Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
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TV and more ...
1) using profanity or any euphemisms for profanity
2) personally attacking other commenters
3) baiting other commenters
4) arguing for the sake of arguing
5) discussing politics
6) using hyperbole when something less will suffice
7) using sarcasm in a way that can be misinterpreted negatively
8) making the same point over and over again
9) typing "no-hitter" or "perfect game" to describe either in progress
10) being annoyed by the existence of this list
11) commenting under the obvious influence
12) claiming your opinion isn't allowed when it's just being disagreed with
Walteromalley.com offers a photo essay of individual memories of Dodgertown, with names from Manny Mota to Archie Manning (the Saints used to train down in Vero Beach, too).
* * *
Speaking of memory lane, Ducksnorts blogger Geoff Young (he covers the Padres, for those of you who aren't in the know) revisits the stars of the 1988 Pacific Coast League for The Hardball Times.
He begins by recalling the top-10 prospects in the league, as pegged by Baseball America:
1. Sandy Alomar Jr., C, Las Vegas (Padres)
2. Ramon Martinez, RHP, Albuquerque (Dodgers)
3. Juan Bell, SS, Albuquerque (Dodgers)
4. Cameron Drew, OF, Tucson (Astros)
5. William Brennan, RHP, Albuquerque (Dodgers)
6. Greg Harris, RHP, Las Vegas (Padres)
7. Mike Devereaux, OF, Albuquerque (Dodgers)
8. Jerald Clark, OF, Las Vegas (Padres)
9. Lance Johnson, OF, Vancouver (White Sox)
10. Matt Williams, 3B, Phoenix (Giants)
Yes, I remember when Juan Bell was the bee's knees. I also saw him get ejected from the only minor-league game I've ever attended in San Bernadino. Bell helped bring Eddie Murray to the Dodgers, going to Baltimore with Brian Holton and Ken Howell 2 1/2 months after the 1988 World Series.
Young also has this year's edition of his Ducksnorts baseball annual on sale, so if you want to better know your enemy/neighbor from down south, this is the book to get. Highlights include:
You can see a free excerpt here.
Update: Phil Gurnee moonlights from True Blue L.A. with a debut column at SportsHubLA.
Update 2: From Signe Hilton's Dodger press notes today:
Position players, meanwhile, today went through pop-up drills. A bright sun and swirling wind certainly made things interesting, as a handful of the pop-ups fell to the earth. The award for the loudest "I GOT IT!" calls goes to non-roster first baseman John Lindsey.
Hilton also said Hiroki Kuroda is scheduled to pitch on February 29, in the game that ESPN is televising. My goodness - that's just a week from Friday. And ... Dodger video coordinator and baseball operations assistant Nick English has passed the California bar exam.
Update 3: I'm peeking back into this can of worms because the words are so reasoned. John Sickels at Minor League Ball writes about Hee Seop Choi, whom Sickels called a Grade A prospect in 2003:
There is lots to consider here. Choi's final major league line is .240/.349/.437, +106 OPS, in 915 at-bats, obviously not anything close to what I anticipated. Choi detractors point to his struggles in Chicago and Los Angeles as proof that he was never very good. Choi supporters point to the injuries, the sporadic playing time, and the fact that he hit great for the Marlins in '04 (you can't spin a +132 OPS in 95 games as something bad). The pattern I see is that people who doubt Choi ignore the good points and people who like Choi ignore the bad points. It all counts.
I did not get to see Choi play in the majors as often as your average Cubs, Marlins, or Dodgers fan. The mental image I have of him remains the guy I saw in the minors, the guy who killed fastballs (including inside fastballs) and handled breaking stuff just fine, and who was a reasonably good defensive first baseman. Looking back on it, I don't regret the ratings I gave him. They turned out to be wrong, but based on the information I had at the time, the statistics, the scouting reports, and the personal observations, I have no regrets.
