The Minnesota press corp is going to show us all the way. Last night they lost a close game to red hot White Sox (26-5 in last 31) which apparently means it's time to panic. First let's look at an article by Patrick Reusse:
With this rotten outing, Slowey's next start should be in Rochester
Rochester being the farm team of the Twins. Here are Slowey's stats. I dunno if he needs to be sent back down to the minors. As Pat points out, the Red Wings are in last place and have terrible pitching, so there's no one to bring up.
Then there's this one from...oh man...Tom POWERS!?!?! Sweet name Tom.
Twins deserve a new billing: overpaid underachievers
Weird to read, but the Twins do have a payroll close to $100 Mil. Mostly to compensate for the new stadium and to prove they weren't just mooching off the tax payers. The payroll is a bit of a show, some misdirection to justify the public spending.
Anyway...What's the problem with the Twins this year...assuming they have an actual problem:
They should be pressure tested after two straight grueling pennant races. But it seems as if they can't handle being the front-runners. Thus, they labor in third place and continue to fade.
The Twins recent record is nothing to brag about but they still are better than average when it comes to both hitting and pitching. Somehow, I doubt their recent problems are due to "being the front runners." I'm sorry, Joe Mauer is only OPSing .803 (OPS+ 117) because people expected the Twins to be good. He saw an SI poll and started slamming his bat on the ground over and over while screaming "I can't handle the pressure!" It was an awkward scene to say the least.
I can't even remember the last time the Twins were considered flat-out disappointing. It probably was way back before free agency. That's because so little has been expected of them. They have been a feel-good, small-market team that watched its pennies and somehow produced victories. It was as if each playoff experience was an unexpected treat.
I really don't know about this line of logic. I'm pretty sure people have expected big things from them the last 5 years or so. At least picked them to win the division. If they were the Royals, then you have an argument, but the Twins always compete.
That's all changed. With a big payroll pushing $100 million comes big responsibilities. So far, the team has not lived up to those responsibilities. There is a huge difference between trying and getting it done. The Yankees get it done. The Braves get it done. They know they aren't paid to try.
I'm pretty sure they're being paid to try.
I'd also have called up a couple of guys from Triple-A, or Double-A, or a local sandlot, to join the rotation. They couldn't be any worse than Kevin Slowey, Nick Blackburn and Scott Baker.
Based on his ZERO minutes of research into the Twins minor league system, the great Tom Powers hath decreed that the Twin call up "a couple of guys." Anyone, just change something for the sake of change, cause it worked so well for the Yankees in the 80's.
Hey wait he might have actually looked someone up:
Meanwhile, I still don't know why reliever Anthony Slama isn't here. He's been great at Rochester. Throw somebody off the 40-man roster, put Slama on and call him up.
Fortunately for the Twins, they still have time.
First off, I really hope Anthony is from Alabama so we can all call him the Alabama Slama! God that would be sweet. Second this is actually a good idea, this kid (though he's 26 already) is just destroying the minors. See what happens when you do a little research Powers.
They need to make adjustments to their rotation. Even change for the sake of change would be good right now. They need a jolt to their roster. Before it's too late.
Well Sox and Tigers fans, better hope Powers' ideas are taken to heart by the Twins. Maybe they'll start that monkey that co-starred with the dude from "Friends" in the movie "Ed." That would be a change. Maybe they'll hire the kid from Little Big League to really manage. That would be a change. Maybe they can sign the kid from Rookie of the...you get the idea.
Case Closed.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Good Article X
http://www.fangraphs.com/community/index.php/stephen-strasburg-should-be-an-all-star/
Just for a change of pace, here's an article on why Strasburg should be an all-star. The author also destroys my contention that he hasn't pitched enough to qualify.
Just for a change of pace, here's an article on why Strasburg should be an all-star. The author also destroys my contention that he hasn't pitched enough to qualify.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Standing up for the Old Man
"Hey Phil"
"Can't talk now."
"Why not? It's the all-star break, I'm sure you have some time on your hands."
