tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25719882011-06-30T11:51:59.534-07:00(old) Baseball News BlogA weblog of baseball news and analysis.Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3061100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-922414592003-04-08T13:09:00.000-07:002003-05-07T13:17:48.000-07:00New (old) URL: baseballnews.blogspot.com.Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-833520292002-10-22T07:21:00.000-07:002002-10-22T07:30:49.000-07:00The Minnesota Twins: A Plan for the Future by Aaron Gleeman (part 2). (Baseball Primer)
World Series Prospectus by Chris Kahrl and Keith Scherer. "The core story is that we've got two very evenly matched teams who arrived at this point after a wee bit of dragon slaying. How their duel plays out should make for a great series whether it goes four games or seven." (Baseball Prospectus)
Chat Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-831691262002-10-18T07:20:00.000-07:002002-10-18T07:20:52.510-07:00King Kaufman likes the wild card after all. (Salon)
Jonah Keri interviews Dr. Mike Marshall, the former Cy Young winner who now teaches exercise physiology and runs an instructional pitching clinic. (Baseball Prospectus)
Thomas might become free agent after contract shrinks. "The White Sox sent [Frank] Thomas a letter on Oct. 6 telling him they were invoking a 'diminished skills' clause in Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-831182362002-10-17T07:31:00.000-07:002002-10-17T07:36:45.000-07:00World Series Preview from Only Baseball Matters.
John Simerman: "For lack of a true baseball rivalry, the World Series shapes up as a north-south culture clash. Think 'Vertigo' vs. 'Dumbo.' Dirty Harry vs. Snow White. Country Joe McDonald vs. Country Bear Jamboree." I've got one: 'Full House' vs. 'The Brady Bunch.' (Contra Costa Times)Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-830601122002-10-16T06:42:00.000-07:002002-10-16T06:43:05.000-07:00Underdog teams topple baseball's caste system. "[T]his postseason shows that the savviest can survive – and even succeed – in a sports world run by big spenders. 'The nature of the game is to have some imbalance, but the question is whether the imbalance has gotten to the point that rich teams can win and poor teams can't,' says Jules Tygiel, author of 'Past Time, Baseball as History.' He adds,Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-828405042002-10-11T06:53:00.000-07:002002-10-11T06:53:35.290-07:00Sorry for the lack of updates recently. I can't blame Blogger this time; things have just been crazy. I do hope to get back to posting four or five days a week until the end of the postseason. Thanks for your patience.
Jonah Keri: "When The Boss goes looking for a new vessel to take millions of his dollars this off-season, priority number one should be addressing his atrocious defense up thePete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-820099722002-09-23T13:46:00.000-07:002002-09-23T13:46:11.946-07:00Chris Kahrl's Transaction Analysis for September 11-15. "The interesting contest in the AL Central is among the young catching all five teams can boast...No, it isn't Piazza and Posada, but all five teams have interesting choices to make in the next couple of seasons, and most of these guys are plausible starters or prospects." (Baseball Prospectus)
Chris Kahrl: "The most basic problem this Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-817208252002-09-17T06:24:00.000-07:002002-09-17T06:24:48.960-07:00........Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-816786632002-09-16T09:56:00.000-07:002002-09-16T09:56:29.653-07:00Baker's Dozen: The week in preview. "I still think we're going to have a four-team race in [the AL West] one of these years. All four teams are interesting, either as teams or as showcases for great individuals. With a few right moves, the Rangers could be right in the thick of it next year." (ESPN.com)
Jeff Bower on the Mariners' disappointing season. "It's quite possible that Gillick's Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-815514692002-09-13T06:09:00.000-07:002002-09-13T13:59:18.000-07:00Derek Zumsteg on Freddy Garcia's struggles. (Baseball Prospectus)
New weblog: Boy of Summer.
Stark shuts down Dodgers' offense in Rockies' rout. There's nothing quite like...