That said, even if Choi had stayed in the U.S. and gotten more chances, based on what we know now, he would not have been the slugging superstar I expected. He would instead have panned out as a useful slugging bat, at worst a Sam Horn, in the middle a Ken Phelps, at best a Cecil Fielder. In short, I think that Choi did get jerked around and wasn't handled well, and that under different circumstances he would still be playing in the majors right now, but I also think he legitimately wasn't as good as expected. Nevertheless, worse players have had long careers.
Lessons learned:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/h/harrigr02.shtml
Not the other guy who played around the same time.
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=7163
You don't need to be deferential to me. Eric Enders thinks the guy who wrote the foreword is the bee's knees.
Eric Enders thinks the guy who wrote the foreword is the bee's knees
As do I.
(Scribbles names on list, prepares re-education camps...)
In little league, sometimes we got to play at Angel Stadium (the one in Palm Springs), and I hit a foul ball that hit the seat next to my mom.
Next at bat I did it again!
http://tinyurl.com/2doddq
Among the myriad of reasons I will never be an NBA GM is that I was perfectly willing to trade Odom and Bynum for Jermaine O'Neal last summer.
Do you have a stat to back that up?
j/k
I would be much happier if Andrew Bogut did play by play for the Padres.
Is the whole font on your computer like that or just web pages or both?
12 Didn't everyone in LA say Bynum was going to burst onto the scene? From everything I heard through Kareem, that opinion was pretty common, no?
Also this nugget from his blog, if you say something long enough, it becomes a fact.
"On my way back from lunch yesterday, I heard Paul Harvey's The Rest of the Story on the radio.
It started out with Dodgers GM Buzzy Bavasi calling a young pitcher named Tom into his office to send him to the minors, and Tom responding by saying they should keep him and send that left-handed kid with the control problems to the minors instead.
I didn't have to listen any further. I immediately recognized the story as one I had heard a hundred times from Tom himself.
Yes that did seem to be the consensus amongst Lakers officials and "people in the know".
Although I do have Buzzie Bavasi's email address, I don't think I'll ask him.
I believe the story is essentially true. I doubt Lasorda knew the intricacies of Koufax's contract back in 1955.
Rob Neyer is coming out with a book on baseball myths and I'll see if he covers it. Neyer has a chapter about whether or not Don Drysdale said to Walter Alston after being taken out in Game 1 of the 1965 World Series, "I bet you wish I was Jewish too now don't you."
DODGER DUGOUT CLUB
· Exclusive access to climate-controlled Dugout Club and seating area
· Unlimited access to complimentary high-end Wolfgang Puck buffet and Levy food items
· In seat waiter service
· Complimentary preferred parking
· Early entry to stadium (30 minutes prior to general public)
· One Luxury Suite night per seat purchased
· Complimentary playoff tickets with multi-year agreement
· Complimentary all-expenses paid Dodger Road Trip with multi-year agreement
· Dugout Club VIP includes 2 suites per seat purchased
VIP = $50,000 per seat, Full Season Multi = $30,000 per seat, Half Season = $20,000 per seat
Or if you seek more value:
BASELINE BOX CLUB – VIP
· Exclusive access to BRAND NEW private, climate-controlled Baseline Box Clubs
· Private four-person boxes located in the first two rows off the field
· Unlimited access to complimentary high-end Wolfgang Puck buffet and Levy food items
· Complimentary preferred parking
· Early entry to stadium (30 minutes prior to general public)
· Exclusive access to private seating area
· Complimentary playoff tickets with multi-year agreement
· Complimentary all-expenses paid Dodger Road Trip with multi-year agreement
$80,000 Per 4 Person Box
Wow, sorry. I thought I was gonna have a quick fix for you but what you describe sounds downright daffy.
That made me laugh out loud. Coworkers are wondering what's up...
>> Also caught up with Clayton Kershaw, who said he thought there was a chance he could have been in major league camp as a non-roster player. "I can control my own destiny," he said. "If I pitch well, I can force them to move me up." <<
http://tinyurl.com/39s5sz
Does the italic start at the very top of the post, or partway down?
Thanks, but I don't think I said anything that anyone who subjectively watched Bynum last Nov/Dec of 2006 couldn't figure out.
