Mid-Week Games and Shared Players
by JohnBowen
Giants @ Cubs (Shawon Dunston)
Red Sox @ Phillies (Curt Schilling)
Brewers @ Yankees (CC Sabathia)
Mets @ Tigers (Howard Johnson)
Cardinals @ Orioles (Delino Deshields)
Pirates @ Blue Jays (Lyle Overbay)
Reds @ Rays (Felipe Lopez)
Rangers @ Astros (Ken Caminiti)
Dodgers @ Twins (Otis Nixon)
White Sox @ Rockies (Juan Pierre)
Indians @ Diamondbacks (Carlos Baerga)
Marlins @ Athletics (Mark Kotsay)
Royals @ Padres (Bip Roberts)
Nationals @ Angels (Adam Kennedy)
Braves @ Mariners (Bret Boone)
June 28th, 2011 at 3:31 pm
What a weak list.
Ha! Howard Johnson.
When I was a kid I used to see the hotels and think “wow, this guy must be super rich”
June 28th, 2011 at 4:47 pm
Giants @ Cubs (Goose Gossage)
Red Sox @ Phillies (Curt Schilling)
Brewers @ Yankees (CC Sabathia)
Mets @ Tigers (Ray Knight)
Cardinals @ Orioles (Hoyt Wilhelm)
Pirates @ Blue Jays (Dave Parker)
Reds @ Rays (Johnny Gomes)
Rangers @ Astros (Nolan Ryan)
Dodgers @ Twins (Zolio Versailles)
White Sox @ Rockies (Miguel Olivo)
Indians @ Diamondbacks (Roberto Alomar)
Marlins @ Athletics (Josh Willingham)
Royals @ Padres (Gaylord Perry)
Nationals @ Angels (Adam Kennedy)
Braves @ Mariners (George Sherrill)
June 28th, 2011 at 4:50 pm
Why isn’t Vladimir Guerrero the player for Nationals/Angels?
Lame.
June 28th, 2011 at 5:02 pm
Giants/Cubs…Gary Mathews
Indians/Dbacks…Matt Williams
Nationals/Angels…has to be Vladdy.
Ken Caminiti…LOL.
June 28th, 2011 at 5:43 pm
I was just sticking with the Washington Nats in my list, that made Vladdy ineligible.
June 28th, 2011 at 5:51 pm
Meaning that with all these lists, we’re just going to completely ignore a franchise that was around for 35 years.
Bull.
June 28th, 2011 at 6:08 pm
A while back we did a hypothetical series between the 1977 Royals and the 1995 Indians.
I wonder who would win between the 1979 Baltimore Orioles and the 1995 Atlanta Braves.
The 79 Orioles won 102 games but lost the World Series to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 7 games.
The 95 Braves won just 90 games, but in a strike-shortened season. Greg Maddux led the way in posting an incredible ERA of 1.63 as Atlanta took care of the Cleveland Indians in 6 games.
Anyone care to run a simulation?
June 28th, 2011 at 6:10 pm
The MLB’s doing a good job of sweeping it under the rug. The Nats don’t have any retired numbers.
Yet the Montreal Candiens have plaques of retired numbers for guys who never played for them. How fucked up is that?
June 28th, 2011 at 6:12 pm
“Anyone care to run a simulation?”
Maybe.
I’m always intrigued by cross-era matchups but that one wouldn’t otherwise interest me.
The ‘69 Orioles would wipe the floor with the ‘79 team.
June 28th, 2011 at 6:14 pm
These lists are just the first guy that comes to mind (last week when the Mariners played the Marlins, I couldn’t come up with anyone so I actually had to look it up).
They aren’t the very best player shared by each franchise.
As for the Expos?
Eh.
If the good people of Monteal had cared as much about that team as Raul seems to, we wouldn’t have the Washington Nationals to begin with.
June 28th, 2011 at 6:20 pm
“The Nats don’t have any retired numbers”
How long have they been playing, five years?
The Expos have four..Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, Rusty Staub and Tim Raines.
June 28th, 2011 at 6:26 pm
Minor League baseball suspended Donovan Tate 50 games for non-PED drug use.
Dumbass.
June 28th, 2011 at 6:27 pm
Then the retirement of #42, and I think they also retired Jackie Robinson’s number when he played as part of the Montreal minor league affiliate for the Dodgers.
June 28th, 2011 at 6:28 pm
Ouch. That sucks, I like Donovan Tate. Rough talent, but loads of potential.
Hopefully he gets straightened out like Jeffress did. He’s in Omaha right now getting stretched to start.
June 28th, 2011 at 7:10 pm
“Tampa Bay could Add Paryoll During Summer”.
…Say what?
June 28th, 2011 at 7:14 pm
Funny, John.
As much as you orgasm over Tim Raines, I figured you’d be all over naming former Expos players.