"I'm a professional, I never have time on my hands. And someone has to let the world know how valuable Paul Konerko is."
"You mean like this article right here?"
"That's right, people need to be reminded of what a veteran brings to the table."
"You mean a bunch of antiquated values that never really existed in the first place?"
"Damn straight!"
It would be a shame if Sox let Konerko go
Not the catchiest headline I've ever read, but it gets to the point.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — As good as it gets.That's Paul Konerko in his 12 seasons with the White Sox.
Eh...He's a solid first baseman and all, but "as good as it gets" is a bit of a stretch. He's arguably the second best first baseman in his own town. Actually, looking at the numbers it's inarguable, he is the second best behind Lee.
He's everything you'd ever want in a baseball player, both on the field and off.
Sorry, but that distinction remains with Andre Dawson my friend. (Though I know nothing about the hall of famer outside of baseball.)
Yet when I bounced his name off a longtime reporter from another town the other day, he said Konerko had never impressed him. Struck me as odd.
Why? He's an above average first baseman in a day when first baseman are a dime a dozen.
So, too, does the Sox's willingness to envision a future without Konerko in the middle of the lineup. He's 34, sure,
YES! He's 34! That's old in baseball years.
...but he's just as consistent of a run producer now as he was five years ago, when he batted cleanup for a championship team and was rewarded with a five-year, $60 million contract.
Actually this year he's doing better, which is an argument against my stance, but is still true.
Why should the Sox make him sweat out his future?
It's called negotiating.
I asked Konerko, and he broke into a smile. "I wish you were handing out the checks,'' he said.
Konerko is the kind of ballplayer who was celebrated in the decades before ESPN and the other agents of the 24-hour news cycle turned baseball into yet another enterprise where style can trump substance.
Really? They used to make a habit of celebrating mediocre first baseman? Cause if so, that was dumb. And the whole style trumping substance thing. I'm pretty sure Mantle and Ruth and Dimaggio and Williams and Jenkins were also celebrated. Also, you alone Phil, who writes for a major newspaper in Chicago have written two articles this year (that's I've caught) celebrating Konerko.
It was a very good thing he was at his fourth All-Star Game, and it will be no surprise if he comes through in the clutch, as he did when the AL rallied to win in 2006. Konerko wasn't added to the American League All-Stars until last weekend — as a replacement for the Twins' Justin Morneau, whose back is a major concern.
I'm sure Konerko is a nice gut, but that is a heck of drop off in production.
"It would have been a real shame if Paul wasn't an All-Star,'' Sox left-hander Matt Thornton said. "He's had a great season. When we weren't playing well early in the year, it seemed like every time we won he hit a home run or got a big hit.''
Oh well then, let's give him another 5 years at $15 mil a year because Matt Thorton has selective memory. Good enough.
Konerko won't admit that he wanted to be here.
Gotcha!
But he did.
WHA!?!?!?!? I know what Phil actually means, but that just reads weird to me. As if Paul won't admit it, but he did.
"There are too many other letdowns over the course of a season to get caught up in if you go or you don't go,'' he said. "There's too much other stuff in the game that will get you down on a daily basis. … The smart players don't go looking for extra ones.''
Konerko has quietly had a terrific first half, projecting to 39 home runs and 122 RBIs if he maintains that pace after the break.
Reporters love to talk about how players are having "quietly great years." What that is based on I have no idea. Again, Phil Rogers writes for one of the biggest newspapers in America. He's not keeping it a secret. And Paul got picked for the all-star game, so someone noticed.
Assuming he can do that, he will have given Jerry Reinsdorf's ownership group 155 home runs and 475 RBIs over the life of his five-year contract.He delivered 158 home runs and 485 RBIs from 2001 through '05, the five-year period that produced the most recent contract. But even though the numbers are almost identical, Konerko understands why his future looks different this time around than when he reached free agency after the '05 World Series.
Yes, because he's 5 years older!
