term plans.
Perhaps average the Valentin, Drew Vorps in there.
Take it a step even further. VORP Russell Branyan, Kouz, Heath Bell, Mike Barrett too--guys that were brought in by the Padres probably by DePodesta.
I still think it is (as far as not winning the division=done), bc the Dodgers arent going to go 28-4 in Brad Penny starts all year.
Which ones are going to heat up hotter, than Penny cooling down cooler...?
Dodgers 5.5
Opponents 2.2
The average score of a Dodger game not started by Brad Penny in 2007 is:
Dodgers: 4.1
Opponents: 4.5
I still care about him, but not as much... only to the point where every now and then I try to check on how he's doing.
I recognize that if things stay the way they are, the amount that I care will wane and wane until I get to the point where I say, "Whatever happened to Joel the Destoryer?"
The Myth of the 500-Foot Home Run
http://www.slate.com/id/2095/
Nobody, but with JP, Furcal, and Nomar not just playing below expectations but below historical averages and with the infusion of Loney and Kemp I expect the offense to make up for when Penny slows down.
Penny has been great but it is not like we've won each of his games by one run.
Take heart, he's been heating up lately. Has an 885 OPS in June.
http://www.minorleaguesplits.com/
Did not see that one coming.
Liking Slate would be buying into the contrarian hype. It's too hip a contrarian site for an iconoclast like me ;-)
I knew that article would be by John Pastier.
Some people are really protective of the length of home runs. So are people about how far away Willie Mays was when he caught Vic Wertz's drive in the 1954 WS. I've seen statements that Mays was 460' from home when he made the catch, but more conservative estimates say he was no more than 410', although he obviously kept running after the catch.
A Mickey Mantle biographer claimed that in 1951, Mantle, while playing in an exhibition game at USC, hit a home run that went over the fence at Bovard Diamond and then crossed a football practice field behind it. This would have been over 650'.
I checked four different newspaper accounts of the game and not one writer mentioned that Mantle hit a particularly long home run.
http://www.themick.com/10homers.html
It's a frieze, not a facade.
Not to mention:
VORP (bat)
Penny: 3.5
Pierre: -0.3
Nomar: -5.7
I guess Penny has helped himself with the bat quite a bit thus far.
Don't get Bob started.
It's a day for contrarians!
Ned: 235.7
DePo: 158.2
White: 71.2
Other: 13
Evans: 11
Ned: 235.7
DePo: 148.2
White: 71.2
Other: 13
Evans: 11
I guess my point is to broaden Jon's statement: "At a minimum, credit for [insert your feelings about the state of the Dodgers here]...should be shared."
Ned: 235.7
DePo: 148.2
White: 71.2
Other: 13
Evans: 11
I guess my point is to broaden Jon's statement: "At a minimum, credit for [insert your feelings about the state of the Dodgers here]...should be shared."
Of course, I could just be full of it.
I say no.
Silly boy, curve balls just Bx and pFx.
You can make one from an Excel spreadsheet, a photocopier, a stapler, and six sticks of gum.
Just make sure you buy one that has a lot of spaces to fill in people in the #9 slot.
Maybe Bob won't see "The Revenge of the Nerds" because he fears it will hit too close to home...
If Edwards, Nakamura and others acquired by DePo were on included, the stats would be different. It's appples to oranges to compare the past Paul to the present Ned. Run the numbers again in two years. Then, you have apples to apples.
85 - I made the caveats to the chart abundantly clear. It's only about this year. As others have shown - read the comments above yours - the numbers would differ greatly at different times.
So what exactly is the lie?
I believe it goes to Xeifrank.
Beautiful.
I am also just feeling bad for Nomar. 8 runners left on base, being dropped from 3rd to 6th, being moved from first to third to account for a 22 year old, 0-10 over the last two games, swinging at ball 5 twice.
Even Vinny feels bad for him. It's like watching your puppy get old and now he is bouncing into furniture. Someone in the other comments said even his pre shot (pre hitting?) routine is a little lackluster...I noticed that too and just thought it was me.