You guys might be a bit young to remember that 94 Montreal team. Then again, I was just 14 at the time, but:
C – Darren Fletcher
1B – Cliff Floyd
2B – Mike Lansing
3B – Sean Berry
SS – Wil Cordero
LF – Moises Alou
CF – Marquis Grissom
RF – Larry Walker
SP – Ken Hill
SP – Pedro Martinez
SP – Jeff Fassero
SP – Butch Henry
SP – Kirk Rueter
RP – John Wetteland
RP – Mel Rojas
RP – Gil Heredia
RP – Jeff Shaw
RP – Tim Scott
That team was 74-40 (.649) and while the names might not seem so impressive, a bunch of those guys were having a great season.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MON/1994.shtml
Note that Larry Walker had 44 doubles that year — in 103 games.
June 28th, 2011 at 7:16 pm
Jesus christ, Wilfredo Cordero. That guy goes toe-to-toe with Kevin Mitchell in the batshit insane department.
June 28th, 2011 at 7:21 pm
If Raines’s HOF exclusion has shown anything, it’s that games played in Montreal don’t count.
June 28th, 2011 at 7:37 pm
Gary Carter and Andre Dawson are in there with Expos caps…
But since they got famous in New York and Chicago, respectively, I tend to agree.
June 28th, 2011 at 7:41 pm
They both wanted different caps.
Hardly a surprise.
June 28th, 2011 at 7:43 pm
I think that’s because they actually liked playing in somewhere other than Canada.
June 28th, 2011 at 8:16 pm
For some reason, I confused Wil Cordero with Marty Cordova.
Cordero was a nut. Cordova was a decent player for Minnesota.
In looking up Cordova, I found something funny and something sad.
Marty Cordova fell asleep in a tanning bed, causing him to miss several Orioles day games.
But sadly (pasted from wikipedia):
On the morning of Dec. 16, 2010 Ashley McAdam, Cordova’s daughter, was heading to Herriman High School just outside Salt Lake City. She was a passenger in a vehicle driven by a friend that was hit by a truck as it pulled into school. She suffered severe head trauma and is currently in a coma. In addition to the head trauma, she broke her jaw, elbow and thighbone. Cordova and Ashley’s mother, Tamara McAdam-Burleigh, have set up a Facebook page titled “Supporting Ashley McAdam,” where people can offer support.
June 28th, 2011 at 8:18 pm
Based on her facebook page, it does look like she’s in recovery though.
June 28th, 2011 at 8:28 pm
It’s widely known in Puerto Rican baseball circles that Wil Cordero was a steriod drug kingpin and made more money supplying pro baseball players with steriods than he ever did as a player.
I miss Shaun.
Yes, he’s a retard, but every once in awhile you find something that makes him look like the founder of Mensa.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/06/01/by-the-numbers-leave-behind-the-left-on-base-lob-statistic/#comments
June 28th, 2011 at 8:30 pm
“If Raines’s HOF exclusion has shown anything, it’s that games played in Montreal don’t count.”
Yeah, I was going to say the same thing.
If he spent his whole career in Seattle, he would have been first ballot.
June 28th, 2011 at 8:31 pm
Did you see the poll on Bleacher Report yesterday?
Out of 868 respondents, more people believe Omar Vizquel to be a better HOF candidate than Raines.
June 28th, 2011 at 8:43 pm
Omar won’t get in.
But he’s 68 and could start at SS (at least defensively) right now.
June 28th, 2011 at 8:47 pm
Omar is one of the best defensive shortstops of all time, but even if he could hit five HR a year, he’d be great for the Hall. But the man was not a good hitter.
Ozzie Smith was good enough with the stick to get in, Omar never was and will never be even if he consumes Prince Fielder’s body weight in steroids.
June 28th, 2011 at 8:48 pm
Both Carlos Beltran and Jason Bay have grand slams in the game against detroit..both off Daniel Schlereth.
Mets up 13-0 in the fifth.
June 28th, 2011 at 8:50 pm
Fernando Tatis chuckles at their pale attempts to copy his greatness.
June 28th, 2011 at 9:14 pm
David Price is going to get the loss for my fantasy team this week after being completely dominant because the Rays can’t score for shit.
Why don’t you guys just burn down my house and kick me in the nuts, too.
June 28th, 2011 at 9:41 pm
Fun Baseball Names: Chi-Chi Olivo.
June 28th, 2011 at 10:06 pm
Rico Brogna trumps any baseball name, ever.
June 28th, 2011 at 10:52 pm
“Did you see the poll on Bleacher Report yesterday?
Out of 868 respondents, more people believe Omar Vizquel to be a better HOF candidate than Raines.”
50% of respondents thought that Derek Jeter was a better SS than Honus Wagner.
June 28th, 2011 at 11:08 pm
“50% of respondents thought that Derek Jeter was a better SS than Honus Wagner.”
More than, and not just Honus Wagner. All shortstops ever. Fuck me sideways.
June 28th, 2011 at 11:56 pm
Jeter doesn’t play shortstop…it’s more like he leads shortstop.
June 29th, 2011 at 12:06 am
Watching the Dbacks and Indians.
Carlos Santana just absolutely crushed a ball, just inside the foul pole. 2-R homer ties the game at 4.
Sorry Daniel Hudson. No win for you.
June 29th, 2011 at 12:08 am
JJ Putz was having a solid come-back year, but lately it seems like blowing saves is all he knows how to do.