Padres edge Giants in 10th. ...a good old-fashioned Dodgers-Giants pennant race. (Wild-card race, whatever.) (ESPN.com)
Vizcaino's homer ends Cards' eight-game win streak. "VIZ - CAI - AY - NO (clap clap)!" The Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-814550072002-09-11T06:42:00.000-07:002002-09-11T09:16:46.000-07:00Spiezio helps bring Angels within two games of A's. (ESPN.com)
Craig Calcaterra on the amazin' A's. (Bull)
Of Feats, Streaks, and Pennant Races. Don Malcolm on the A's and the AL West race. (Big Bad Baseball)
Giants take over NL wild-card lead. They've won 5 straight; the Dodgers have lost 4 straight. (ESPN.com)
Gary Huckabay: "This is a strange time for me personally. I find myself Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-814192372002-09-10T13:22:00.000-07:002002-09-10T13:23:59.000-07:00Chris Kahrl's Transaction Analysis for August 28 - September 3. "I'm pretty unhappy about how things turned out for the Reds, since there's so much here to like and so much here that you have to turn a blind eye towards in order to keep your enthusiasm...It might have been better if the Reds had been more aggressive in shoring up their rotation earlier in the summer, instead of winding up with Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-812024952002-09-05T13:13:00.000-07:002002-09-05T13:13:07.333-07:00Hatteberg's heroic blast wins 20th straight for A's. They blew an 11-run lead, but still won. (ESPN.com)
Rob Neyer: "[T]he Athletics are making a case for themselves as one of the great second-half teams of this era. Or any other." (ESPN.com)
Next scheduled post: September 10.Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-809173702002-08-30T07:22:00.000-07:002002-08-30T09:41:03.000-07:00No strike: Players, MLB agree on deal. (ESPN.com)
Aaron Gleeman reports from Thursday's Twins-Mariners game at the Metrodome. (Aaron's Baseball Blog)
Team win totals contest. Baseball Primer ran this before the start of the season, and it's interesting to see how everyone is doing. My picks: Yankees under 99; White Sox over 89; Mets under 90.5; Astros over 88.5; Giants under 89; Dodgers Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-808838782002-08-29T12:55:00.000-07:002002-08-29T13:45:22.000-07:00Zito baffles Royals, A's win 15th straight. The story includes a list of all the teams that have ever won 15 in a row. (ESPN.com)
Aaron Gleeman: "About a week and a half ago I decided that I would root for the Seattle Mariners to win the AL West. As a Twins fan my reason for this, at the time, was very simple...I wanted no part of the Oakland A's. Turns out I didn't know how right I was." Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-808236932002-08-28T07:19:00.000-07:002002-08-28T10:45:08.000-07:00The Week in Quotes from Baseball Prospectus. Padres owner John Moores: "I'll be prepared to sit out a season."
Mike: "He offered to make that year this one and to make it retroactive to April 1st so that he can forget his team's wretched season. He claims that other teams feel the same way, 'I'd say 8 or 10, off the top of my head.' Of course, you have to remember that this employs Ken Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-807920852002-08-27T14:00:00.000-07:002002-08-27T14:06:45.000-07:00Baker's Dozen: The Week in Preview. "As often happens, when you see a player do well at a minor league game, you have a tendency to want him to go on to big things so you can impress schoolchildren by making grand pronouncements like, 'Why I saw him play in the Eastern Rhode Island League when he couldn't have been more than four feet tall and still used a chipmunk poker for a bat,' or Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-805682002002-08-22T07:04:00.000-07:002002-08-28T05:56:25.000-07:00Schilling fans nine as D-Backs dump Reds. "Schilling (21-4) allowed two runs on five hits and walked one [in seven innings], giving him 259 strikeouts and 20 walks this season. He threw just 75 pitches, 58 for strikes." (ESPN.com)
Lidle's scoreless streak reaches 31 innings. He pitched his second one-hitter in a little more than a month. The Aberrations have won 8 in a row. (ESPN.com)
Rob Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-805375232002-08-21T13:52:00.000-07:002002-08-21T13:55:52.000-07:00Eugene Freedman: "The real reason that there won’t be a strike has to do with the owners. The owners have already won." (Baseball Primer)
Allen Barra: "So, if the Yankees could have traded DiMaggio for Williams early in their careers, they should have done so, right? Well, you make the deal if you want. I wouldn't." (Village Voice)
Baseball's best young players. David Schoenfield and Matt Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-804737212002-08-20T06:30:00.000-07:002002-08-20T06:30:03.446-07:00Baseball-Reference.com is now accepting sponsorships. "Baseball-Reference.com relies on direct user support to pay the bills and support the work going on here. Now your support can go directly to specific pages of content. It is our way to both recognize you for your support and also allow businesses to receive something in return for support they provide to the site." You can sponsor a playerPete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-804367632002-08-19T10:46:00.000-07:002002-08-19T10:49:20.000-07:00Thanks for your patience. This page has been extremely slow-loading in recent weeks, apparently because BlogSpot has been expanding so rapidly. They say they're working to upgrade their servers.
