watching david ortiz at bats?
― World B. FAP (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, 5 May 2010 13:22 (fourteen years ago) link
Was This a Great Game (When I Didn't Have Extra Innings, MLB.TV, MLB Network, Baseball Tonight, Access to Every Newspaper Online, Dozens of Baseball Analysis Websites, and Would Therefore See [and/or Read About] a Small Fraction of the Mental Mistakes That Occurred), or What?
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=kurkjian_tim&id=5148731
― Andy K, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 13:32 (fourteen years ago) link
it was also romantic when sammy sosa & mark mcgwire were each hitting 65 homers a year -- i think all players should start roiding up again -- because of the romance
― the rural führer (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, May 5, 2010 9:06 AM (2 hours ago)
tbh they were pretty gay for each other iirc
― brandon softerserve (k3vin k.), Wednesday, 5 May 2010 15:17 (fourteen years ago) link
yrc
― Astronaut Mike Dexter (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Wednesday, 5 May 2010 15:55 (fourteen years ago) link
I'm pretty sure Neyer sort of defended this concept the other day? eg, there wouldn't be quite so many walks if the umpires called a rulebook strike zone.
― kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 5 May 2010 17:03 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah but did he say that the game was worse because of walks?
― World B. FAP (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, 5 May 2010 17:09 (fourteen years ago) link
i don't think anyone would argue against that, would make the games shorter i bet
― brandon softerserve (k3vin k.), Wednesday, 5 May 2010 17:14 (fourteen years ago) link
i have no idea if there are stats to back up the fact that there are more walks now than __ years ago, or what exactly verducci was arguing (didn't read the thing)
― brandon softerserve (k3vin k.), Wednesday, 5 May 2010 17:15 (fourteen years ago) link
walks = more runs
― World B. FAP (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, 5 May 2010 17:15 (fourteen years ago) link
tru
― brandon softerserve (k3vin k.), Wednesday, 5 May 2010 17:17 (fourteen years ago) link
Today baseball includes fewer hits, less contact and more walks and strikeouts. Baseball remains a beautiful, fascinating game that becomes even more interesting the more you know about it. But if you're the kind of fan who simply likes to see the ball put into play, there is less to like.
― World B. FAP (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, 5 May 2010 17:18 (fourteen years ago) link
One-pitch at-bats. Ball = walk. Strike or foul ball = batter out. Unconditional shin-to-shoulder strike zone.
― Andy K, Wednesday, 5 May 2010 17:19 (fourteen years ago) link
it's a stupid column because a. it's romanticizing "the crack of the bat" which 75% of the time in baseball results in an out and b. because what's one or two less combined hit a game, anyway? & if there are higher walk rates that means more runners on base & more "pressure" situations, more drama etc imo
― World B. FAP (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, 5 May 2010 17:20 (fourteen years ago) link
lol andy
Team averages, NL
1979: 6176 plate appearances, 1436 hits, 241 doubles, 43 triples, 119 home runs2009: 6221 plate appearances, 1421 hits, 288 doubles, 35 triples, 155 home runs
― no turkey unless it's a club sandwich (polyphonic), Wednesday, 5 May 2010 20:23 (fourteen years ago) link
some sanity in this whole debate http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2010/05/07/the-charm-of-modern-baseball/
― J0rdan S., Friday, 7 May 2010 17:44 (fourteen years ago) link
Pos OTM.
Verducci's argument doesn't make sense even if you follow its own stupid internal logic -- which kind of out is more exciting to watch, K's or routine fly balls to RF? And I never saw anyone stand up with two outs and two strikes and root for a ground ball to short.
― NoTimeBeforeTime, Saturday, 8 May 2010 12:18 (fourteen years ago) link
Standing up w/ 2 strikes and 2 out is one of the dumbest things the Great Unwashed do.
― kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 8 May 2010 13:00 (fourteen years ago) link
(even worse, w/ 2 strikes in a double-play situation. Same reason they go to deafening superhero movies I guess)
― kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 8 May 2010 13:01 (fourteen years ago) link
nickcafardoGreat seeing a gutsy player like Dustin Pedroia playing with a gimpy knee and sacrificing personal stats so he stay in the lineup.
― Andy K, Thursday, 10 June 2010 21:32 (thirteen years ago) link
just saw this gem from richard roeper:
For those of us who will always have baseball at No. 1, there's something pretty cool going on with the game these days.Almost every big-picture preseason article I've read notes how there's an increased emphasis on defense, speed, fundamentals and smart baseball, as opposed to just relying on behemoths to hit three-run homers.Granted, fearsome hitters such as Albert Pujols (who just hit one out as I'm writing this) and Prince Fielder still can dominate. But in the post-steroids (or at least not nearly as many steroids-users) era, it's great to see something of a return to baseball that was played in the 1960s and '70s.