Now I feel apathy towards him.
Why? There are three players left over from his time as GM. I don't see how he deserves a ring if the Dodgers win the WS.
If you get fired from your job and something you created there makes them a ton of money, you don't get to see any of it. That's what being fired is...
Has anyone else noticed this? Has it changed since spring training? If so, is it the minor league hitting instructor that helped or Bill Mueller? (not that I expect a definitive answer, more just thinking out loud)
I've never heard of "Scrapple egg cheese."
A scorebook for T-Ball is ambitious. Especially since niceties like a batting order or even counting runs scored is often dispensed with.
I hear those official scorers in T-ball love to hand out errors.
But wild pitches are way down.
tushey Joshua
Eggs= Awesome
Cheese= Awesome
Putting them together is some unholy amalgamation of awesome.
Just looked it up on Wikipedia. Must say it does not look very appetizing.
and D4P, I'm honestly shocked that you had never heard of scrapple before.
Ah, Is this the right room for an argument?
I told you once.
No you haven't.
Yes I have.
I guess I don't eat at "country" restaurants very often or something.
Pat ((Ontario,CA)): Do you think Russell Martin is one the best catchers in the game?
Joe Morgan: I think that he's definitely established himself as a very good catcher. When you watch him play, he has confidence and I look for that.
"LONEY AND THE BABE – Though his career is still quite young, it's interesting to note that James Loney's slugging percentage of .662 is second all-time to Babe Ruth (.690) among all players with 100 or more plate appearances, according to SABR's Eric Enders. Among those just behind the rookie first basemen are Ted Williams (.634), Lou Gehrig (.632), Albert Pujols (.621), Ryan Howard (.611) Jimmie Foxx (.609) and Barry Bonds (.608). Since Loney was recalled last July 29, he is batting .375 (36-for-96), the third-highest average of any Major Leaguer with more than 100 PA during that span behind Willie Harris (.383) and Marlon Byrd (.380)."
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Off subject, but, man, the US is going to have its hat handed to them in the Copa America. They'll be missing some key players and playing a lot of talented but very inxeperienced young 'uns against some of the hemisphere's best. Well, should be a good experience for them and fun to watch.
He maybe one one of the reasons why Auburn was always my favorite Tennessee Rival when I attended UT. Those were some awesome "up-the-gut" football games.
http://tinyurl.com/2bgstk
i keep on telling my self he's gonna break out of it, but to my surprise he has not.
the only ones i'm scared of in your list are Peavy & maybe Webb (also maybe Young) or else bring it on!
even if those guys pummel us, that's a dumb, joeyp-esque statement to make with with half the season left to play
If D4P and I were to adopt a son together
You'd probably make the lad wear pleated pants and socks and tuck in his shirt and stuff. Poor little guy.
The Dodgers are due for a loss and they face one the games finest in Webb tonight. After SD wins today the Dodgers will drop back down to 3rd place. Even if they manage to beat Arizona on Thursday they will be tied with SD. My calculations suggest the probability of Kuo defeating Young on Friday night at 15%. And winning 2 of 3 at 20%. The Dodgers will enter Monday's play at 1 or 3 games back. The Pads are poised for a run while the Dodgers are destined to regress. Just check out the Pythag records.
I've been doing that for months now. The Padres should have been/should be way ahead, but they aren't.
120. Argentina is the best in the competition, Riquelme is a great player.Good luck for USA against "nuestros hermanos".
Jeff, you get a drink from me if you're right. but I offer you these words of advice: That's why they play the games.
:I
The Phillies lost that battle.
I don't know what it would look like, but it's a pretty good bet that a numbered birthmark would be involved.
Lowe
2.16 1.06 .209 May
2.67 0.63 .152 June
Webb
4.37 1.29 .256 may
2.12 1.09 .224 june
The Dodgers own the Diamondbacks. Nuff said.