Baker's Dozen: The Week in Preview. (ESPN.com)
The Week in Quotes. (Baseball Prospectus)
Anna Sivadasan reports from Wrigley Field. (ESPN.com)
Anna Sivadasan sums it all up. (ESPN.com)Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-803196062002-08-16T07:36:00.000-07:002002-08-16T11:15:46.000-07:00John Perricone, in response to a reader's e-mail, takes on George Will. (Only Baseball Matters)
John Perricone takes on Newsweek's Mark Starr. (Only Baseball Matters)
Dumbest of the dumb. Dayn Perry ranks the five worst recent articles on baseball economics. (FOXSports.com)
Best articles on MLB economics. Dayn Perry ranks the five best. Congrats to Dan Lewis for making the list. (Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-802748552002-08-15T06:46:00.000-07:002002-08-15T06:46:42.030-07:00Nippon Meat told to halt sales. Corporate fraud strikes Japanese baseball. (Nippon Meat owns the Nippon Ham Fighters.) (Daily Yomiuri)
Lowe first in AL to win 17 games. But his ERA jumped all the way to 2.29. (ESPN.com)
Williams delivers in 14th to lift Yanks over Royals. Jason Giambi hit his 29th home run. Back in April, Yankee fans were wishing they still had Tino Martinez. Now, Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-802295832002-08-14T06:25:00.000-07:002002-08-15T06:26:27.000-07:00Gary Huckabay: "A new CBA isn't going to magically create a trusting, blood-brother relationship between players and owners, but at least it's a step in the right direction...It'd be nice to move forward with a new agreement with an atmosphere of hope rather than fear. (Hope, for you Royals fans, is when you have kind of a good, warm feeling, and you believe something positive is likely to Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-801833652002-08-13T06:25:00.000-07:002002-08-13T06:27:06.000-07:00Joe Sheehan says farewell to Baseball Prospectus.
Chris Kahrl's Transaction Analysis for August 4-7. "So Jaret Wright finally goes away, and the Indians... bring back Dave Burba? Who's next, Ken Schrom? Rich Yett? Do they all get curtain calls? Blech." (Baseball Prospectus)
Rany Jazayerli: "The five-man rotation is a failure." (Baseball Prospectus)Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-800290172002-08-09T08:18:00.000-07:002002-08-09T08:35:25.000-07:00Derek Zumsteg: "The unbalanced schedule rules." (Baseball Prospectus)
Phil Rogers on the NL MVP candidates. His pick: John Smoltz. (ESPN.com)
Joe Sheehan: "Barry Bonds is the National League MVP. He's so far ahead of everyone else that even considering other players is denying reality." (ESPN.com)
Joe Sheehan: "For the third straight year, the two best players in the American League--Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-799814312002-08-08T07:01:00.000-07:002002-08-08T12:18:35.000-07:00New weblog: Cincinnati Reds Weblog.
Seventh straight loss shrinks Cards' lead. The Astros are within a game; the Reds are within two. (ESPN.com)
Keith Scherer looks at the Cardinals' minor league system. "This year's pennant race will mask the ugly truth that for the foreseeable future, this is as good as it's going to be for the Cardinals. Under Branch Rickey, the Cardinals created the Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-799340852002-08-07T05:54:00.000-07:002002-08-07T10:09:40.000-07:00A's beat up on Boston, creep up in wild card race. Another aberration. (ESPN.com)
Dan Lewis on sunk costs. Baseball GMs are finally starting to understand the concept. Jim Caple still doesn't. (dlewis.net)
New weblog: Mike's Baseball Rants.
Another one: Digressions on Baseball.