Chisenhall coming up with the go-ahead run at second base. He had a beautiful RBI double earlier in the game.
June 29th, 2011 at 12:10 am
Jeter True Yankees shortstop.
June 29th, 2011 at 12:12 am
He’s clutch and calm-eyed. And oh-so dreamy. Remember the flip play? It still gives me a woody.
June 29th, 2011 at 12:23 am
Cleveland’s pitcher, Tony Sipp, let Ryan Roberts get two ridiculous jumps to steal 2nd and 3rd.
Winning run on third, 1 out.
Bloomquist is up. Willie Mo Pena is on deck.
June 29th, 2011 at 12:26 am
Willie Mo Pena just hit a walk-off home run to end the game.
June 29th, 2011 at 12:28 am
They’re interviewing Pena.
Nothing he’s saying strikes me as actual words.
June 29th, 2011 at 12:31 am
The Dbacks bench was calling for a balk right before that.
There was nothing there.
Pitcher stepped off exactly the right way.
June 29th, 2011 at 12:37 am
The flip play… 2001 WS?
June 29th, 2011 at 1:18 am
Fun Baseball Names: Gookie Dawkins
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=2B&sid=t494&t=p_pbp&pid=235194
June 29th, 2011 at 7:54 am
@45, it was in the ALDS against the A’s, with Jeremy Giambi running.
That’s because Jeremy Giambi wasn’t a baseball player so much as a computer programmed by Billy Beane to walk a lot and therefore had no concept on the idea of SLIDING.
June 29th, 2011 at 9:42 am
“That’s because Jeremy Giambi wasn’t a baseball player so much as a computer programmed by Billy Beane to walk a lot and therefore had no concept on the idea of SLIDING.”
Pretty accurate description.
June 29th, 2011 at 10:15 am
Have not seen this posted anywhere, and apologize if someone already mentioned it, but South Carolina won the college World Series for the second year in a row.
June 29th, 2011 at 11:11 am
Happy 75th birthday Harmon Killebrew
RIP
June 29th, 2011 at 11:22 am
Nice anti-stat article.
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/6708682/the-math-problem
June 29th, 2011 at 11:30 am
And a follow-up ripping by BP
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=14385#commentMessage
June 29th, 2011 at 11:41 am
Doesn’t apply nearly as much to baseball as it does basketball.
Meshing together as a team is so much more important in basketball than in baseball.
Not that it’s not important in baseball. Catchers who work well with pitchers, for example, are immensely important. Carlos Ruiz, Mike Matheney, Brad Ausmus and company are all vastly underrated for their (pretty much statistically indeterminate) ability to handle a pitching staff. There are other things, like outfielders calling balls, double play partners being in sync, the pitcher and 1st baseman communicating on a 3-1 play at first etc.
But in basketball, the team can be so much more (or less) than the sum of it’s parts. That Pistons championship team in 2004 was a good example of that.
In baseball, you essentially have the sum of your parts. I mean, more/less. Intangibles count. But if Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent can’t get along, that doesn’t stop them from combining for 80 HR year after year, or reaching base at a ridiculous clip. Their biggest effect on Rich Aurilia isn’t hitting him in the post with a well-placed bounce pass, but just being there in the on-deck circle, ensuring that Aurilia got a steady dose of fastballs.
June 29th, 2011 at 11:47 am
“Well, guys, I appreciate your concern, I really do. But do me a favor, would you? Just shut up. I know which end of the bottle the beer comes out of, I really do. I’ve watched ballgames outside, in actual sunlight—no, really. If knowing that a pitcher’s BABIP against rate in a small sample is largely unpredictive of his rate in a larger sample makes it harder for you to enjoy watching a game, I’m sorry. But if knowing more about baseball makes it harder for you to enjoy the game, then I’m really not seeing your case that you’re the better fan than someone like me”
Amen brother.
June 29th, 2011 at 12:04 pm
“But if knowing more about baseball makes it harder for you to enjoy the game..”
Therein lies the problem.
The more you know the game, the more the stats, whatever your choice, make sense, and the more they can be used to prove or disprove a point.
The BP guy made a great point about the kid who goes to the game and only watches the numbers change.
If all you know is numbers, then it makes total sense when people say stupid things like Derek Jeter sucks or Tim Raines is a HOFer.
“It’s not sabermetrics, it’s sabermatricians”
June 29th, 2011 at 12:09 pm
Every time I go to a game and see a runner on second with no outs, I get excited because I know he’s probably going to score. If he doubled, great. If he reached on a 2-base error, just as well. If he walked and stole second, terrific.
Seeing a player on second with no outs and NOT getting excited is a sure sign of someone who doesn’t know what the hell is going on in a baseball game.
Knowing that a player was on second with no outs while rarely failing to make an out to get there?
Pretty much the same deal.
June 29th, 2011 at 12:25 pm
No fucking shit, John.
June 29th, 2011 at 12:28 pm
You’d think it was no fucking shit.
But there’s this one player who was on second with no outs pretty much all the time. He’s probably the second best leadoff hitter of all-time for that very reason.
But for superficial reasons like you “not feeling it”…well, we’ve done this time and time again.
