I got another fish on the hook thanks to the L.A. Times. We're just going to skip to the good parts, call it unfair if you want. If you have a great desire to read the whole thing in context be my guest. So this one is from Chris Erskine:
Dodgers fans can follow Blake DeWitt to the Cubs at their peril
The whole thing is in response to another article from a columnist saying they would become Cubs fans so they could follow the apparently stellar career of Blake DeWitt. Whatever.
Of course, not since Eddie Collins or Jackie Robinson can I think of a single second baseman who ever led a team to the World Series. In fact, it may well be the most inconsequential position on the field, right after the diva who oversings the anthem.
Number one, the idea of "Leading" a team to a World Series is a bit of an abstract concept. You can be the best hitter, but you're not the best pitcher and vice versa. Even so...THIS YEAR...the player with the highest WAR is (drumroll): Robbie Cano 5.5 WAR. But Jeter is the "captain, the leader" correct? I guess, though I thought the Manager was the leader, but what do I know?
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
This Situation Is Overblown
Like the grunge scene in the 90's, or Ebola threat of the 90's, or the Internet predator scare of the 90's, or the Y2K scare of the 90's, or the killer bee scare... At any rate, Dan Shaughnessy, the writer with hardest last name in the business, has decided to freak out Boston-style over one mediocre year and a few injuries. Then he'll attempt to correlate that to a completely different player, in a different era, playing at a different point in his career. It should be a blast:
This situation at critical mass
You mean the thing with all the naked bikers?
It’s impossible and unfair to measure another man’s pain. Some professional ballplayers play hurt, while others wait until they are 100 percent before they step on the field. Jacoby Ellsbury broke five ribs back in April and he’s the only person who knows the extent of his pain at this hour.
Just background info, nothing funny here folks, move along.
But the situation with the Red Sox and Ellsbury has become absurd. The Sox are falling fast against mediocre competition and Ellsbury is still on the disabled list even though he’s played five games of minor league ball, and Sunday went 2 for 5, almost jumping out of McCoy Stadium in pursuit of a Durham Bull home run.
It was hard to watch the Sox’ 6-5 loss to the moribund Indians last night.
I bet, the Indians are not...well good. There's not good. At baseball. But maybe baseball isn't their thing.
They started Eric Patterson in center and Ryan Kalish in left. Mike Cameron, who has played all season with an abdominal muscle tear, was mercifully placed on the disabled list, and Daniel Nava was recalled from Pawtucket. Kevin Youkilis went to the bench after hurting his thumb in the second inning. Victor Martinez replaced Youkilis at first base and Kevin Cash came in to catch.
Meanwhile, Ellsbury sat with his teammates in the dugout, still unable to play. It was not unlike that July night in 2004 when Nomar Garciaparra sat and stewed while Derek Jeter dived into the stands and the Yankees beat the Red Sox in extra innings.
Except that is was 2004. It was against the Yankees. It was two different players. Also the Red Sox were on the road in New York. But yeah, it was "not unlike" it in that they were playing baseball on both nights. So you got me there.
That was the night it was clear the Sox had to trade Nomar...
BEEP BEEP BEEP!!!! I will bet you a hundred zillion dollars he does NOTHING to back this "fact" up.
...and that’s the way it feels with Ellsbury now.
You owe me a hundred zillion dollars.
Too bad. Ellsbury’s an amazing talent, a 26-year-old center fielder who stole 70 bases last year and has a lifetime batting average of .297.
And his amazing OPS+ last year? 97. He is an outstanding fielder. UZR: a 23 the year before. Maybe Dan could have pointed that out.
This standoff of 2010 is at critical mass.
More naked bikers!
The Red Sox aren’t going to call him out publicly, but the organization and Ellsbury’s teammates simply have to be fed up.
Because he's hurt and trying not to ruin his career at the ripe age of 26? BTW he's making less than $500,000 this year. So it's not like he's a payroll strain.
Martinez, Jason Varitek, and Dustin Pedroia stayed with their teammates after they broke bones. Ellsbury went to Athletes’ Performance Institute in Arizona. Martinez vaulted right into the lineup when his broken thumb improved. Varitek and Pedroia plan to do the same thing.