This date in history: The Satchel and Virgil Show. Baseball history from Rob Neyer. (ESPN.com)
Worst Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-798901252002-08-06T06:46:00.000-07:002002-08-06T06:46:23.310-07:00Sixteen-game winner Johnson fans 11. The Diamondbacks completed a four-game sweep of the Mets, who are now two games ahead of the last-place Phillies. (ESPN.com)
Anna Sivadasan reports from last week's Mets-Astros series at Shea. "First, what's the deal with Yankee jerseys at Shea? Isn't that against the law in New York? If not, it should be! What surprised me most was that there was no real Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-798441842002-08-05T06:45:00.000-07:002002-08-05T13:02:06.000-07:00Expos want apology from Steinbrenner for remarks. (ESPN.com)''A cursory examination of the facts surrounding the trading of Cliff Floyd would reveal that the New York Yankees were given ample and repeated opportunity to consummate a trade with our organization for this player. For reasons known only to the New York Yankees, they chose not to pursue a trade for Cliff Floyd with full knowledge Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-797325922002-08-02T06:36:00.000-07:002002-08-02T12:35:55.000-07:00Dan Lewis argues that free-marketeers should take the player's side in the labor dispute. (National Review)
Clutch Hits thread on Lewis's column. Jim Furtado asks: "How do the liberals who favor the players' position make peace with this divergency?" By saying: Great! We're glad you agree with us! (Baseball Primer)
Barons of Baseball Strike Out In Off-the-Diamond Ventures. More Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-796899332002-08-01T08:09:00.000-07:002002-08-01T14:33:13.000-07:00Trade Central. Analysis of the deadline deals. (ESPN.com)
Rob Neyer analyzes the deadline deals. "There's this misbegotten notion that Scott Rolen really isn't so great, after all...Get over it. Rolen may not wind up in the Hall of Fame, but he's still one of two or three best third basemen in the National League." (ESPN.com)
Much talk, but no deals for M's. "The Mariners were 'fairly Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-796393042002-07-31T06:15:00.000-07:002002-07-31T13:39:11.000-07:00Floyd on the move again, this time to Boston. Kudos to the Red Sox for getting what they needed instead of a Proven Veteran Starter™ or a Proven Veteran Reliever™. (ESPN.com)
Joe Sheehan on the Floyd trade: "It's a fix, it's the game's administrators stepping in and favoring one team in a pennant race, a team that already owes the central office at least one huge favor in a time when Bud Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-795936772002-07-30T06:39:00.000-07:002002-07-30T07:30:29.000-07:00Rolen dealt to St. Louis in deal for Polanco, Smith. (ESPN.com)
Bob Brookover: "The foundation on which the Phillies hoped to rebuild their franchise a half-dozen years ago was removed late yesterday afternoon when general manager Ed Wade granted Scott Rolen's wish and traded the all-star third baseman to the St. Louis Cardinals." (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Alan Schwarz: "Rolen was drafted by Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-795469472002-07-29T06:22:00.000-07:002002-07-29T12:45:17.000-07:00Baker's Dozen: The Week in Preview. "I made some rather ambitious noises about the Padres at the beginning of the season. I didn't do it in print or on the air, thank goodness, but to friends and acquaintances. They have been bought off with the necessary hush money and are now sworn not to divulge what I predicted in the specific." (ESPN.com)
Joe Sheehan: "It's frustrating to read a Phil Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-794390432002-07-26T07:58:00.000-07:002002-07-26T08:11:25.000-07:00A's: Ray Durham acquired from White Sox. All they could get was minor league pitcher Jon Adkins? And the White Sox had to give up cash, too?? Does Billy Beane go into other GMs' offices and wave his watch in front of their faces? You are getting very sleepy... (Yahoo!)
In Defense of Incompetence. John Bonnes responds to Gary Huckabay's How to Easily Save $160 Million column. (Twins Takes)Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-793560902002-07-24T11:16:00.000-07:002002-07-24T11:16:09.363-07:00Jay Jaffe on Ted Lilly and Jeff Weaver. (Futility Infielder)