Except for the three games he lost to the Dodgers.
2-4 with an era over 5.00 in 9 starts
153 Jeff Zellman owns the D-Backs.
And despite their overwhelming pitching advantage at home (last time I checked, an ERA under 3, their home record isn't much if even better than the Dodgers or D-Backs.
This is a telling stat, when the Padres score 4 or less runs, their record is 18-29, with a 12-14 record when they score 3 or 4 runs.
Only when they score 5 or more does their pitching really hold the advantage as they win the majority of games with a 25-4 record.
And despite this being somewhat a flawed stat and despite what you hear people say about San Diego's bullpen, they have lost 8 games after leading after 6 games.
Now if they get that straighthened out in the second half, they may begin to look like their Pyth. record. But if you look at their last two games in San Francisco, Linebrink gave up the tying run in the 8th, the Padres who are also 6-9 after being tied after 8 innings, did win the game but they have had problems with some of their relief and really their lineup leaves a lot to be desired.
It's just www.firejoemorgan.com
You mentioned Dylan was real good. Have you seen him a bunch of times? What made it good this time? Lots of energy? I am debating going to the show out here at the OC fair. I have seen Dylan maybe 15 times (1996 and after) and its hit or miss. I really want to see him again cause people are saying good things and I love the new album. Last time I saw him he hid on the Piano.
With a baby on the way I may have to choose between Wilco and Dylan and I am leaning towards Wilco.
It was strange being in Dodger Stadium without the dodgers there. The police last weekend were pretty good, but limiting.
Thanks DP
The Pads have 2 stars (Peavy/Young), 2 above average (Maddux/Germano), and 1 average (Wells).
The Dodgers have 2 stars (Penny/Lowe), 2 average (Billz/Kuo), and 1 below average (Wolf)
Plus the stars Young/Peavy > Penny/Lowe.
Bottom line. The Dodgers are playing for the WC.
http://ducksnorts.com/blog/2007/06/what-is-luck.html
Then there's the whole "scoring runs" thing where I believe the Dodgers have an advantage.
My God, if anything, he is worse on these chat transcripts than he is during the game. He literally knows nothing, and tries to cover it up in myriad ways. But nothing gets by Ken.
Just hilarious. Makes me appreciate...Rick Monday. At least he sort of knows what he's talking about.
Bottom line. The Dodgers are playing for the WC.
That's like saying Robotech was better than Voltron. Or better yet, the Go-bots were better than the Transformers. It makes no sense and anyone who knows anything about anything, knows it's way to premature to be making those kind of blanket statements. In the words of the immortal Gob Bluth..........Come on!
The next five pitchers are tough, no doubt, but you're basically guaranteeing five losses in a row. Even the '98 Devil Rays beat the '98 Yankees once. (7-0, too. You could look it up.)
I love how Messr. Tremendous points out how little Joe knows about baseball teams, given that he's paid to analyze baseball teams. I mean, what the hell is ESPN paying him for anyway?
I have a friend who is a big fan, though I don't think he's gone as much as you, so I go with him, just for the spectacle,but last night was very different. It all seemed to be his attitude(although the band and the sound was excellent). I mean he came right out front with his guitar and for the first five songs it was about as good rock as I have seen. And I'm an old timer who saw bands like The Allman Bros. in their prime. He then retreated to the piano but kept standing and delvering, never missing the mike, and he really seemed to be telling his stories for the first time in my experience. He even participated in the guitar solos and did OK. Lot of good songs like Highway 51, Desolation Row and Watchtower. I was really surprised, But the reviews from Europe kind of hinted at this but I hadn't known what weight to give them. Of course his voice is pretty shot but it didn't bother me this time. If it's part of the same tour I might tell you to give it a try.
... wait, that was the point, right?
My mom wouldn't buy me Transformers. She didn't understand why I needed Transformers when there were perfectly good Go-Bots available at the all-for-a-dollar store. And if I wanted Go-Bots, well, that's what I had an allowance for, right? After three weeks of chores, I would have enough money to buy TWO Go-Bots! And have a cool quarter left over!