June 29th, 2011 at 12:41 pm
“well, we’ve done this time and time again”
And, yet, here we are, doing it again.
June 29th, 2011 at 1:04 pm
To make Raul’s day.
Phil Hughes is making a rehab start today in AA Trenton.
Through four innings, he has allowed one hit and has five strikeouts.
On 21 pitches.
June 29th, 2011 at 1:20 pm
Gameday sucks.
Minor games only record strikes.
It was 39 through four, with 32 strikes.
Total is still really low, and the B/S ratio is off the charts.
June 29th, 2011 at 1:32 pm
Nice! @ Hughes.
John,
I look at stats. Even some that are considered “saber”.
But my problem (and I’ve always stated it) is that stat heads act like their way is the only way and they come up with the classic excuses when they’re wrong.
A team has X-stats, therefore they should do Y.
And when it doesn’t, the response is “well, the sh*t is a crapshoot…”
There’s just a fundamental difference in how people see things.
Stat guy: The GM shouldn’t have signed this guy. He’s got an EqA of .255.
Baseball guy: The GM shouldn’t have signed this guy. He’s got a hole in his swing and has trouble recognizing the slider.
Same thing. Except the difference is the baseball guy offers you a reason why the player sucks, and even provides a possible solution to the problem.
When people were bashing David Wright, Shaun kept preaching about how his numbers are awesome and he is fine and that he should keep doing what he’s doing.
What others were saying is that while Wright was going just great, people need to pay attention to his mechanics and how he reacts to inside pitches because he’s quite liable to really take a dive.
Here we are, David Wright is on the DL, having hit .226. Yeah, back injury, but it’s more than that if you actually watch the games.
And it’s not like I’m resting the case on David Wright. I’m just trying to make a point.
The disingenuous thing is that people like Shaun come in here and say “well you need scouts and stats” and never have any comments or insight into the scouting part because they have no idea what the hell they are talking about. All they can do is reference numbers because those are easy to grasp. It takes a certain kind of experience to look at something and understand why it is right, or why it is wrong.
It’s like watching boxing. You can sit there and talk about the CompuBox numbers — how one guy is up 4 rounds to 2 and is landing more punches. But if you can’t see that the “losing” fighter has been nailing the “winning” fighter with heavy body shots, you are going to be shocked when that “winning” fighter tastes the canvas in the 10th.
June 29th, 2011 at 1:34 pm
Let’s try another Hall of Fame argument. Reading my Bill James Historical Abstract (always a fun read) and there’s an argument that with a little more luck, Jim Kaat could be a first ballot Hall of Famer.
He never really had a big season, but his stretch between ‘62-’70 was good.
‘62 – 18-14
‘63 – 10-10
‘64 – 17-11
‘65 – 18-11
‘66 – 25-13
‘67 – 16-13
‘68 – 14-12
‘69 – 14-13
‘70 – 14-10
Now, rearrange those wins a little bit to give him more than 1 20 win season.
‘62 – 20-12
‘63 – 10-10
‘64 – 16-12
‘65 – 20-9
‘66 – 24-14
‘67 – 15-14
‘68 – 14-12
‘69 – 14-13
‘70 – 13-11
Better series of breaks and more big seasons. Do you think if this happens, Kaat would have been a Hall of Famer?
June 29th, 2011 at 1:38 pm
“It’s like watching boxing. You can sit there and talk about the CompuBox numbers — how one guy is up 4 rounds to 2 and is landing more punches. But if you can’t see that the “losing” fighter has been nailing the “winning” fighter with heavy body shots, you are going to be shocked when that “winning” fighter tastes the canvas in the 10th.”
Or for the more modern audience, Mixed Martial Arts. I remember watching Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva. Sonnen broke the UFC record for number of strikes landed on his opponent by the fourth round in a five round fight.
Yet he took Silva to the ground in that fifth round to keep the offense going, despite the fact Sonnen isn’t a good submission guy and can be quick to tap. When Silva was on the ground, he caught Sonnen by surprise with a triangle choke and won after getting completely brutalized.
Sonnen (who was also on steroids for the fight), did everything he could to knock Silva out, but Silva realized there’s more to a fight than just punching guys in the face. Silva was the better fighter because he actually has gameplans coming into the fight.
June 29th, 2011 at 1:54 pm
“Silva was the better fighter because he actually has gameplans coming into the fight.”
A fact Muhammed Ali was well aware of in Zaire.
June 29th, 2011 at 1:58 pm
“Here we are, David Wright is on the DL, having hit .226. Yeah, back injury, but it’s more than that if you actually watch the games.”
As I recall, Joe D wrote that article like 10 games into the season. Wright ended up starting the all-star game and hitting 29 home runs.
One year later, and he’s had a crappy 30 games or whatever it is. Maybe he’s bailing, I’m not sure. Haven’t seen him play yet (nor have most Mets fans. What with the injuries and all).
“A team has X-stats, therefore they should do Y.
And when it doesn’t, the response is “well, the sh*t is a crapshoot…””
That’s not the statguy’s response. At least it shouldn’t be.
The response is that a team with X-stats is LIKELY to do Y.