Joe Sheehan: "[W]hy pitchers insist on throwing first-pitch strikes to Alfonso Soriano boggles the mind. I'm not saying he won't adjust, or that he's not having a great season. I'm saying that he seems to have proven he can hit the 0-0 fastball, and that it might be time to update the scouting reports and try something else." (Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-793048232002-07-23T08:26:00.000-07:002002-07-23T13:45:01.000-07:00Boston 22, Tampa Bay 4. Nomar Garciaparra had a great 29th birthday (3 HR, 8 RBI). (ESPN.com)
Rogers says no to Reds. He's chosen to stay with the last-place Rangers instead. (ESPN.com)
Reds pick up Moehler in five-player deal. ESPN calls this Plan B, but it's really C. Rogers was Plan B, and Chuck Finley was Plan A. (ESPN.com)
Peter Gammons on the trade market, and why the Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-792617812002-07-22T09:47:00.000-07:002002-07-22T14:25:36.000-07:00Baker's Dozen: The Week in Preview. "Never trust the White Sox when they're supposed to do something good. They never get it right. What they will do, though, is fall off everybody's radar and then roar back to grab the division title next year." (ESPN.com)
Chris Dankberg on the Padres: "A team on the verge of contending came into the season with a plan. Early injuries to several key playersPete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-791621172002-07-19T12:51:00.000-07:002002-08-01T11:53:15.000-07:00Chris Kahrl's Transaction Analysis for June 25 - July 14. "One thing that's becoming very clear this season is that Billy Beane has a bad side. If you put yourself on it, you don't need to worry about being in the cold for long; you're a perishable good, and Beane keeps a tidy fridge." (Baseball Prospectus)
Dave Pease: "We'd be happy to run a pro-owner piece that meets our standards for Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-790616702002-07-17T05:55:00.000-07:002002-07-17T05:59:41.000-07:00Greg Connors: "While no [sports] blogging luminaries have emerged since Simmons and Merron followed the money to ESPN, there are some Webmasters out there making the effort and building a following. Some are very narrow in their focus, and others seem to be on hiatus for the summer, with no new postings since June." Who, me? It was just a vacation. (Buffalo News)
6-4-3: How to Easily Save Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-790321512002-07-16T13:06:00.000-07:002002-07-16T13:06:26.943-07:00Derek Zumsteg: "I may be the only person in America cheering for a long, protracted labor battle that brings baseball to its knees." (Baseball Prospectus)
Joe Sheehan: "All-Star managers have to disabuse themselves of the idea that everyone, especially pitchers, must appear...I would encourage managers to make sure a representative from every team is used, while allowing the sixth Yankee or Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-780229532002-06-21T06:05:00.000-07:002002-06-21T06:13:37.000-07:00'Roid to Nowhere. Steve Chapman: "The NFL's experience ought to give pause to anyone who assumes a crackdown will clean up baseball's steroid problem. Looking at what's happened to NFL players' bodies in the last 15 years, you'd think steroids had become mandatory rather than forbidden." (Slate) (Thanks to Richard E. for the link.)
Derek Zumsteg: "If you're reading this, you've been Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-779760702002-06-20T05:20:00.000-07:002002-06-20T12:17:24.000-07:00Thanks to enetation, you can post comments here again.
Ted Williams' son to sign with Red Sox. "He'll try to begin a professional baseball career at the age of 33. And it's no joke." Sure it is. (Boston Herald)
Chris Kahrl's Transaction Analysis for June 13-17. "It bears repeating: Scott Rolen is not a replaceable commodity, but tantrum-prone managers and destructive blowhards are. The Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-779481602002-06-19T13:24:00.000-07:002002-06-20T05:21:26.000-07:00Rany Jazayerli: "Nearly halfway through the season, the question isn't whether the Braves are on pace to finish with the best middle-relief corps in baseball history. The question is, have we become too jaded by Bobby Cox's greatness to even notice?" (Baseball Prospectus)
Indians don't have the offense to compete, says Rob Neyer. (ESPN.com)
Twins Put End To Met Mo-mentum. (NY Daily News)
Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-778864462002-06-18T05:48:00.000-07:002002-06-18T05:55:06.000-07:00Rob Dibble says Shawn Estes should have plunked Roger Clemens. "The night before Estes took the mound, Jeromy Burnitz was hit in the helmet, and there was no retaliation. So, the next day, when Estes took the mound, couldn't he have sent a better message than throwing three feet behind Clemens? Is that the best he's got?" (ESPN.com)