Believe it or not, Konerko revealed on Monday that he went into 2010 prepared for it to possibly be his last season in baseball — not because he would want to quit but because he'd seen Jermaine Dye and other friends find themselves without jobs at the end of big contracts.
That's actually kinda sad, though Dye had back to back years where he was a poor player and can't play the field in any capacity anymore.
He was asked if he would consider quitting if the Sox were able to win another Series. He was momentarily stumped."I never even thought about that,'' said Konerko
HAHAHAHA! There you go Chicago, even in the midst of the best run of baseball in years, one of you top players can't even conceive of making it to the World Series again.
...And the rest of this is about leadership and how they got back into first place...boring. It's good to know that we have Phil Rogers out there fighting to get attention for multi-time all-star players who have ALCS MVP awards.
Case Closed!
"Can't talk now."
"Why not? It's the all-star break, I'm sure you have some time on your hands."
"I'm a professional, I never have time on my hands. And someone has to let the world know how valuable Paul Konerko is."
"You mean like this article right here?"
"That's right, people need to be reminded of what a veteran brings to the table."
"You mean a bunch of antiquated values that never really existed in the first place?"
"Damn straight!"
It would be a shame if Sox let Konerko go
Not the catchiest headline I've ever read, but it gets to the point.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — As good as it gets.That's Paul Konerko in his 12 seasons with the White Sox.
Eh...He's a solid first baseman and all, but "as good as it gets" is a bit of a stretch. He's arguably the second best first baseman in his own town. Actually, looking at the numbers it's inarguable, he is the second best behind Lee.
He's everything you'd ever want in a baseball player, both on the field and off.
Sorry, but that distinction remains with Andre Dawson my friend. (Though I know nothing about the hall of famer outside of baseball.)
Yet when I bounced his name off a longtime reporter from another town the other day, he said Konerko had never impressed him. Struck me as odd.
Why? He's an above average first baseman in a day when first baseman are a dime a dozen.
So, too, does the Sox's willingness to envision a future without Konerko in the middle of the lineup. He's 34, sure,
YES! He's 34! That's old in baseball years.
...but he's just as consistent of a run producer now as he was five years ago, when he batted cleanup for a championship team and was rewarded with a five-year, $60 million contract.
Actually this year he's doing better, which is an argument against my stance, but is still true.
Why should the Sox make him sweat out his future?
It's called negotiating.
I asked Konerko, and he broke into a smile. "I wish you were handing out the checks,'' he said.
Konerko is the kind of ballplayer who was celebrated in the decades before ESPN and the other agents of the 24-hour news cycle turned baseball into yet another enterprise where style can trump substance.
Really? They used to make a habit of celebrating mediocre first baseman? Cause if so, that was dumb. And the whole style trumping substance thing. I'm pretty sure Mantle and Ruth and Dimaggio and Williams and Jenkins were also celebrated. Also, you alone Phil, who writes for a major newspaper in Chicago have written two articles this year (that's I've caught) celebrating Konerko.
It was a very good thing he was at his fourth All-Star Game, and it will be no surprise if he comes through in the clutch, as he did when the AL rallied to win in 2006. Konerko wasn't added to the American League All-Stars until last weekend — as a replacement for the Twins' Justin Morneau, whose back is a major concern.
I'm sure Konerko is a nice gut, but that is a heck of drop off in production.
"It would have been a real shame if Paul wasn't an All-Star,'' Sox left-hander Matt Thornton said. "He's had a great season. When we weren't playing well early in the year, it seemed like every time we won he hit a home run or got a big hit.''
Oh well then, let's give him another 5 years at $15 mil a year because Matt Thorton has selective memory. Good enough.
Konerko won't admit that he wanted to be here.
Gotcha!
But he did.
WHA!?!?!?!? I know what Phil actually means, but that just reads weird to me. As if Paul won't admit it, but he did.
"There are too many other letdowns over the course of a season to get caught up in if you go or you don't go,'' he said. "There's too much other stuff in the game that will get you down on a daily basis. … The smart players don't go looking for extra ones.''