END OF LINE
Will Ned make the right moves and non-moves down the stretch? I don't think he's as creative and resourceful as Towers, who appears pretty good at the small stuff, cheaply getting nice value out of the likes of Bell, Cruz, Ring, Germano.
I don't think Ned needs to go for the big trade. I do think he needs to firm up the pitching a bit. I wouldn't have minded seeing him get Maroth, someone who can plug it without much cost.
And we liked it!
There was no point to what I was saying really. Just a blanket statement to start an argument of which is better. Much like 164 saying that we're playing for the wild card. Sure I can back it up with MY opinions, but that's all they are. My opinions.
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And I seem to remember the Transformers before the Go-Bots. I thought the Go-Bots were the American rip-off the Transformers. Could be wrong though.
When I was a child, there were times when we had to entertain ourselves. And usually the best way to do that was to turn on the TV.
I did the same thing with Voltron for my birthday. The day I merged all those lions into Voltron was one of my red letter days for sure.
http://tinyurl.com/3c25tn
Would we really take Gagne back? I mean I love the guy, but this would never happen right? Besides, James Loney is the second greatest slugger of all time.
Bottom line, I'm just hoping he doesn't do something patently dumb, like trading for an oft-injured, expensive third baseman whose team will likely request two highly prized major league-level players in his early 20s. As long as the patently dumb doesn't happen, I'm willing to wait and see.
Michael Bay has a magpie's eye for gloss. Everything looks good in his movies.
Did you see the Allmans during the Duane era? I'm always curious for I-was-there reports from that period, since it was so evanescent and is inevitably tinged with this timeless, perennial Georgia melancholia that is endemic to so much of the state.
Dylan vs. Wilco: Pick Wilco. Although the last time I saw Dylan, he was just stunning. But that was a couple of years ago now.
Now I'm off to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons.
I'll be pleased if the Dodgers win two of the next five, starting tonight. And I'll be pleased if the two aforementioned movies don't completely suck and ruin my nostalgic memories of the 80s.
(I mean the movies, not the Dodgers)
Did you ever have Muscle Men? Remember them? They were like the green army men but they were fleshy colored soft rubber. I never understood what the point of them was but my cousin had enough to fill a plantation.
Different years.
Same stage.
Millions of Strange Creatures Lurking Everywhere...?
That makes sooooooooo much sense! Thanks man.
All this waxing nostalgic is making me want to go to my folks house and dig through the stuff in the attic that's been put away for years.
Toys, comic books, baseball cards, etc...
E-bay here I come!
We will never have that kind of stuff again...everything follows the same corporate model...that's why movies are so bad...
BTW, Is the Transformers movie about something other than the Autobots V. Decepticons....are they trying to add a human plot or something?
For the first time, I'm going to try to predict Vin's "This Date in Dodgers History" tonight. I'm going to peg Reuss' 8-0 no hitter from 1980. It could also be the 23 inning tie from 1939, but we'll see.
on topic: the minute I saw that Transformers trailer I knew it would be a dumb movie. What is it with all these movies about stuff from the 80s lately?
---
Transformers is featured in the new Wired btw. My coworker is seeing preview of it tomorrow. Looks like the action and FX are great, and that the film is likely still junk.
Someone in this thread or last night's thread was saying that stories like that come from 2 incorrect notions:
1. They (the reporter) is the only one who knows anything about these "hidden gems," usually our highest rated prospects.
2. They believe the Dodgers are like the Yankees and will spend tons of money and mortgage the farm for a 3 month rental of a mediocre veteran that their team has no hope of signing in the off season.
Can't remember who said that, but I thought it was good.
If so, I'll take that bet.
I'm going to that game too! noooooooooooooo! ;)
Plus the liquor and drugs.
Hi-larious.
I don't even want to think about what happens if the Dodgers were to ever trade the mythical beast that pitches with his left hand. I think the internets might explode.