Mets fire back at Dibble's anti-Estes stance. (ESPN.com)"He Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-778464622002-06-17T07:50:00.000-07:002002-06-17T13:07:03.000-07:00Baker's Dozen: The week in preview. "This is not a week for great matchups...In fact, that is going to be the tone of the Dozen this week: The It Doesn't Look Good on Paper Week." (ESPN.com)
Estes shuts down Yankees in 8-0 rout. Estes tried to hit Roger Clemens with a pitch early in the game, but missed. (ESPN.com)
Dan Shaughnessy: "How could anybody miss that butt?" (Boston Globe)
Who'sPete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-777385622002-06-14T06:42:00.000-07:002002-06-14T06:54:13.000-07:00Rob Neyer: "What I think is that Commissioner Bud has overplayed his hand. The death threat worked, sort of, on the Twins. But remember, Selig stood on that dais last November and said, 'We will contract' in 2002. They didn't, it's unlikely that they ever will, and people are coming to understand that what Bud says, Bud doesn't necessarily do." (ESPN.com)
Dan Lewis: "Fearless prediction Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-777018182002-06-13T09:24:00.000-07:002002-06-13T09:43:31.000-07:00Rob Neyer: "I still think Cirillo will turn things around ... but then again, I thought Cirillo would make hay in Denver, too. If he doesn't improve, and improve significantly, his big contract -- Cirillo makes nearly $6.4 million this season -- will stand as one of the few black marks against Pat Gillick's tenure in Seattle." (ESPN.com)
Keith Scherer: "Even if the Padres finish in last placePete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-776662202002-06-12T13:01:00.000-07:002002-06-12T13:06:57.000-07:00Chris Kahrl's Transaction Analysis for June 9-10. "The [Red] Sox have reason to be concerned, because Tony Clark has been the least dangerous first baseman in the game. Not one of; the. And while life is about to get better with the return of Manny Ramirez, nobody should have to haul an inoffensive first baseman around." (Baseball Prospectus)
Bierbrodt shot in chest. "[Devil Rays] Pitcher Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-776074772002-06-11T06:05:00.000-07:002002-06-11T13:42:45.000-07:00Derek Zumsteg: "Can the Angels catch and beat the Mariners? When it comes down to it, you've got to look at the intangibles as well. The Mariners in the late innings have techno music. The Angels? The Rally Monkey. You can't bet against monkeys; they get agitated and bite you, you catch the deadly Mutaba virus, and then it's all over." (ESPN.com)
You don't hear the NBA complaining. ExcellentPete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-775673842002-06-10T08:26:00.000-07:002002-06-10T13:14:46.000-07:00Baker's Dozen: The week in preview. "I think I speak for most people when I say that my nightly prayers as a child always included this addendum (usually right after 'God Bless Mommy and Daddy and all the ships at sea'): 'Oh ... and please God, make there be some way that the Angels could play the Pirates. Please?'" (ESPN.com)
Chris Kahrl's Transaction Analysis for June 4-5. "There are some Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-774625752002-06-07T07:27:00.000-07:002002-06-07T08:58:10.000-07:00China paper crying after chopping the Onion. (CNN.com)BEIJING, China (Reuters) -- Beijing's most popular newspaper has unwittingly republished a bogus story about U.S. Congress threats to skip town for Memphis or Charlotte unless Washington builds them a new Capitol building with a retractable dome roof.
The source? America's celebrated spoof tabloid, the Onion.Interleague play comes with Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-774170362002-06-06T06:26:00.000-07:002002-06-06T12:31:58.000-07:00Rob Neyer: "The Athletics obviously decided to concentrate on drafting college players, which makes sense because the risk factor is lower with college players. This is so obvious, assuming of course that you bother studying the issue, that it continues to amaze me that teams continue to spend millions of dollars on bonuses for high school players." (ESPN.com)
Greg Hall: "While Tony Peña's Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-773725842002-06-05T06:06:00.000-07:002002-06-05T11:52:46.000-07:00[UPDATED 2:35 pm ET; read down if you're interested]
The May 17, 1979 mystery is getting deeper. To sum up yesterday's discussion: Tony Pierce and I both have vivid memories of the Cubs blowing a 21-9 lead in their game against the Phillies that day. BaseballLibrary.com confirms this. Retrosheet, however, has a totally different account, which I thought was just a mistake. The end...?