Almost every big-picture preseason article I've read notes how there's an increased emphasis on defense, speed, fundamentals and smart baseball, as opposed to just relying on behemoths to hit three-run homers.
Granted, fearsome hitters such as Albert Pujols (who just hit one out as I'm writing this) and Prince Fielder still can dominate. But in the post-steroids (or at least not nearly as many steroids-users) era, it's great to see something of a return to baseball that was played in the 1960s and '70s.
earl weaver rolls his eyes.
― j.q higgins, Friday, 11 June 2010 02:48 (thirteen years ago) link
bob costas stop sucking stephen strasburgs dick
― mayor jingleberries, Friday, 11 June 2010 16:11 (thirteen years ago) link
i think this guy is really on to something revolutionary here:http://joeposnanski.si.com/2010/07/19/diary-of-a-losing-team-batting-champs/?xid=cnnbin&hpt=Sbin
― _▂▅▇█▓▒░◕‿‿◕░▒▓█▇▅▂_ (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, 20 July 2010 17:02 (thirteen years ago) link
not everyone is as "bright" as you are
― kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 20 July 2010 17:12 (thirteen years ago) link
yeah joe pos is getting to be a bit of a broken record on the royals posts
i still like his stuf fthough
― ciderpress, Tuesday, 20 July 2010 17:13 (thirteen years ago) link
dumbutt?
― Astronaut Mike Dexter (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Tuesday, 20 July 2010 17:13 (thirteen years ago) link
yeah, Shasta knows that anyone who wants to lay out the details of Jason Kendall's season to the 97% of baseball fandom that doesn't care about KC is OBVIOUSLY a moron!
― kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 20 July 2010 17:20 (thirteen years ago) link
so he's dum in thinking anyone cares about KC royals then
― Astronaut Mike Dexter (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Tuesday, 20 July 2010 23:18 (thirteen years ago) link
i mean it wasn't dumb but why on earth are you devoting 4000 words to "why batting average isn't as important as obp" in july of twenty ten.
my 3rd grade nephew who lives in the sticks has written a book report on moneyball.
― _▂▅▇█▓▒░◕‿‿◕░▒▓█▇▅▂_ (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, 20 July 2010 23:33 (thirteen years ago) link
Why is Chris Rose allowed to do play by play? This is a development that I find completely disturbing.
― no turkey unless it's a club sandwich (polyphonic), Saturday, 24 July 2010 22:19 (thirteen years ago) link
jon heyman:
• Ichiro, with 179 hits, will need to hustle to get to 200 again.
why would he need to "hustle" to get to 200, he had 179 hits through 138 games, i think he can get 21 hits in the final 24....
(now at 183 through 140)
― ('_') (omar little), Thursday, 9 September 2010 05:03 (thirteen years ago) link
heyman hate maths
― kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 9 September 2010 11:40 (thirteen years ago) link
sometimes i wonder if heyman's just a big troll at this point, since his opinions via twitter are 100% of the time the 'wrong' ones by sabermetrics and associated logic. no one can be that perfectly imperfect without trying, right?
― ciderpress, Thursday, 9 September 2010 12:51 (thirteen years ago) link
http://espn.go.com/mlb/notebook/_/page/bbtn100910/baseball-tonight-clubhouse
As the postseason draws near, however, there are also pressing reasons not to believe in the Rays. They don't hit very much. Yes, they've scored 57 runs in their last 10 games, but Tampa Bay is 23rd in the majors in batting average and 25th in hits.
Or you could say they are THIRD in what matters most: runs scored (behind the Yankees and Red Sox). But that wouldn't fit into the story.
there are questions without clear answers
Welcome to baseball.
― Andy K, Friday, 10 September 2010 10:32 (thirteen years ago) link
Ichiro really had to throw it into overdrive to pick up 21 hits in 16 games.
If he could somehow harness that momentum and maintain it over the course of a grueling 162-game season, he'd end it with 213 hits. And he'd have to play every game to do that.
― Andy K, Friday, 24 September 2010 01:28 (thirteen years ago) link
I am sorely tempted to create a Worst Sportswriter Poll -- y/n?
― Daria Law (Leee), Tuesday, 28 September 2010 04:38 (thirteen years ago) link
Uh Plaschke holds the title for this already. Sorry guys.
― mayor jingleberries, Tuesday, 28 September 2010 16:27 (thirteen years ago) link
becuz hat guy just died, right?
― Astronaut Mike Dexter (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Tuesday, 28 September 2010 16:36 (thirteen years ago) link
Mitch Albom is worse in my opinion.
― funky house skeptic (polyphonic), Tuesday, 28 September 2010 16:42 (thirteen years ago) link
Lee, how about worst sportscaster? cuz listening/watching JT Snow enduces more awkward cringes per minute than I thought possible.