We would certainly take some shoelaces away from Nate and Canuck.
Probably wouldn't be necessary. I'm guessing Nate wears flip-flops, and Canuck wears loafers.
I was thinking about this after watching "Knocked Up'...everyone is talking about how great it is....it's not...but it's at least kind of creative, and he bar is so low right now, that marginally good feels great...
OK, off the box...thanks...
I hate you Michael Bay.
I think the very dumbness of the Dinobots concept was the charm of it! And I was into dinosaurs, too, as were a lot of kids, which makes them more forgiving.
But I was already in high school when transformers really took off so I kind of missed the bandwagon. I grew up playing with Legos. And look where it got me! Try to make a Lego movie, Mr. Bay, just try!
oh wait, you said "one of." sorry.
J. Giles filled in during a long break ( in retrospect Duane and Greg were probably getting off in the dressing room.)
Gotta go, back later.
I have no hopes for Transformers, but it would be nice it they let it play out the way the cartoon, or even the first movie did....
I thought the Transformers were introduced in Japan first?
As for the Dynobots, I only liked Grimlock. Don't remember why, I just know that I liked him best.
What about the Constructacons that formed Devastator! Now those guys were something to have as a kid. Kind of like Voltron, five dudes that made one big dude.
Not kidding.
That, along with our entire farm system for three months of Teixiera and two relief pitchers we don't need, really would've been too much.
Now that I think about it- The Insecticons were much dumber than the Dinobots, because they had the same "disguise" issues, but their only discernible value was chewing through stuff.
Here's tonight's lineup:
Furcal, SS
Pierre, CF
Martin, C
Kent, 2B
Gonzo, LF
Loney, 1B
Nomar, 3B
Ethier, RF
Lowe, P
Furcal, SS
Pierre, CF
Martin, C
Kent, 2B
Gonzo, LF
Loney, 1B
Nomar, 3B
Ethier, RF
Lowe, P
No Kemp again.
Anyhoo.
The worst contracts in sports history, according to one:
http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/smitty324/91009
Dodgers/Strawberry makes the list.
No, but seriously, he also finished his career as the voice of Robin Masters on Magnum PI, another sad lowlight.
Devastator was by far one of the hardest of all Transformers to construct. But boy was he cool.
257
Ha! The Insecticons! Those guys were terrible. They brought nothing to the table! I think the two Decepticon Triple Changers (can't recall their names) brought back some level of respectability to the toys and the cartoon though.
Grady is saving him for Randy Johnson.
Suprisingly, D4P is correct. I only need shoelaces for my basketball and tennis shoes.
Can anyone tell me if Higgins was actually Robin Masters? I can't remember.
Totally! I could tell you everything you ever wanted to know about Destro or Snakeyes.
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(Combining two topics) Maybe Matt Kemp needs to transform himself into Kempatron, Destroyer of the Pierre.
Comedy!
283
It was the 3rd edition for me. I was done after that.
I really hope they don't pull the trigger on this trade offer. I say we stay with what we have. Loney is going to be a stud.
I remember M.A.S.K coming on after Inspector Gadget. Yet another great 80's cartoon.
QED
--
Inspector Gadget, another cartoon that was mistakenly turned into a movie. Two movies, in fact(!) I worked for the studio that made the first one that year, and remember being embarrassed by it.
I remember my nephew running amuck through the house with his He-Man. Then it was transformers. I bet he's geeked up about the new movie even though he's now 25.
You're right, you can't have a discussion like this without the likes of Man-In-Arms or Orco coming up at least once.
294
Super Fantastico!
By the power of Grayskull, I have the powerrrr!!!
Mother was not interested in settling this debate.
A creepy little thing that no one has a clue as to what it actually is or what it does for the plot.
1) Think of a toy
2) Pretend to come up with a cartoon and then a toy
3) Profit
But knowing is, in fact, half the battle.