So they haven't yet? You've decided to randomly give them credit before they even make their return, as opposed to Ellsbury who you are burying in spite of the FIRST LINE OF THE ARTICLE: It’s impossible and unfair to measure another man’s pain. Well at least Dan is calling himself out on it.
The rest of the article is mildly annoying, but nothing egregious.
Case Closed.
This situation at critical mass
You mean the thing with all the naked bikers?
It’s impossible and unfair to measure another man’s pain. Some professional ballplayers play hurt, while others wait until they are 100 percent before they step on the field. Jacoby Ellsbury broke five ribs back in April and he’s the only person who knows the extent of his pain at this hour.
Just background info, nothing funny here folks, move along.
But the situation with the Red Sox and Ellsbury has become absurd. The Sox are falling fast against mediocre competition and Ellsbury is still on the disabled list even though he’s played five games of minor league ball, and Sunday went 2 for 5, almost jumping out of McCoy Stadium in pursuit of a Durham Bull home run.
It was hard to watch the Sox’ 6-5 loss to the moribund Indians last night.
I bet, the Indians are not...well good. There's not good. At baseball. But maybe baseball isn't their thing.
They started Eric Patterson in center and Ryan Kalish in left. Mike Cameron, who has played all season with an abdominal muscle tear, was mercifully placed on the disabled list, and Daniel Nava was recalled from Pawtucket. Kevin Youkilis went to the bench after hurting his thumb in the second inning. Victor Martinez replaced Youkilis at first base and Kevin Cash came in to catch.
Meanwhile, Ellsbury sat with his teammates in the dugout, still unable to play. It was not unlike that July night in 2004 when Nomar Garciaparra sat and stewed while Derek Jeter dived into the stands and the Yankees beat the Red Sox in extra innings.
Except that is was 2004. It was against the Yankees. It was two different players. Also the Red Sox were on the road in New York. But yeah, it was "not unlike" it in that they were playing baseball on both nights. So you got me there.
That was the night it was clear the Sox had to trade Nomar...
BEEP BEEP BEEP!!!! I will bet you a hundred zillion dollars he does NOTHING to back this "fact" up.
...and that’s the way it feels with Ellsbury now.
You owe me a hundred zillion dollars.
Too bad. Ellsbury’s an amazing talent, a 26-year-old center fielder who stole 70 bases last year and has a lifetime batting average of .297.
And his amazing OPS+ last year? 97. He is an outstanding fielder. UZR: a 23 the year before. Maybe Dan could have pointed that out.
This standoff of 2010 is at critical mass.
More naked bikers!
The Red Sox aren’t going to call him out publicly, but the organization and Ellsbury’s teammates simply have to be fed up.
Because he's hurt and trying not to ruin his career at the ripe age of 26? BTW he's making less than $500,000 this year. So it's not like he's a payroll strain.
Martinez, Jason Varitek, and Dustin Pedroia stayed with their teammates after they broke bones. Ellsbury went to Athletes’ Performance Institute in Arizona. Martinez vaulted right into the lineup when his broken thumb improved. Varitek and Pedroia plan to do the same thing.
So they haven't yet? You've decided to randomly give them credit before they even make their return, as opposed to Ellsbury who you are burying in spite of the FIRST LINE OF THE ARTICLE: It’s impossible and unfair to measure another man’s pain. Well at least Dan is calling himself out on it.
The rest of the article is mildly annoying, but nothing egregious.
Case Closed.
Oh Those Wacky Stats
Here is an odd statistical anomaly. Look at the last two games for the Brewers, Aug 1 and Aug 2. Aug 1 they score 2 runs and have on OPS of .764. Aug 2 they score 18 runs (yes 18 runs) and have an OPS of .770. I just found it kinda quirky. 18 runs and only 1 HR. They also left 15 people on base, so things could have been much worse for the Cubs. I mean, sorta, I guess it doesn't really matter after your down...lets say 12-1.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Phil Rogers is the Worst Reporter Ever
I know people hated Mariotti, but at least he's no longer employed at a major newspaper. Marrioti was just a stuff-stirrer. He wanted to get everyone riled up under the theory of "any reaction from the reader is a good reaction." Phil Rogers just doesn't seem to understand baseball. At all. And he's been covering it for like 5000 years or so. I don' even know what number of article this is about him. But he's turning this blog into his own personal showcase. Here's the newest entry (Phil in italics, me in regular typeface):
Standing pat at deadline right move for Sox
This is a continuation of his theory that adding good players hurts you team. Why? Cause change kills unicorns.