― Fartbritz Sootzveti (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, 28 September 2010 16:44 (thirteen years ago) link
JT doesn't bother me much. I mean, compared to the Rob Dibbles of the world he is a saint.
― funky house skeptic (polyphonic), Tuesday, 28 September 2010 16:49 (thirteen years ago) link
Stuart "Left Eye" Scott
― If you want me to "get there," pay attention to my angina (WmC), Tuesday, 28 September 2010 16:50 (thirteen years ago) link
stuart "gonna just hold this football while i talk about football" scott
― ('_') (omar little), Tuesday, 28 September 2010 17:05 (thirteen years ago) link
btw i know these aren't sportswriters, but this exec has some awesome old-school opinions:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/jon_heyman/09/19/daily.scoop.monday/index.html
Here's one AL exec's well-reasoned explanation why he would favor Price or Sabathia slightly: "I think wins should factor in. I'm not a big proponent of wins counting for a lot, but it is a factor. I'm not into the extreme that wins are totally circumstantial. But I don't totally discount wins."Clearly, a bunch of guys are having superlative seasons. But it comes down to three guys -- Sabathia, Price and Felix, with (Clay) Buchholz, (Trevor) Cahill and Weaver in the next tier. I would probably go with Price. The peripheral numbers have been extremely impressive. Felix has the best peripheral numbers. ... But when the team needed him to win, I'm not sure how much winning he did at that point. If you're going to give it to a guy on a last-place team, the guy has to perform when he is needed most.''
"Clearly, a bunch of guys are having superlative seasons. But it comes down to three guys -- Sabathia, Price and Felix, with (Clay) Buchholz, (Trevor) Cahill and Weaver in the next tier. I would probably go with Price. The peripheral numbers have been extremely impressive. Felix has the best peripheral numbers. ... But when the team needed him to win, I'm not sure how much winning he did at that point. If you're going to give it to a guy on a last-place team, the guy has to perform when he is needed most.''
― ('_') (omar little), Tuesday, 28 September 2010 17:08 (thirteen years ago) link
billy beane?
― Fartbritz Sootzveti (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, 28 September 2010 17:59 (thirteen years ago) link
the funny thing about that quote is that "second tier" guy weaver is having a *slightly* better season than sabathia except weaver just doesn't have what it takes to get those extra few wins.
― ('_') (omar little), Tuesday, 28 September 2010 18:08 (thirteen years ago) link
I've seen/heard a few Felix-versus-CC discussions/arguments and JUST ONCE I would like someone to mention that, yeah, CC pitches in the almighty AL East, but he doesn't face THE YANKEES. Felix has faced the Yankees three times: 26 innings, one run, one earned, 31 Ks.
― Andy K, Tuesday, 28 September 2010 18:17 (thirteen years ago) link
dan shaughnessy is so far and away the worst sportswriter in america that he makes mitch albom & bill plaschke look like gary smith
― J0rdan S., Tuesday, 28 September 2010 18:22 (thirteen years ago) link
Good call, Jordan. Hate that guy.
― funky house skeptic (polyphonic), Tuesday, 28 September 2010 18:31 (thirteen years ago) link
i generally can't stand boston sportswriter homers
― ('_') (omar little), Tuesday, 28 September 2010 18:34 (thirteen years ago) link
klaw's big find of the year was fucking mumford and sons
― call all destroyer, Thursday, 21 October 2010 13:31 (thirteen years ago) link
Goldman likes to work in Star Wars and Preston Sturges
― kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 21 October 2010 13:41 (thirteen years ago) link
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/yankees/2010/11/scout-jeter-deserved-gold-glov.html
"Before, he was above average range-wise, and now he’s just average. I don’t think his defense is going to become a negative for him for quite some time," the scout said. "They say that great outfielders never have to dive, I think that applies to Jeter, too.
"Because he’s older, a little more wise and he knows opposing hitters, how infields play, his catcher, his pitcher - all those factors. Good shortstops have instincts, and I put an 80 on his instincts this year.
"If you were going to create a baseball player, you’d want him to have Derek Jeter’s brain. That’s part of who he is and that’s never going to change, even if he’s a tick slower. He’s smarter than he was when he was younger."
― kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 10 November 2010 19:41 (thirteen years ago) link
there's a lot of dumb scouts out there y'know
― ciderpress, Wednesday, 10 November 2010 19:58 (thirteen years ago) link
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/510665-derek-jeter-the-ridiculous-stupid-clueless-speculation-continues
<3
― macaroni rascal (polyphonic), Thursday, 11 November 2010 19:03 (thirteen years ago) link
god where do they dig up the people who write on bleacher report, that site is seriously the worst.
― omar little, Thursday, 11 November 2010 19:09 (thirteen years ago) link
He led the league in plate appearances. He was 10th in the league in times on base.