Baseball is wonderfully unpredictable. Anything can happen. Being good isn’t a sure thing. But you can do things to increase your chances.
Before the season started, I boldly proclaimed that the A’s would win 90 games because their offense, while not very good, would be good enough to alongside the pitching staff to propel the A’s to the top of the West.
It’s not working out that way (though they aren’t very far out of the race either).
If you built an offense with guys who had the same statistics as Willingham, Dejesus, etc in conjunction with the A’s pitching staff (assuming good health), I maintain that it would win between 87-93 games ~75% of the time.
That offense is atrocious this season. Worse than expected. I don’t need to make abstract excuses. They were supposed to be better. Using the information I had, I made a guess, and so far, I’m wrong.
Theo Epstein, a GM who I think is VERY good, traded Bronson Arroyo for Willie Mo Pena. That was a terrible move. Completely indefensible. But no one is going to be 100% successful. If you’re hoping for that – as a player, coach, manager, exec, or fan…you’re going to be disappointed. If your way (and your way really needs to include both baseball people and stats guys) works an optimal amount of the time, than you can’t really ask for more than that.
Like, if you’re playing blackjack. Maybe you hit on 11 and get a 2, while someone else hits on 17 and gets a 4, while the dealer shows 4 and gets to 17. That one time, you got hosed. Long run? You wanna keep hitting on 11, standing on 17 and you’ll come out better than the guy who hits on 17.
June 29th, 2011 at 2:03 pm
“Better series of breaks and more big seasons. Do you think if this happens, Kaat would have been a Hall of Famer?”
No.
June 29th, 2011 at 2:04 pm
At least he shouldn’t have been.
June 29th, 2011 at 2:09 pm
“Using the information I had, I made a guess.”
Exactly.
What I really want to know is how much of Bill James’ “consulting” had to do with John Lackey’s contract.
June 29th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
“What I really want to know is how much of Bill James’ “consulting” had to do with John Lackey’s contract.”
Who knows?
It’s not a good-looking contract at all.
The Red Sox made a guess based on the information at hand that he would be worth an 80 million dollar contract.
They were wrong.
Should they stop trying to acquire pitchers with Lackey-ish resume’s?
Maybe. The fact that he missed around 13 starts in the two years preceding his acquisition should’ve been a warning flare.
But in general, you make guesses based on the information provided. The more scientific your guesses, the more OFTEN you’ll be right. Doesn’t mean you won’t get a dud every so often.
June 29th, 2011 at 2:29 pm
When I play stratomatic, I’m a stat head.
When I watch a baseball game in person, I’m a baseball fan.
When I watch a game on tv, I’m asleep.
It really is that simple.
June 29th, 2011 at 2:30 pm
JB: What would you call Chone Figgins contract? Besides a mistake?
LOL
June 29th, 2011 at 2:38 pm
You’re right, John.
A fourth grader could have looked at Lackey’s two previous seasons, his career record against the AL East, and his career record at Fenway and told him to kiss off.
And yet the saber driven Red Sox front office gave him $80 million dollars.
June 29th, 2011 at 2:39 pm
@Brautigan
Figgins’ contract wasn’t exactly a bank-breaking thing. 4y/36M
Now, I know he had a WAR-rific year in 2009 and that’s why he’s such a common example.
But basically it was a pretty good player’s deal and he was a pretty good player.
I’m not sure if there were any warning signs that would indicate that he would suck so hard. I didn’t really get why they had him switch to second base, especially knowing Ackley was coming up.
It was certainly a more worthwhile deal than, say, the deals the Angels and Dodgers made for Gary Matthews Jr. and Juan Pierre.
June 29th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
A fourth grader also could’ve looked at Juan Pierre’s entire body of work and thought…yeah, he’s fast. So what? Don’t give him a 50 million dollars…and yet the non-saber LA Dodgers gave Pierre that very deal.
The difference is, the Red Sox are right far more often than the Dodgers.
June 29th, 2011 at 2:46 pm
JB: Funny thing is, Juan Pierre is really a great stratomatic player. Speed kills in that game. How he earns gazillions playing baseball is beyond me.
June 29th, 2011 at 2:50 pm
Against the Yankees, Lackey is career 5-6 with a 4.68 ERA, 1.496 WHIP, and 2.1 K/BB ratio.
Not the best numbers, sure.
But how do Yankee opponents usually do?
The Yankee bats consistently have scored 5.3-6 R/G over the course of Lackey’s career.
June 29th, 2011 at 2:51 pm
Out of curiosity, Brautigan, why can’t you get into baseball on TV?
I mean, nothing can really beat the real thing, but on the other hand, you’ve got a pretty good seat!
June 29th, 2011 at 2:55 pm
I called that Lackey contract a waste from the second it was announced.
And I’m saying the exact same thing right now about Carl Crawford.
June 29th, 2011 at 2:56 pm
“Figgins’ contract wasn’t exactly a bank-breaking thing. 4y/36M”
Nine million a year for four.
Pierre’s was 5/44.
Less than nine million a year.
I guess that WAS a bank-breaking deal?