No Adam Dunn, no worries.
Well no worries except every time Juan Pierre and his 72 OPS+ come to the plate to pop out to the shortstop. (Though thanks to his fielding his WAR is .7, gotta give him that.)
And, hey, Kenny Williams, way to go. Way to say no.As constructed during the 26-5 stretch that carried them from 9 1/2 games back into the American League Central lead, there was really nothing wrong with the White Sox.
Team OPS+ 98, slightly below the league average.
That's why Paul Konerko took some time at the All-Star Game to talk about how he hoped Williams wouldn't do what's so easy to do in this age of short attention spans and ceaseless public pressure to do something, anything!
And this is how you write a run on sentence by just throwing in word after word and confusing everyone who is reading and trying to enjoy what you wrote the night before when you were watching the game with a can of Milwaukee's Beast and you had to get an article in before deadline and you might as well congratulate the GM on failing to get land any offensive help because obviously if the White Sox were playing .800+ ball for a month that will continue for eternity as long as you don't mess with the "gosh dang it" chemistry of the ball club.
That is, to try to fix something that wasn't broken.
Team OPS+ 98. Black holes of offense include:
A.J. Pierzynski: OPS+ 65
Gordon Beckham: OPS+ 74 (Though definitely hot as of late.)
Juan Pierre: OPS+ 71
Mark Kotsay: OPS+ 72
Konerko prodded Williams to believe in the role players who have meant so much to this point.
If by "role players" he meant the best bullpen in the MLB, then yes, he should believe in them. If he meant "role players" as in Mark Kotsay...then no.
This shouldn't have been too tough of a sales job, as it was Williams who brought all those guys to Chicago.But the temptation to add a fourth run-producer to the middle of an order Alex Rios, Carlos Quentin and Konerko anchor was great.
Yes. The temptation to improve the frickin team was great. Good thing Williams recognized the only thing that could come from that is winning a lot more games. Phew...close one there.
That's why Williams even called Dodgers GM Ned Colletti at one point to discuss Manny Ramirez.Williams' nature is to be hyperactive. But this time Williams did the right thing. He refused to consider trading Gordon Beckham and says he let it be known he valued Dayan Viciedo so highly teams didn't even ask about him.
Yes...that's why they didn't ask about him....You know in 66 plate appearances he has walked a grand total of.......................ZERO TIMES!!!! Not even hit by a pitch. That's actually hard to do. You have to have a real dedication to swinging the bat at everything to accomplish that one. (Yes small sample size I know. But 66 times and no walks...geez.)
Williams might have been able to say no Saturday because he had scratched his trading Jones
At first I thought he was talking about Andruw Jones...
...on Friday, dealing Daniel Hudson and David Holmberg to the Diamondbacks for Edwin Jackson. For those counting — OK, I may be the only one in America doing this — they were the 52nd and 53rd ranked prospects (Sox's top 30, Baseball America) that Williams has traded in his decade as a GM........
It's a good sign that Williams wouldn't mortgage the future once again by trading Beckham for Dunn or Jose Bautista. He hoped Nationals GM Mike Rizzo would give him a way to add Dunn without having Beckham in the package, but the counteroffer never arrived."I was not trading Gordon Beckham,'' Williams said.It's an even better sign that teams did not even ask about Viciedo, who the Sox project as a game-changing power hitter at either third base or (post-Konerko) first base. He's in the second year of a four-year, $10 million contract and is valued higher than it might have seemed heading into the weekend of the trade deadline."People know how we feel,'' Williams said, explaining why no teams asked for him. "He's 21 years old. A talent like that will be a major force in the league. I'd like you to find one or two (prospects) at his level who can do the things he can do, are as explosive. The ball comes off his bat. People understood we weren't going to (consider trading him)."