But then thought crossed my mind that it could happen, and I allowed myself to get kind of giddy in my chair.
It's back to my regular scowl now, obviously.
By the way, Stanford will play Oregon State on national TV August 28. Should be huge ratings.
Stanford has four home games remaining after that.
Hopefully Laker Talk and Stanford talk will fade into the background and Martin, LaRoche, Kemp, Loney and Billingsley talk will replace them.
In center field, he's definitely the best in the business -- no offense to Juan Pierre."
http://tinyurl.com/2ktgrt
I for one am super excited to see Jones at Dodger Stadium and have every expectation that he will hit the lights out of the ball. I don't think he has forgotten how to hit by any means. My hope is that not only will he mash like vintage Andruw, he will make pitchers throw hittable pitches to the guys hitting in front of him for fear of getting burned by the long ball. Then, in an ideal scenario, Martin doubles, Loney or Kemp walks and Andruw burns them with a 3 run dinger anyway!
I mean, what are we supposed to say? We can't complain about anything. We've already acknowledged that he's the Golden God and that he has the coolest middle name in the history of history. There just isn't a lot more to discuss.
In other news, I'm IMing with Diamond Leung, and he just called Clayton Kershaw "a really sweet kid. Super humble."
Nice.
From the L.A. Now blog at the LA Times:
"Leland Stanford, a former California governor who made his fortune during the Gold Rush by selling equipment to the '49ers, founded the university after his 15-year-old son, also named Leland, died of typhoid fever at age 15 on a family trip to Europe. The morning after his son's death, Leland turned to his wife and declared: "The children of California will be our children.""
Or at least the rich ones.
http://tinyurl.com/2cub4x
I did not put "cub" in the URL - tinyurl did.
If you come into a position of power, though, don't try to scare me. That's all.
50 I absolutely believe he still has that in him. Probably for a few more years. Hopefully 2 anyway!
Torre, however, said he's hopeful Jones remembers how to use the entire field while hitting because he's gotten "homer-conscious." And he said Jones reported to his first Dodgers camp "a bit" overweight, but "I don't think he's overweight to a point of a problem by the time we leave here."
http://tinyurl.com/2ktgrt
1 : ordinary people : the general populace : MULTITUDE, MASSES
2 : people of distinction or wealth or elevated social status : ELITE
This is similar to Webster's two directly conflicting definitions of "literally":
1 a : in the literal sense : without metaphor or exaggeration : EXPLICITLY
2 : in effect : VIRTUALLY
Yeah, thanks for nothing, Noah.
Wow. I too want to see homer conscious Jones go deep off of him now too.
>> Matt Kemp is now ready to get advice on how to run the bases from the guy who made the biggest base running blunder in Dodger playoff history. <<
www.billjamesonline.com
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2008/02/stanford.html
"The five hottest hitters today are:
James Loney 109°F
Ryan Braun 101°F
Brian Roberts 99°F
Tony Graffanino 99°F
Alex Rodriguez 96°F"
I have no idea what that means. Is it worth $3 to find out?
57 , 60 - "Hoi polloi", in the original Greek, most certainly means "the general people", sort of an epithet for "the great unwashed masses".
http://www.billjamesonline.net/toursite/HottestHitters.asp
And, actually, while the rate is three bucks a month, it's billed quarterly, so you're out nine dollars up front.
The older he gets the more it will effect him. The man is getting 18 million to stay in shape year round. I don't see any excuse for a centerfielder to let himself get fat other then complacency about his year round job. It has bugged me for several years that he put on weight. Sure he is still a solid center fielder, but that is all these days, just solid. He used to be so much more.
I remember getting so irritated when Tony Gwynn looked like he ate Miggy Cabrera. Sure he could still hit but his once superb defense became a joke.
If I nominated, I will not pay. If paid for by someone else, I will not read.
Someone on BTF said: "I subscribed, and I'm glad I did. There are a lot of articles already on there, and I'll read anything Bill James writes, whether I agree with him or not. And most of the articles aren't short, either."