NoPete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-773294912002-06-04T06:31:00.000-07:002002-06-04T13:38:25.000-07:00Don Malcolm: "Don Fehr should, in my opinion, simply tell his players that they should agree to random drug testing in exchange for the owners dropping their contraction plans. The owners would have to agree that contraction can occur only via the consultation and consent of the players, and that they waive all claims of unilateral imposition." (Baseball Primer)
Paul Hagen: "Babe Ruth used toPete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-773007352002-06-03T13:28:00.000-07:002002-06-03T14:00:11.000-07:00Baker's Dozen: The week in preview. "I could crank out about 2,000 vitriol-filled words right now about the worthlessness of interleague play, but what's the use? I was not consulted when they started the inane practice in the first place and I don't think my input at this juncture is much desired either." (ESPN.com)
Blue Jays fire Martinez; Tosca will take reins. "Tosca is known as a managerPete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-771513842002-05-30T12:15:00.000-07:002002-05-30T12:37:59.000-07:00Numbers reveal teams not nearing bankruptcy. Doug Pappas does the math. (ESPN.com)
Cardinals interested in relocating to Southern Illinois. The Carbondale Cardinals. Great. (ESPN.com)
Chris Kahrl's Transaction Analysis for May 23-27. "[Joe Torre] is the same manager who chose Alberto Castillo over Bobby Estalella (and a couple of other better candidates), and the same manager who glibly Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-770998832002-05-29T06:45:00.000-07:002002-05-29T07:32:00.000-07:00Caminiti says he was a steroids-powered MVP. Can open. Worms everywhere. (ESPN.com)
Estalella's two-out HR in 12th sends Rockies past Padres. He has six homers in his last 13 games. He's been picked up and discarded by about 17 teams in the last couple of years; are the Rockies the only team smart enough to just put him in the lineup for a while and see what he can do? The Rockies are nowPete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-770614112002-05-28T06:14:00.000-07:002002-05-29T07:13:28.000-07:00Ward Harkavy: "You think Bud Selig's a threat only to the existence of the Twins and Expos? What about the Indians? We're talking about the 500 Native American members of the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony who live next to a giant proposed cat-litter mine in Nevada." Also: Allen St. John on the Piazza rumors, and J. Yeh on the Yankees. (Village Voice)
Paul Lukas: "Uni Watch has long maintained Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-769215332002-05-24T05:59:00.000-07:002002-05-24T09:26:29.000-07:00Baltimore 11, Oakland 3. The AL West this year is like the Seinfeld episode where George decides to stop trusting his instincts, and everything in his life takes a turn for the better, while Elaine's life goes the opposite way. The Angels are George; the A's are Elaine; the Mariners are Jerry; and the Rangers are Kramer.
A's: Do you know what's going on here? Can't you see what's happened? Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-768808732002-05-23T06:14:00.000-07:002002-05-23T13:31:37.000-07:00Green belts 4 HRs for Dodgers. Also a double and a single. (ESPN.com)
He broke the major league record for total bases in a game (19, formerly 18 by Joe Adcock).
He tied the major league record for runs scored in a game (6).
He drove in 7.
His box score line for today's game: 6 6 6 7
His box score line for the three-game series with the Brewers: 14 8 9 10, with a double, a triple, 6 home runsPete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-768433972002-05-22T08:47:00.000-07:002002-05-22T13:25:48.000-07:00Johnson fans 10, beats Giants for eighth win. The Big Unit continues to baffle Barry Bonds (walk, groundout, flyout, strikeout, strikeout). Erubiel Durazo hit another homer (his fifth in four games). (ESPN.com)
Joe Sheehan: "For the next few days, we can forget the back stories, and just watch two good teams, each with a number of young stars, battle it out. Neither the Reds nor the Marlins Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-768046532002-05-21T10:18:00.000-07:002002-05-21T13:11:26.000-07:00Thomas Boswell talks about baseball's labor situation with Fay Vincent, "the commissioner who lost his job because he wanted to reach a compromise." (Washington Post) (Thanks to Derek Zumsteg for the link.)
"Bud has trashed the union and they are not going to give him anything," Vincent said. "You got to be crazy to think you can win a strike in this environment. The day the players go out, thePete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-767683952002-05-20T13:02:00.000-07:002002-05-20T14:20:46.000-07:00Craig Calcaterra on Jose Canseco, steroids, Bud Selig's failure to call him, and more. (Bull)
Don Malcolm on the A's and Marlins. "[E]ven the A’s, with their skill (and fortune) in assessing and developing talent, are not exempt from the same reversals that beset other teams. Pitching is the most volatile area of the game, and those who have been quick to proclaim the A’s trio of Tim Hudson, Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-766696022002-05-17T12:49:00.000-07:002002-05-17T12:49:06.010-07:00Wright throws White Sox's second shutout of year. In his last start, he gave up 8 runs in 2 2/3 innings. (ESPN.com)
Gary Huckabay on the likelihood of a long work stoppage: "Don't expect either side to back down. The owners have more room to retreat than the players do, but they're not leaning that way at this point in time, and they have a pretty impressive war chest built up to minimize Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-766214282002-05-16T08:19:00.000-07:002002-05-16T14:16:47.000-07:00Derek Zumsteg: "[W]hen we look at contraction candidates we should look at local political power above all things. If we want to look for serious contraction candidates, look for clubs that are getting tons of money from baseball's back-asswards revenue sharing plan, and don't have the political muscle of Florida--that is, in less-populous states. There are two: the Twins, if they don't get a Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-765333972002-05-14T07:05:00.000-07:002002-05-14T12:52:57.000-07:00Jay Mariotti: "Kerry Wood is tired of Don Baylor's sleepwalk act. So am I. Sometimes, what baseball purists consider the easy way out--fire the manager!--is genuinely the right thing to do." (Chicago Sun-Times)
Schilling fans 11; Pirates' Benson knocked around. (ESPN.com)
Schilling (W, 8-1): 7 4 0 0 0 11.