Here is a list of the top 50 prospects in the Minors at the beginning of the year one MLB.com. Use Edit->Find to look for Viciedo's name. See what happens. Go on. Try it.
Williams said he understands why some analysts have said the Sox are only "marginally better'' after adding Jackson in Jake Peavy's rotation spot, where Hudson had been. But he remembers being criticized for not making major moves at the deadline in 2005.
Past results may not predict future returns.
Names aren't known but it appears he would have added Nos. 54 and 55 to the list of those he traded away if Lance Berkman had been willing to come to Chicago.Berkman vetoed a deal with the White Sox so he could join old Astros teammate Andy Pettitte with the Yankees. This could be a blessing in disguise, as his batting average has been in steady decline (from .312 in 2008 to .274 in '09 to .245 this year) and he never has had to deal with the adjustments that come from being traded.
Wow. Still using batting average huh? Berkman's OPS+ 114. Beats the chum the White Sox are throwing out at DH right now doesn't it? Also the whole "dealing with the adjustments that come from being traded" thing. My suggestion? Remember to set your watch ahead a couple hours. There's, you've adjusted. Heck, your cell should do it automatically.
Nothing sometimes can be the right thing to do.Given the price tag placed on the available run-producers like Dunn and Bautista, this was one of those times.
I don't know the exact terms of the agreement for Beckham and Dunn and everyone else. All I know is Dunn hits like a mythological beast and would have a fun time hitting in US Cellular. (Park Factor 104. Favorable to hitters.) Beckham may be the future, but Dunn is the present.
Case Closed.
Standing pat at deadline right move for Sox
This is a continuation of his theory that adding good players hurts you team. Why? Cause change kills unicorns.
No Adam Dunn, no worries.
Well no worries except every time Juan Pierre and his 72 OPS+ come to the plate to pop out to the shortstop. (Though thanks to his fielding his WAR is .7, gotta give him that.)
And, hey, Kenny Williams, way to go. Way to say no.As constructed during the 26-5 stretch that carried them from 9 1/2 games back into the American League Central lead, there was really nothing wrong with the White Sox.
Team OPS+ 98, slightly below the league average.
That's why Paul Konerko took some time at the All-Star Game to talk about how he hoped Williams wouldn't do what's so easy to do in this age of short attention spans and ceaseless public pressure to do something, anything!
And this is how you write a run on sentence by just throwing in word after word and confusing everyone who is reading and trying to enjoy what you wrote the night before when you were watching the game with a can of Milwaukee's Beast and you had to get an article in before deadline and you might as well congratulate the GM on failing to get land any offensive help because obviously if the White Sox were playing .800+ ball for a month that will continue for eternity as long as you don't mess with the "gosh dang it" chemistry of the ball club.
That is, to try to fix something that wasn't broken.
Team OPS+ 98. Black holes of offense include:
A.J. Pierzynski: OPS+ 65
Gordon Beckham: OPS+ 74 (Though definitely hot as of late.)
Juan Pierre: OPS+ 71
Mark Kotsay: OPS+ 72
Konerko prodded Williams to believe in the role players who have meant so much to this point.
If by "role players" he meant the best bullpen in the MLB, then yes, he should believe in them. If he meant "role players" as in Mark Kotsay...then no.
This shouldn't have been too tough of a sales job, as it was Williams who brought all those guys to Chicago.But the temptation to add a fourth run-producer to the middle of an order Alex Rios, Carlos Quentin and Konerko anchor was great.
Yes. The temptation to improve the frickin team was great. Good thing Williams recognized the only thing that could come from that is winning a lot more games. Phew...close one there.
That's why Williams even called Dodgers GM Ned Colletti at one point to discuss Manny Ramirez.Williams' nature is to be hyperactive. But this time Williams did the right thing. He refused to consider trading Gordon Beckham and says he let it be known he valued Dayan Viciedo so highly teams didn't even ask about him.
Yes...that's why they didn't ask about him....You know in 66 plate appearances he has walked a grand total of.......................ZERO TIMES!!!! Not even hit by a pitch. That's actually hard to do. You have to have a real dedication to swinging the bat at everything to accomplish that one. (Yes small sample size I know. But 66 times and no walks...geez.)