*
But there was something else, something he felt in his gut during the season: "I wasn't that strong."
Told by Boras that he should lose weight to make himself more attractive on the free-agent market, Jones spent the winter leading up to the 2007 season lifting lighter weights and running more. He lost 15 pounds and reported to camp at 225.
That Jones struck out 138 times wasn't a surprise; he has struck out at least 100 times every full season that he has played. But in previous years, when he whiffed on a pitch, he often felt that he would've crushed it over the wall had he made contact. Not last season.
He dedicated this winter to rebuilding his strength and adding the 15 lost pounds, weight that he said won't affect his ability to play center field.
"My whole career, I've known how to carry my weight," he said. "I know how to run balls down."*
Taken from this article:
http://tinyurl.com/29a3s7
>> Last year, he was the only consistent power source on a club that finished 15th in the National League in home runs. But since his arrival in 2005, Kent's range at second base has diminished precipitously, and his outspoken, often-prickly personality has at times made him a lightning rod for controversy.
Perhaps more important, the Dodgers have a stable of promising young middle infielders - Tony Abreu, Chin-lung Hu, Ivan DeJesus and Preston Mattingly - who are already in the majors or within two or three years of being there. And if shortstop Rafael Furcal is re-signed this fall, that would further negate the need to hold on to Kent. <<
http://www.dailybreeze.com/sports/ci_8318831
Tuesday intrasquad: Penny, Park, Kuo
Wednesday simulated game: Lowe and Stults
Thursday home opener: Billingsley and Jason Johnson
Friday on ESPN: Kuroda and Loaiza
I subscribed because I have always enjoyed Bill James writing about baseball, has interesting take on Jeff Kent's chances on being named to the HOF.
If there is something pertinent to post here I will do so, adhering of course to Jon's rules about posting subscribser content.
>> Joe Torre's New York Yankees teams knew how to work the count, forcing opposing pitchers out of games early and allowing the Yankees hitters to feast on mediocre middle relief.
"Yeah, we were a pain in the (rear)," Torre said Tuesday.
By contrast, these Dodgers have at least two established veterans with star power - second baseman Jeff Kent and third baseman Nomar Garciaparra - who are notorious early-count swingers.
But Torre said he doesn't plan to force a different approach on anyone.
"I never try to take away from the individual abilities of a player," Torre said. "I never try to hamstring them to the point of, `We want you to do this,' but I do want to plant a seed. No one wants to put themselves in a compromising position by falling behind in the count all the time, but if you regularly swing at the first pitch, a lot of times you won't get a first-pitch strike.
"It's just about making people aware. But at the same time, I don't want to try to clone everybody and make us one-dimensional." <<
http://www.dailybreeze.com/sports/ci_8309387
I forgot all about that. Torre's Yankees were pretty good at extending the game by working the count. Just from that, one would expect Andy LaRoche to be a favorite of his.
Last year, [Kent] was the only consistent power source on a club that finished 15th in the National League in home runs
Kent had all of 20 HR, a whopping one more than Russell Martin.
Also, since Kemp & Loney were called up in June:
Loney - 15 HR
Kent - 11
Kemp - 10
Same thing that happened to Steve when Jim Tracy's demise was met.
http://www.dailybreeze.com/sports/ci_8300066
Joe Morgan will never be fired unless they find him in bed with a dead girl or a live boy.
I guess nobody remembers Earl Long.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3257159
Cavs are really going to regret taking on those big contracts.
Yeah, I was shocked at the headline and posted here before reading the story. Seems like Cleveland is trying to give the appearance they are trying, to appease (a) Lebron, and (b) their fans.
My favorite quote from Sheffield: :-)
>> "Actually, I'm not supposed to be talking about this at all," Sheffield said. "But, I am anyway." <<
I guess this is why he doesn't like Boras. :-)
## Several months later, Sheffield signed with the Yankees and said he negotiated the contract with owner George Steinbrenner. Boras later filed paperwork requesting 5 percent of the $39 million deal. ##
%% Sheffield said he is going to warn everybody about Boras when their dispute is resolved.