So he's been a disaster? Or nothing short of one, which leaves catastrophe and holocaust as options.
That's saying a bit much for a .270 hitter whose pretty good at first. Seems to me he's a cloudy day, with a smog alert thrown in for OBP.
But disaster? We're getting carried away now.
Good guys = M.A.S.K
Bad guys = V.E.N.O.M
I remember that the toys I had we're cars. I had a teal 56' chevy with flames on it that turned into a tank of some sort, an orange formula one car that wings came out of the sides, and a green motorcyle that turned into a helicopter. I have no clue what the cartoon was about though. I do however remember the theme song. Strange what we choose to store in our brains....
Ugh. For some reason, I associate that show with Redding. Either it was filmed in Redding or the girl was from Redding or something. Whatever it was, it sucked.
Silverhawks used to come on right after Lionel and the Thundercats handed Mumra his latest defeat. At least on KTTV channel 11 back in the day anyway. I just remember the Silverhawks having a really cool robot sounding voice in the theme song. I loved that.
Danny Elfman did the theme to M.A.S.K?
Wow.
324- not sure about that specifically but he had his hand in alot of shows music in those days.
Arg. I wanted to crush Vicki from Small Wonder. Ranks #2 after Urkel for most annoying child character ever. Now I remember being really young and yet crushing on the girl from Land of the Lost. What did I know?
Looking back, isn't it odd that no one ever noticed anything weird about one of the two children going to school and the other one not? We could sit here and debate Small Wonder plot points all night!
Vicki ranks higher on the annoyance list than Harriet Brendyl, the redheaded next door neighbor brat that had a crush on Jaime?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0BzBFWt8V8
I never actually watched either character, but I still agree. "Screech" has to be up there too, though I never watched him either. Plus, all the kids on "Full House", which I also never watched.
You must like Japanamation? I myself am a fan of Afghanistanamation!
You rock.
As a kid a I didn't know Japanimation from a whole in the ground then I saw Akira and Ninja Scrolls. And then . . .
333- i still think dolph lundgren's greatest role to this day was playing he man. anyone else growing up in LA, do you guys remember how much masters of the universe the movie would come on! it was one of the all time greats along side all the jean claude van damme movies that came on endlessly in those days.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/minors/features/264358.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeG3wXSh8r8&mode=related&search=
Ninja Scrolls. Wow, that takes me back. One of the first films/series of that genre that I remember being blown away by. It was awesome.
Danny Tanner: star of 2 top shows simultaneously (Full House, America's Funniest Home Videos), hated by me back in the day but have since come to appreciate his standup comedy at least (and his appearance in "The Aristrocrats")
Uncle Jesse: went on to marry supermodel Rebecca Romijin. Have mercy!
DJ: married a hockey player, brother of Growing Pains star turned wacko
Stephanie: the Dana Plato of this series, a druggie without the fatal end
Michelle: Matt White couldn't hold a candle to the Olsen Twins financially
Uncle Joey: Alanis Morissette's "You Oughtta Know" was written about him, her ex-boyfriend.
So, back to baseball, think the Dodgers' season will reach its' lowe webb tonight? /horrible puns, OFF
Uncle Joey: Alanis Morissette's "You Oughtta Know" was written about him, her ex-boyfriend.
Are you serious Clark? (in my best Randy Quaid voice). I don't see those two as a couple at all. But there have been stranger unions.
"I must break you."
I think those were Drago's only two lines in the movie, but those were great!
Fists of the North Star - most definitely!
352
Don't forget Rainbow Brite and Carebears. I had two little sisters too.
We've done quality "It's Garry Shandling's Show" chatting here. But it was with Steve. And Steve is not around (sniff).
Brigette Neilson. Watch any of VH1's Surreal Life or that Flavor Flav show with her and reality will slap you in the face!