Pierre’s deal looks bad four years after he signed it, because he hasn’t come close to producing what he did in the six years BEFORE he signed.
Lackey’s deal was a bad deal before Theo handed him the pen.
There’s a difference, John.
One I’m sure you’re fully aware of.
June 29th, 2011 at 3:00 pm
Pierre sucked for all but two years in Florida.
Lackey was good for the last 5 years before signing in Boston.
June 29th, 2011 at 3:13 pm
Lackey was good, but even Lackey at his best wasn’t worth that much money.
June 29th, 2011 at 3:21 pm
John Lackey pitched in a pathetic division and was one of the most hittable pitchers around.
He was going into a division with better hitters, into a hitters ballpark.
It didn’t take any complex stats analysis to realize Lackey was going to get crushed.
June 29th, 2011 at 3:30 pm
One of the biggest myths is that the unbalanced schedule drastically warps a pitcher’s opponent quality.
You know who had the easiest opponents last year (according to total-opponent OPS)?
CC Sabathia
June 29th, 2011 at 3:36 pm
“Pierre sucked for all but two years in Florida.”
WAR tell you that?
Or OPS+?
He led the NL in games played five straight seasons.
He led in PA’s two years, and in the top five the other three.
He led in AB’s three years and in the top five the other two.
He led the NL in hits and in the top five the other three.
He was in the top ten in times on base twice.
Just because he didn’t walk 80 times doesn’t mean he wasn’t an effective lead-off hitter.
The Dodgers got to the NLCS the first two years after the contract, too, by the way.
It bugs me I have to defend a player I don’t particularly like, but it bugs me more that Figgin’s contract “didn’t break the bank” and Pierre’s was the worst in history and they’re the exact goddamn same thing.
June 29th, 2011 at 3:39 pm
“One of the biggest myths is that the unbalanced schedule drastically warps a pitcher’s opponent quality.”
So what you’re saying is that the Yankees could play the Phillies in interleague play and the Red Sox could play the Nationals, and it wouldn’t make any difference on the pitchers of the Yankees and Red Sox.
FAN-tastic.
Dynamite, John.
Pure dynamite.
June 29th, 2011 at 3:47 pm
@86, no. Holy shit. Learn to read.
I’m saying the difference between the average OPS an Orioles pitcher has to face and the average OPS an Angels pitcher have to face are MAYBE 40 points off.
“He led the NL in games played five straight seasons.”
Irrelevant.
“He led in AB’s three years and in the top five the other two.”
Happens when you hit first and your managers refuse to bench you, even for sucking.
“The Dodgers got to the NLCS the first two years after the contract, too, by the way.”
…after Pierre was made into a 4th OFer.
“Just because he didn’t walk 80 times doesn’t mean he wasn’t an effective lead-off hitter.”
yes, it does. But you think walks hurt the team.
“He was in the top ten in times on base twice.”
You JUST SAID that he was top-2 in at-bats like every year. He got more chances to reach base! He was LESS effective at reaching base than the AVERAGE baseball player. As evidenced by OBP.
June 29th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
lol
If you really think a pitcher making 7 starts against the Mariners and Athletics is not a significant difference between 7 starts against the Yankees and Rays, you’re dumber than I thought.
June 29th, 2011 at 4:09 pm
Lets say the Yankees/Rays average 1.5 more r/g.
So in those 7 games, you’re giving up about 7 more runs if u go 6 innings.
That’s your grand difference. About one extra run per month.
June 29th, 2011 at 4:14 pm
You’re not winning, statboy.
“He was LESS effective at reaching base than the AVERAGE baseball player. As evidenced by OBP.”
Wrong.
Juan Pierre average OBP 2003-2007=.344
NL average OBP 2003-2007= .333
June 29th, 2011 at 4:15 pm
Sometimes, you’re just hopeless.
Anyway,
I need Justin Smoak to get hot so I can move him for another reliever because taking on Jojo Reyes was pointless. I thought I could take some points given that he has SP eligibility but he’s killing me.
Brian Duensing is available as a RP with SP eligibility, but he’s not much better.
June 29th, 2011 at 4:38 pm
Juan Pierre was alright. He got a lot of hits, stole a lot of bases, and played good defense.
Was he worth 9 million dollars? Not to me.
June 29th, 2011 at 4:43 pm
“Was he worth 9 million dollars? Not to me.”
Not to me, either, but not the point.
June 29th, 2011 at 4:50 pm
“Juan Pierre was alright. He got a lot of hits, stole a lot of bases, and played good defense”
Tim Raines without the defense?
June 29th, 2011 at 5:00 pm
Or the bat or plate discipline. I’d call Juan Pierre a poor man’s Time Raines, but he’s more like a homeless man’s Time Raines.
June 29th, 2011 at 5:00 pm
Tim Raines and Tim Raines, dunno how I fucked that name up.
June 29th, 2011 at 5:22 pm
It’s been said that traditionalists undervalue walks, and sabermetricians overvalue them.
Our on-going Tim Raines debate proves that statement beyond a reasonable doubt.
June 29th, 2011 at 5:31 pm
So, in Raul’s head, the A’s always score one run and the Yankees alwaus score 10.