Konerko has quietly had a terrific first half, projecting to 39 home runs and 122 RBIs if he maintains that pace after the break.
Reporters love to talk about how players are having "quietly great years." What that is based on I have no idea. Again, Phil Rogers writes for one of the biggest newspapers in America. He's not keeping it a secret. And Paul got picked for the all-star game, so someone noticed.
Assuming he can do that, he will have given Jerry Reinsdorf's ownership group 155 home runs and 475 RBIs over the life of his five-year contract.He delivered 158 home runs and 485 RBIs from 2001 through '05, the five-year period that produced the most recent contract. But even though the numbers are almost identical, Konerko understands why his future looks different this time around than when he reached free agency after the '05 World Series.
Yes, because he's 5 years older!
Believe it or not, Konerko revealed on Monday that he went into 2010 prepared for it to possibly be his last season in baseball — not because he would want to quit but because he'd seen Jermaine Dye and other friends find themselves without jobs at the end of big contracts.
That's actually kinda sad, though Dye had back to back years where he was a poor player and can't play the field in any capacity anymore.
He was asked if he would consider quitting if the Sox were able to win another Series. He was momentarily stumped."I never even thought about that,'' said Konerko
HAHAHAHA! There you go Chicago, even in the midst of the best run of baseball in years, one of you top players can't even conceive of making it to the World Series again.
...And the rest of this is about leadership and how they got back into first place...boring. It's good to know that we have Phil Rogers out there fighting to get attention for multi-time all-star players who have ALCS MVP awards.
Case Closed!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Uncertainty
Obviously if you've ever read this blog you know I read a lot about sabermetric stats and try and keep up on the newest invention of that community. In the course of this you have to read a lot of articles, a lot of articles written by geeks. Now, obviously I'm one of them which is why I feel fine about picking on the lovable stat nerds. One thing I've noticed is their inability to choose a stance to take on anything, like our good friend Sky Andrecheck who wrote his articles with all the confidence of a 12-year-old trying to talk to his best friend's 16-year-old sister when she's sunbathing in her bikini. R. J. Anderson provides us with our latest example. The articles is discussing whether or not the Cubs will trade Lilly and what they could get for him. Also what Type-A status means. The part I want to point to is the end of the article:
The discrepancy seems unlikely to change since the Cubs will soon shift from surrounding Lilly with their 24 other players who present the best collective chance at victory to the other 24 players who have a future in Chicago with value to the Cubs being higher than value to the rest of the league. Presumably the teams have a better grasp on the rankings game than we do, so if Lilly’s moved, don’t be shocked. If he’s kept, don’t be too shocked either.
Let's rewrite that last part a few times and see what happens:
"If Lilly get's hurt, don't be shocked. If he stays healthy, don't be too shocked either."
"If Lilly quits to join a screamo band don't be shocked. If he doesn't, don't be too shocked either."
I could turn this into a board game like Pictionary. I'll call it "Hypothetical Teddy" and it'll have a picture of a teddy bear with his fist under his chin, thinking hard. Man, I'm gonna be so rich I won't have to do this blog anymore. It'll be wonderful.
Case Closed!
The discrepancy seems unlikely to change since the Cubs will soon shift from surrounding Lilly with their 24 other players who present the best collective chance at victory to the other 24 players who have a future in Chicago with value to the Cubs being higher than value to the rest of the league. Presumably the teams have a better grasp on the rankings game than we do, so if Lilly’s moved, don’t be shocked. If he’s kept, don’t be too shocked either.
Let's rewrite that last part a few times and see what happens:
"If Lilly get's hurt, don't be shocked. If he stays healthy, don't be too shocked either."
"If Lilly quits to join a screamo band don't be shocked. If he doesn't, don't be too shocked either."
I could turn this into a board game like Pictionary. I'll call it "Hypothetical Teddy" and it'll have a picture of a teddy bear with his fist under his chin, thinking hard. Man, I'm gonna be so rich I won't have to do this blog anymore. It'll be wonderful.
Case Closed!
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