I'm with Toy Cannon, too old for this. I attended my daughter's friends' birthday parties where Transformers were hot gifts. In my day, anime was Speed Racer cartoons in grainy UHF. We thought it was far out when Hot Wheels came out with the Boss Hoss. Afternoon reruns were black and white episodes of The Addams Family, The Patty Duke Show, The Donna Reed Show and so on. Sunday morning was The Bullwinkle Show and Wonderama. The DH didn't exist and a 4.00 ERA was horrible. Yada, yada, yada, get offa my lawn you kids....
Adult Cabbage patch kid mockery = Hilariousness!
Winthrop Paroo is #1. All other characters are Walter Mondale to his Ronald Reagan.
It doesn't even matter who is playing Winthrop Paroo -- he is so annoying that he transcends any actor's ability to play him, regardless of talent.
Winthrop Paroo. -shudder.-
really nice, it's part of the reason i have a if you meet someone famous just talk about regular things code.
a) that some of my favorites seemed to be on the air for only a year or two (Heathcliff, Denver the Last Dinosaur)
b) how much TV I must have watched
darn you overkill!!! you stole my thunder! i was gonna mentioned those also. (I have 6 sisters) aside from my Dad i was the lone macho in the house.
I think I'll take a bike ride.
That's were you & i defer, i spent most of my time either outside playing ball & kicking it at my friends house watching cartoons or annoying my sisters by turning off the t.v. & running outside like a bat out of hell & them chasing me. good times.
His record is 2-9.
ERA of 3.38
So when does he get the "isnt a winner" tag from the old school baseball media?
http://www.black20.com/virals/?s=167
Steve Phillips taught me that!
I thought Depo brought him in due to his familiarity with Saenz from the A's system.
I guess my next question would be is he better than Pierre ,Gonzo or Ethier right now.
--
I feel there is no way he is not one of our best 3 OF'ers right now.
Best-case scenario - he's the best current Dodger OFer
Worst-case scenario - he's still a better hitter than JP Wouldn't Kemp at least be able to match .274/.305/.325?
I can't see a rational argument for not starting Kemp as often as possible.
I'm willing to let Kemp & Ethier get 4 games out of every 6, with Gonzo & Pierre getting 5 of 6. Anything to get Kemp in the lineup at least semi-regularly.
The only "door" left to be knocked down is Pierre's games played streak, and his unfathomable status as an everyday player. ("Regular player" I can at least accept; but never a day off? Really?)
Didn't they keep Little Giambi in the minors for awhile that year, but then he hurt his back or something?
Apparently, they are willing to trade Amare Stoudamire for Garnett straight up?
Any reason why?
I dont think that makes the Suns better, but it does make them much older.
Player 1 OPS+ 67
Player 2 OPS+ 101
Player 3 OPS+ 158
Player 4 OPS+ 133
(You guess which one Pierre is.)
Injuries and recovery from injuries diminished Loney's stats in the minors between his stunning rookie season and his stunning 2006 season, while Kemp has never been seriously hurt.
Now!
Those who question Kemp, I think, are committing what Bill James used to rail against as the cardinal sin of baseball evaluation -- judging a player by what he can't do, rather than by what he can. Kemp looks bad swinging at breaking balls, but that doesn't make the good aspects of his game less good. If he can hit .345 in the minors over the last year and a half, or .420 in the majors this year, he's bringing valuable things to the table regardless of how many curveballs he flails at.
Jon put it well in his SI column the other day: Kemp would be a relatively valuable player even hitting .230 or .240. Loney is the opposite; unless his Babe Ruth fortnight is for real, he's the type of player who needs to hit at least .280-.290 to be useful.
that has to be him right?
You seem to be judging the players based on polish, on the degree to which each has already maximized his potential. By that yardstick, Loney wins. But if you compare them to each other, right now, as baseball players, instead of to their respective ceilings, I think it's relatively simple to draw the conclusion that Kemp is the better player.
Coincidentally, new post up top.
Right Now Loney is a better player than Pujols! Next week (and almost every week after that), probably not.
Loney is in such a zone it seems like he picks up piches before they leave the pitchers hand.
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