― Andy K, Thursday, 11 November 2010 19:10 (thirteen years ago) link
John Jaso goes through life to a little different beat.
Take his iPod for starters. Rather than filling his ears with rap music that's so popular with most of his teammates, he's listening to classic rock, including a lot of stuff from the 1960s and early '70s -- like The Beatles, Neil Young and Led Zeppelin.
what a lede
― mookieproof, Friday, 12 November 2010 18:01 (thirteen years ago) link
jon heyman's yearly "why i am a moron" column
― omar little, Monday, 20 December 2010 23:25 (thirteen years ago) link
and this thread has come full circle
― ciderpress, Monday, 20 December 2010 23:37 (thirteen years ago) link
hold on, that really says "December 20, 2010"???????????????????????????????????????
― return of the nakh (J0rdan S.), Monday, 20 December 2010 23:40 (thirteen years ago) link
he does it every single year, right?
― call all destroyer, Monday, 20 December 2010 23:40 (thirteen years ago) link
The list is even worse than the article.
― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Monday, 20 December 2010 23:46 (thirteen years ago) link
somehow, Alomar, Raines and Larkin slipped through
― kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 21 December 2010 02:52 (thirteen years ago) link
19. Marquis Grissom. He is one of only seven players with 2,000 hits, 200 home runs and 400 stolen bases. He has four Golf Gloves, not to mention a .390 career World Series average, fourth best ever for those with at least 50 at-bats. His career was better than you probably remember, but it was not quite good enough.
― i love you but i have chosen snarkness (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, 21 December 2010 03:21 (thirteen years ago) link
Clubhouse chemistry matters!!!
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2015/08/24/field-front-office-many-believe-chemistry-still-matters-baseball/32271291/
There's a reason why the Blue Jays traded for LaTroy Hawkins instead of Papelbon! That's what winning is all about!!
― polyphonic, Monday, 24 August 2015 18:10 (eight years ago) link
i think it does matter! just not as much as talent.
― skateboards are the new combover (Dr Morbius), Monday, 24 August 2015 18:22 (eight years ago) link
If the answer is LaTroy Hawkins or David Ross I don't like the question
― polyphonic, Monday, 24 August 2015 18:24 (eight years ago) link
Papelbon is a clubhouse cancer obviously (WITH TWO MORE RINGS THAN ANYONE ON THE FUCKING BLUE JAYS)
― polyphonic, Monday, 24 August 2015 18:25 (eight years ago) link
latroy is a lot cheaper than papelbon (and has actually been better with his new team thus far)
from what i understand, papelbon is actually pretty popular with his teammates -- although i suspect he'd throw quite a tantrum if asked to pitch the eighth instead of the ninth. fortunately matt williams would never ask him to do that
― mookieproof, Monday, 24 August 2015 18:55 (eight years ago) link
I watched Latroy a lot the last few years. He's not good. Also he's 42.
― polyphonic, Monday, 24 August 2015 19:03 (eight years ago) link
icymi honey
http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2015/12/08/dan-shaughnessy-of-the-boston-globe-wins-the-j-g-taylor-spink-award/
― skateboards are the new combover (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 8 December 2015 22:30 (eight years ago) link
CHHoF
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 8 December 2015 22:48 (eight years ago) link
"meritous"
― Andy K, Wednesday, 9 December 2015 01:12 (eight years ago) link
https://www.fanragsports.com/inside-baseball-jon-heymans-top-60-heroes-of-2017/
weird article that alternates between interpreting "hero" as "someone who is good at baseball" and "someone who was charitable"
― na (NA), Monday, 25 September 2017 17:00 (six years ago) link
Herman's piece from the beginning of the thread is still hard to top, love his revisionist history.
Jack Morris, a bulldog who was considered the best pitcher of the '80s
― nomar, Monday, 25 September 2017 17:06 (six years ago) link
https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/so-what-do-we-think-about-bullpenning-now/
I don't have a problem with the article itself but he uses "nails" as an adjective three times in the same article, a usage I've never seen before. Is that a common baseball phrase? Or a Cameron-ism?
― na (NA), Monday, 30 October 2017 15:43 (six years ago) link
it's a baseball phrase, if not so common as to use three times
― mookieproof, Monday, 30 October 2017 16:28 (six years ago) link
Not that I read minor-league baseball stories off the wire (or from anywhere, for that matter), but still.
http://www.sporttechie.com/a-computer-will-now-write-minor-league-baseball-stories-for-the-associated-press/
― clemenza, Sunday, 28 January 2018 02:06 (six years ago) link
yeah that's been going on for almost two years; it's not very good but will no doubt get there eventually
― mookieproof, Sunday, 28 January 2018 04:17 (six years ago) link
Oops. Turned up on my FB wall yesterday--I ought to check dates.
― clemenza, Sunday, 28 January 2018 13:27 (six years ago) link