Not how the game works.
Juan Pierre had one positive: speed.
Tim Raines is the second-best leadoff hitter of all time. Like, ever.
Juan Pierre, at his best, was the second best leadoff man on his own team.
June 29th, 2011 at 5:41 pm
“Tim Raines is the second-best leadoff hitter of all time. Like, ever.”
You know what that is?
Subjective.
“Juan Pierre, at his best, was the second best leadoff man on his own team.”
So is that.
One is definitely wrong, the other is probably right.
You decide which is which, and if someone disagrees, that’s life.
June 29th, 2011 at 5:47 pm
JB @ 78. Baseball on tv is such a wonderful thing, however, by the 4th inning, I find myself asleep. Perhaps it is the zen of the thing….I really don’t know. Most of the time I watch on tv, I’m too busy watching the catcher set up and guessing what the next pitch will be. I’m surprised I am correct as much as I am. So, if I need to get some sleep, I’ll put a game on. Works like a charm.
June 29th, 2011 at 5:51 pm
Terry Francona has officially lost his mind.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110628&content_id=21113330&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb
June 29th, 2011 at 5:57 pm
“I’m too busy watching the catcher set up and guessing what the next pitch will be. I’m surprised I am correct as much as I am”
We used to sit around and do that for money.
We’d ante up between pitches like they were poker hands.
Had to get the pitch AND the location.
June 29th, 2011 at 6:04 pm
Chuck: how funny you’d say that. We used to do the same thing in Reno. By the 7th inning we were so inebriated we would be prediciting the “blooper pitch” would be the next pitch.
By the way, I don’t know if you saw my other post, but I’ll be in Visalia Saturday night and I hope to see Phil Plantier. You still want a Plantier autograph for your dad? Hopefully he’ll personalize it, unlike Rooster Rick.
June 29th, 2011 at 6:13 pm
Sure.
June 29th, 2011 at 6:14 pm
Dick, right?
June 29th, 2011 at 6:17 pm
That’s what she said.
June 29th, 2011 at 6:18 pm
Haha…that didn’t go as planned.
June 29th, 2011 at 6:21 pm
Raul, I have to hook up with you one of these days in California. I know we’re going to have a killer of a time. (Or, if you’re ever in Oregon……..)
June 29th, 2011 at 6:24 pm
My brother works for an airline and travels a lot. The next time he heads up to Portland or Seattle I’ll try to make the trip.
I hear it’s real nice up there.
June 29th, 2011 at 7:05 pm
….Terry, I know you want to get more production out of right field. I understand that. Adrian Gonzalez has only started two games in RF in his life, though. That’s a terrible decision.
Also, WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU PLAYING DAVID ORTIZ IN THE MUTHAFUCKIN’ FIELD!!!!
June 29th, 2011 at 7:32 pm
Also, Ryan Franklin has just been handed his pink slip
June 29th, 2011 at 7:33 pm
Way to go, Nomar, be rippin’ on UZR.
June 29th, 2011 at 7:49 pm
Huh, my memory’s a little shaky. Was Nomar good with the glove or not. I want to judge the irony level here.
June 29th, 2011 at 7:55 pm
He was alright, nothing to write home about.
He was pretty good his first couple of years, then he bulked up and lost his range.
June 29th, 2011 at 8:03 pm
Bulked up, lost range, but he hit better.
…Steroids? Late 90s Boston wasn’t exactly a den of clean living.
June 29th, 2011 at 8:10 pm
Winner, winner….
June 29th, 2011 at 8:34 pm
Manny. Juiced.
Ortiz. Juiced.
Every single person called to Congress was confirmed juicer. Yet people are supposed to believe that Schilling was the only clean one. Yeah. Sure.
Nomar was clearly juicing.
I’m pretty damn sure Trot Nixon was a juicer also. But I’d bet more that Jason Varitek was.
Did any of them appear in the Mitchell Report?
June 29th, 2011 at 8:46 pm
I heard Nixon juiced.
Nothing on the other two, although I wouldn’t be surprised, especially Schilling.
If he thought he could get an advantage with anything, he’d probably color a sanitary sock red and say it was blood.
Oh, wait…
June 29th, 2011 at 8:47 pm
Not even just back then. They had Mo Vaughan earlier that decade. I’d bet five bucks he juiced, but that’s such a sure thing I don’t even want to insult the art of betting.
June 29th, 2011 at 9:04 pm
Pretty glad I didn’t start Phil Coke this week.
He got destroyed by the Mets today. Good lord, the Tigers can’t even beat Chris Capuano.
June 29th, 2011 at 9:06 pm
I don’t even know why you’d have Phil Coke on your roster.
June 29th, 2011 at 9:37 pm
Because I had Ryan Franklin and Matt Thornton on my roster and they both sucked so bad that they lost their closer jobs and I needed a reliever to take their spots.
So I picked up Phil Coke.
I didn’t want to go and trade for a reliever in April/May because…it’s a closer.
June 29th, 2011 at 10:09 pm
At least Thornton is still on his team. Give him that.
June 29th, 2011 at 10:33 pm
Nah Thornton isn’t on my team. Neither is Franklin.