"It's going to be the ugliest thing you've ever seen because certain people you don't mess with," he said. "And I guarantee you, I'm one of them." %%
http://tinyurl.com/2wcb9p
Games started by Davis take forever.
The only thing worse would be for Hideki Okajima to become a starter. You can go to the bathroom, then buy a hot dog, then rob an ice cream vendor, get arrested, get booked, get arraigned, get tried, serve 30 days in jail (there's overcrowding so you get out early), and Okajima still won't have thrown a pitch.
Davis is the same except that you would need to get a suspended sentence.
http://tinyurl.com/yvcqky
Please, please, please and more please with cherries or whatever.... please refrain from ever bringing up the two guys out at home plate on a double off the wall with the bases loaded and nobody out play from the first game of the playoffs in '06. We all need to put this out of our memory. It still hits me in the gut. Please do not mention it anymore in DT or TrueBlue or even in my nightmares. Please?
To this day, I've still never seen video of that play.
Should I talk about Jack Clark, Joe Morgan, or Ozzie Smith instead:)
113 "Damie, Damie, why do you do this to me Damie. It burns! It burns!"
I just read his autobiography. I especially like chapter twoe.
How many nominees are there?
Not to be contrary, but is this true?
http://tinyurl.com/yprdpx
Female Athlete of the Year:
Marion Jones
Martina Hingis
Male Athlete of the Year:
Barry Bonds
Roger Clemens
Pacman Jones
If you're acting contrary to Slate.com article, then you're actually agreeing with the mainstream aren't you?
I can't wait to buy my Aaron McKie Grizzlies jersey.
So are the Grizzlies.
If my daughter were a topflight athlete and acted like Hope Solo did earlier this year, I would be very sad.
Talk about going from elation to rock bottom in a blink of an eye.
I got Kent, he had the green flag, and "should" have made it in but for a perfect ex-Dodger relay to the plate. However, JD Drew ran head down, ignoring Donnelley's stop sign. He then compounds things by stopping short of the plate, then continuing. He may have made it in if he didn't stop, as LoDuca was not expecting the "double surprise."
Male: Winnie-the-Pooh
Female: Hannah Montana
Male: Shaun White, Tiger Woods
Female: Candace Parker, Lindsey Jacobellis
Just grasping at straws here.
Kids these days... I would have thought Candace Parker was a shoo-in.
Danicka Patrick, Candace Parker, Serena Williams, Michelle Wie
I'm glad I'm the Dodger Thoughts go to guy for analogies, but I think a lot of people were upset at Solo's reaction during the World Cup. The coach made a bad decision, but you don't go and throw your teammate under the bus after the match. A teammate who had done a lot for women's soccer.
I read that the NBA would have voided the Gasol deal if Aaron McKie didn't report to Memphis. He was working as an unpaid assistant coach in Philly since he was not officially "retired". McKie's agent suggested to the Lakers to include him in the deal to make the numbers work. Now, THAT'S an agent!
Same thing with the Van Horn deal. The NBA approved it because Van Horn is at least making a cursory effort to join the Nets. I doubt he has any intention to play, but man, what a life. $4 million for nothing (and chicks for free).
Tom Brady
Tiger Woods
Shaun White or Ryan Sheckler
Alex Rodriguez
LeBron James
Female"
Candace Parker
Maria Sharapova
Diana Taurasi
Kimmie Meissner
Natalie Gulbis
Then she apologized on MySpace!
But I knew you would forgive me.
I didn't love Hope's comments. But I am quick to forgive young people when they do stupid things.
I did (and do) so many.
Jamal(Cincinnati,Ohio): What do think of about Brandon Phillips? I think that he is the best second baseman in the majors. Am I wrong?
Keith Law: Yes. You are wrong.
it's an obvious ridicolous statement, but keith would it hurt to give him a few guys that are better and explain to him why he is wrong? you're answer didn't have to include the words "you are wrong." that just gives the impression that what you think is right when you're offering judgment.