Williams might have been able to say no Saturday because he had scratched his trading Jones
At first I thought he was talking about Andruw Jones...
...on Friday, dealing Daniel Hudson and David Holmberg to the Diamondbacks for Edwin Jackson. For those counting — OK, I may be the only one in America doing this — they were the 52nd and 53rd ranked prospects (Sox's top 30, Baseball America) that Williams has traded in his decade as a GM........
It's a good sign that Williams wouldn't mortgage the future once again by trading Beckham for Dunn or Jose Bautista. He hoped Nationals GM Mike Rizzo would give him a way to add Dunn without having Beckham in the package, but the counteroffer never arrived."I was not trading Gordon Beckham,'' Williams said.It's an even better sign that teams did not even ask about Viciedo, who the Sox project as a game-changing power hitter at either third base or (post-Konerko) first base. He's in the second year of a four-year, $10 million contract and is valued higher than it might have seemed heading into the weekend of the trade deadline."People know how we feel,'' Williams said, explaining why no teams asked for him. "He's 21 years old. A talent like that will be a major force in the league. I'd like you to find one or two (prospects) at his level who can do the things he can do, are as explosive. The ball comes off his bat. People understood we weren't going to (consider trading him)."
Here is a list of the top 50 prospects in the Minors at the beginning of the year one MLB.com. Use Edit->Find to look for Viciedo's name. See what happens. Go on. Try it.
Williams said he understands why some analysts have said the Sox are only "marginally better'' after adding Jackson in Jake Peavy's rotation spot, where Hudson had been. But he remembers being criticized for not making major moves at the deadline in 2005.
Past results may not predict future returns.
Names aren't known but it appears he would have added Nos. 54 and 55 to the list of those he traded away if Lance Berkman had been willing to come to Chicago.Berkman vetoed a deal with the White Sox so he could join old Astros teammate Andy Pettitte with the Yankees. This could be a blessing in disguise, as his batting average has been in steady decline (from .312 in 2008 to .274 in '09 to .245 this year) and he never has had to deal with the adjustments that come from being traded.
Wow. Still using batting average huh? Berkman's OPS+ 114. Beats the chum the White Sox are throwing out at DH right now doesn't it? Also the whole "dealing with the adjustments that come from being traded" thing. My suggestion? Remember to set your watch ahead a couple hours. There's, you've adjusted. Heck, your cell should do it automatically.
Nothing sometimes can be the right thing to do.Given the price tag placed on the available run-producers like Dunn and Bautista, this was one of those times.
I don't know the exact terms of the agreement for Beckham and Dunn and everyone else. All I know is Dunn hits like a mythological beast and would have a fun time hitting in US Cellular. (Park Factor 104. Favorable to hitters.) Beckham may be the future, but Dunn is the present.
Case Closed.
Oh Ozzie, You Fountain of Knowledge
What would Chicago reporters do with out Ozzie Guillen? I mean really. The middle of the summer, what else do you have to write about? And some columnists want to see him get fired. That's like killing the frickin Goose. For example:
Ozzie Guillen addresses challenges for Latino players
Sox manager contrasts situation with that of Japanese players
I'm guessing he'll handle this with same cultural sensitivity as he does everything else.
With MLB Network cameras filming for "The Club," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen reiterated his position Sunday morning on tough conditions facing Latino baseball players, many of whom come from poverty and don't speak English. Guillen spends time each spring in the minor-league camp talking to young Spanish-speaking players about drugs, alcohol and other problems they may face in the United States.
That's actually very good of him to do. He doesn't have to and he takes time out to help
people who came from the same conditions he came from. There is something very honorable about that.
"I'm the only one to teach the Latinos not to use (drugs)," said Guillen, who got on a long roll about the subject. "
Really? He's the only one? On the face of the planet, Ozzie Guillen is the lone ethical guiding light to these players?
I'm the only one, and Major League Baseball doesn't (care) about that, all they care about is how many times I argue with the umpires, what I say to the media.
I guess he really is the only one. He said it twice, it has to be true.