Giambi went deep today. It’s a little surprising that Giambi doesn’t even have 450 homers. You would think he’d be close to 500 — just based off his reputation as a big guy and a power hitter.
June 29th, 2011 at 10:42 pm
Well, this is fucking interesting.
Seems like the Yankees have intentionally buried two instances where Jesus Montero was benched for not running out ground balls.
“Groin strain” my ass.
http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2010/05/10/nova-called-up-from-scrantonwb/
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/37082477/sports/player_news
June 29th, 2011 at 10:44 pm
John, approval on #125 please.
Raul, until John approves the links, I found two instances where Jesus Montero has been benched for not running out ground balls, and the Yankees buried them.
The first time was back in May and they used a “groin strain” as the reason why he missed a couple of games, the other time was last weekend and somebody blew the whistle.
June 29th, 2011 at 10:46 pm
What?
TWICE?? In the same season?
June 29th, 2011 at 11:11 pm
Not your team, Raul. I meant the White Sox. Ryan Franklin sucked so hard he got released today.
June 29th, 2011 at 11:47 pm
@126, approved.
Spam comment of the day:
This site has way higher quality videos: somepornsite
Shit, that’s what I’ve been forgetting to post!
Montero’s whole deal (being one of the most overrated prospects ever) aside…how can you not hustle at AAA?
That’s the one thing that you have total, complete control over. And it’s the one thing that an MLB club can definitively look at and say “screw you, we don’t want you here.” Skills can improve, heart’s one of those things that you either have or you don’t.
June 29th, 2011 at 11:58 pm
And Sergio Mtire’s going back to the bronx.
June 30th, 2011 at 12:30 am
You know what, as much as I hate to agree with silly writers, these guys have a point.
The Yankees have these guys wasting away in AAA and AA and they go out and get Sergio fucking Mitre?
June 30th, 2011 at 12:52 am
ESPN:
“Jeter injured himself leaving the batter’s box in the fifth inning of a game on June 13 just six hits shy of the 3,000 plateau. In his absence, the Yankees have won 11 of 14 games, moved from 2½ games back of the Boston Red Sox in the AL East to 2½ games in front, and Jeter’s replacements — Brett Gardner and Nick Swisher in the leadoff spot and Eduardo Nunez at shortstop — have performed more than capably.
Entering Wednesday, Gardner had batted .286 with a .390 on-base percentage in nine games as the leadoff hitter. In four games atop the lineup, Swisher had hit .307 and had a whopping .526 OBP. At the time of his injury, Jeter was hitting .260 with a .324 OBP.”
(Major League II)
Harry Doyle: “Roger Dorn retired over the off-season, eliminating a huge hole at 3rd base.”
June 30th, 2011 at 12:56 am
Nick Swisher batting leadoff just seems like a bad idea to me. But hey, whatever works.
June 30th, 2011 at 1:03 am
Swisher leading off is only a bad idea depending on who hits behind him.
June 30th, 2011 at 1:19 am
“Maybe. The fact that he missed around 13 starts in the two years preceding his acquisition should’ve been a warning flare.”
The funny thing about that with Lackey’s contract is that clearly the Red Sox had some idea what they may be getting into because of the way they wrote the club option for ‘15.
And isn’t it ironic that the Boston media is circling like vultures right now saying that Lackey needs an elbow surgery now.
June 30th, 2011 at 2:46 am
Swisher just isn’t a leadoff guy. By that I don’t mean he doesn’t walk or steal a lot of bases, but he’s a .250 hitter that hits 25-30 HR a year. That’s not your typical leadoff guy, that’s your five guy, cleanup in a weak lineup.
June 30th, 2011 at 12:58 pm
Mike Cameron has been designated for assignment. Is McDonald next???
June 30th, 2011 at 1:02 pm
“Is McDonald next?”
Then where would Big Papi eat after the games?
June 30th, 2011 at 1:04 pm
Montero homered leading off the second inning today.
Yes, it was to right field.
June 30th, 2011 at 1:07 pm
Wait, Mike Cameron was able to be designated? I thought guys with his amount of service time could refuse assignment.
June 30th, 2011 at 1:14 pm
“Then where would Big Papi eat after the games?” The Sox could hire McDonald as a NESN employee.
June 30th, 2011 at 1:17 pm
There’s a difference between sending a guy to the minors and designating them.
If a guy has less than five years service time and options remaining, he can be sent down.
If he has more than five years service time, he can’t be sent down without his permission.
By designating him, the Red Sox can trade him or release him. They can send him to the minors, but still need Cameron’s permission.
June 30th, 2011 at 1:17 pm
Sorry, Bob, bad joke.
There’s a McDonald’s across from Fenway Park.
Never mind.
June 30th, 2011 at 1:18 pm
I’m becoming convinced that Jesus Montero is a non-hustling, 230-pound Derek Jeter.
June 30th, 2011 at 1:21 pm
My bad. I have eaten at that McDonalds a few times.
June 30th, 2011 at 1:24 pm
That’s where I used to park. Kind of a pain in the ass getting there, but real easy to get out of heading south.