Tony, Chicago: Why is 'protection' a myth? You don't think pitchers pitch to someone differently depending on who is on deck and their reltive ability to drive in a runner?
Keith Law: The studies I've seen on the subject show no significant difference in hitter performance based on the performance of the hitter behind him. (If someone has seen or written a study that contradicts this, send it along.) And the idea that a pitcher is going to throw a hitter more hittable pitches because he's scared of the guy on deck is, well, stupid.
maybe this one hits closer to home because we've had this discussion. don't want to open up this discussion again, but many people including high ranking baseball minds would believe over the course of a season someones numbers would be signifigently higher if line, mendoza is hitting behind him compared to a-rod. again, it is giving the impression that just because you don't believe it that it is "stupid" for others to think that. again, it is coming across that he is the be all end all of discussion and many of his answers are kind of demeaning and give the impression he is talking down to some of his on-line questioners.
But wait, I still have more metaphors to describe the situation...
Those "trades" matching cap space are really getting a bit ridiculous.
Seattle was just happy to get a bunch of expiring contracts today in exchange Wally S. It is a weird rule when you are happy that Kwame makes 9 mil and you get to have him on your team for a whole three months.
should read when you're just offering your judgement.
Our board is approving lay-off letters for 29 teachers (I'm safe). We only have 99 teachers in our district. You'll see a big trend like this throughout the state. Labor law requires letters to go out by March 15th "if" there might be an elimination of a position. Our district is going overboard and throwing quite a few people and their families into a stressful chaos for the next six months.
Joe (New York): Keith, percentage chance that Chad Billingsley is more valuable than Brad Penny, this year?
Keith Law: 25%. Penny produces a ton of value by pitching so well and throwing so many innings.
it seems like that # should be higher, but i can't be right just ask keith
I'd rather have a beer with Rob Neyer who is a nice guy, but I'd rather have Law's opinion.
When people say that Depodesta didn't have people skills I think of Keith Law.
Law likes the Alton Brown so he has that going for him.
Questions like the % question require crapshoot answers. He is looking at a queue of questions and doesn't have time to do a real analysis of the answer. Chats are fun but if your expecting detailed answers I think your looking in the wrong place.
Law's blog has some great stuff in there. Good posts about baseball (including angry emails from ESPN readers), food, books, and movies.
>>Delwyn Young is still an outfielder, but the club has asked him to dust off his second baseman's glove.
Young is taking ground balls in early work with the coaching staff before the day's regular practice begins. Young originally was a second baseman, but was moved to the outfield after leading the Minor Leagues twice in errors at the position.<<
jon always provides as many facts and numbers to back what he is saying and educate, i've learned a lot from him and i think he does q and a a lot better than law.
Hopefully the Rockies will trade Franklin Morales for a Delino equivalent.
Did Fogg turn down a sizable offer from the Rox?
i don't want to get in the protection theroy we already discussed that a week or so ago and you already told me what you thought so no need for you tell me that i'm annoying. i have many choice thoughts about you that i never express because they're unnecisary so i'd appreciate the same.
Male athlete
Tony Hawk
Shaquille O'Neal
Alex Rodriguez
Tiger Woods
Female athlete
Cheryl Ford
Danica Patrick
Serena Williams
Venus Williams
I thought it was interesting that A-Rod was there, considering how many grown-ups have it in for him.
I screwed up the trade. The Rockies need to trade for a position they are replacing (Fogg:Reed) by giving up a top prospect. So they'd have to trade for an up and coming but ultimately disappointing pitcher.
these comments i don't mind but i'm not just going to sit here and take personal attacks i am going to respond. i've been called a racist, bill plascke, joe morgan, annoying, and been accused of saying things i don't believe just to say them, and it does seem that other people on this site get treated with a lot more respect than me as i haven't heard any personal attacks upon any other commenter from another commenter other than directed towards me.
like i said i'm not complaining about it i can take it but i'm going to be defensive and not going to take it and i apologize if the other bloggers have to deal with me even if it seems juvienille.
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