"But I'm the only one in baseball to come up to the Latino kids and say not to use this, and I don't get any credit for that. "
Except when you have a TV series soley about your ball club and you mention 3 times in under a minute that you are the only one to help these kids.
"And they look at it and they say … 'Ozzie said it, don't worry about it.' If somebody else said it, they would be playing (it) every day on the Jumbotron."
Why won't people just pay more attention of Guillen? Someone notice this guy for gosh sake!
Guillen said Latino players on the White Sox "are lucky we speak Spanish, but some people don't have that privilege to come here and (have that). That's why I always criticize why Japanese players have interpreters and Latinos don't have one. Very bad."
I'm not really qualified to comment on this, Guillen probably has a point. Though I would venture to guess every team has at least one player who can act as an interpreter for someone who speaks Spanish, where most teams don't have players who speak both Japanese and English.
Don't take this wrong, but they take advantage of us. We bring a Japanese player and they are very good and they bring all these privileges to them. We bring a Dominican kid (and say), '(Bleep) you, you go to the minor leagues, good luck.
Well, Guillen might say that. I'd hope Kenny William (GM of White Sox) would put it nicer than that.
And it's always going to be like that. It's never going to change."Guillen, who is from Venezuela, was 19 when he came to the major leagues and worked to speak English. When asked if most minor-league coaches could speak Spanish, Guillen said:"They don't have to, we're in the United States. We don't have to bring any coaches that speak Spanish to help anybody. You choose to come to this country and you better speak English."
I don't know if that actually answers the question. Maybe it has to do with the idea that Latino players are expected to speak English and Japanese players aren't.
Case Closed.
Ozzie Guillen addresses challenges for Latino players
Sox manager contrasts situation with that of Japanese players
I'm guessing he'll handle this with same cultural sensitivity as he does everything else.
With MLB Network cameras filming for "The Club," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen reiterated his position Sunday morning on tough conditions facing Latino baseball players, many of whom come from poverty and don't speak English. Guillen spends time each spring in the minor-league camp talking to young Spanish-speaking players about drugs, alcohol and other problems they may face in the United States.
That's actually very good of him to do. He doesn't have to and he takes time out to help
people who came from the same conditions he came from. There is something very honorable about that.
"I'm the only one to teach the Latinos not to use (drugs)," said Guillen, who got on a long roll about the subject. "
Really? He's the only one? On the face of the planet, Ozzie Guillen is the lone ethical guiding light to these players?
I'm the only one, and Major League Baseball doesn't (care) about that, all they care about is how many times I argue with the umpires, what I say to the media.
I guess he really is the only one. He said it twice, it has to be true.
"But I'm the only one in baseball to come up to the Latino kids and say not to use this, and I don't get any credit for that. "
Except when you have a TV series soley about your ball club and you mention 3 times in under a minute that you are the only one to help these kids.
"And they look at it and they say … 'Ozzie said it, don't worry about it.' If somebody else said it, they would be playing (it) every day on the Jumbotron."
Why won't people just pay more attention of Guillen? Someone notice this guy for gosh sake!
Guillen said Latino players on the White Sox "are lucky we speak Spanish, but some people don't have that privilege to come here and (have that). That's why I always criticize why Japanese players have interpreters and Latinos don't have one. Very bad."
I'm not really qualified to comment on this, Guillen probably has a point. Though I would venture to guess every team has at least one player who can act as an interpreter for someone who speaks Spanish, where most teams don't have players who speak both Japanese and English.
Don't take this wrong, but they take advantage of us. We bring a Japanese player and they are very good and they bring all these privileges to them. We bring a Dominican kid (and say), '(Bleep) you, you go to the minor leagues, good luck.
Well, Guillen might say that. I'd hope Kenny William (GM of White Sox) would put it nicer than that.
And it's always going to be like that. It's never going to change."Guillen, who is from Venezuela, was 19 when he came to the major leagues and worked to speak English. When asked if most minor-league coaches could speak Spanish, Guillen said:"They don't have to, we're in the United States. We don't have to bring any coaches that speak Spanish to help anybody. You choose to come to this country and you better speak English."
I don't know if that actually answers the question. Maybe it has to do with the idea that Latino players are expected to speak English and Japanese players aren't.
Case Closed.
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