Benson (L, 0-1): 3.2 10 9 7 2 1.
Canseco retires, gives up pursuit of 500 homers. (Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-765095992002-05-13T14:24:00.000-07:002002-05-13T14:24:55.696-07:00Chris Kahrl's Transaction Analysis for April 30 - May 11. "This just isn't the Blue Jays' six weeks, is it now? J.P. Ricciardi's two most tradable commodities going into the season were Chris Carpenter and Shannon Stewart, and he's lost both of them at the same time as the team went into the tank in the early going...So the contingencies of how much more building the Jays can do this season justPete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-763964192002-05-10T07:19:00.000-07:002002-05-10T13:07:17.000-07:00Chat wrap with Joe Sheehan. "[Nick] Johnson is still getting comfortable at the plate, and he doesn't seem to be the same hitter from at-bat to at-bat. If left alone, he will work through this and be the hitter he's projected to be, but it will take time and patience. I think he'll lose his job with the Yankees soon; whether he gets traded, or just demoted, is the question. The former is likely.Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-763513912002-05-09T11:17:00.000-07:002002-05-09T11:17:32.073-07:00Streaking Red Sox dash to eighth straight victory. The Red Sox continue to beat up on the doormats of the AL: the Baltimores, the Kansas Citys, the Tampas, the Oaklands...we'll see what happens when they get some real competition. (ESPN.com)
Joe Sheehan on how the big off-season trades are turning out. (ESPN.com)Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-763068062002-05-08T08:40:00.000-07:002002-05-08T09:04:25.000-07:00Red Sox hold off A's to win 7th straight. Pedro Martinez had a rough outing, though. (ESPN.com)
Wood fires complete-game, four-hitter as Cubs roll. Shhh, here come the Cubs. They've won 5 out of 6, and are in a virtual tie with the Cardinals, 1 game behind the Astros, and only 5 1/2 games out of first. (ESPN.com)
Royals tell White he won't be hired as manager. Allard Baird: "We felt the Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-762619222002-05-07T07:16:00.000-07:002002-05-14T07:54:29.000-07:00Jockbeat from the Village Voice. J. Yeh on the Mariners: "On top of an attitude worthy of B.A. Baracus, [Piniella] has style: Regardless of the weather, he sports a bomber jacket zipped up to the neck, thereby resembling a supersized walking marshmallow." Also, Billy Altman on Frank Robinson and the Expos.
Baseball wants to review documents from Star Tribune. "Major League Baseball is askingPete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-761226202002-05-03T08:57:00.000-07:002002-05-03T08:59:55.000-07:00Cameron hits four HRs in first five innings. Amazing. (ESPN.com)
Chris Dankberg on players who lose their skills overnight, permanently, for no apparent age- or injury-related reason. Classic example: Dale Murphy. Latest example(?): Tim Salmon. (Baseball Prospectus)
Joe Sheehan takes a look around the AL. "Be concerned: the White Sox have three starters striking out fewer than six men Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-760796302002-05-02T07:25:00.000-07:002002-05-02T08:20:10.000-07:00Neagle chills Pirates as Rockies' Hurdle stays unbeaten. Five and O, baby. All five games have been at Coors, and the Rockies have given up a total of 9 runs. (Rocky Mountain News)
Chris Kahrl's Transaction Analysis for April 25-29. "I'm a little surprised to see that Art Howe is locked down for another year. It's undoubtedly a reflection of my own mental habits, or the ruts into which my Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-760489282002-05-01T12:24:00.000-07:002002-05-01T12:24:27.840-07:00Tom Tippett on strange and unusual innings, 1978-2001. (ESPN.com)
Hampton KOs Pirates, wins first game this season. The Rockies are now 4-0 under Clint Hurdle. (ESPN.com)
Mike Berardino: "Is Charles Johnson finished? He is a two-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner. He doesn't turn 31 until July and is signed up through 2005, but a ton of miles are on his body's odometer." (Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-760126462002-04-30T13:47:00.000-07:002002-04-30T13:52:23.000-07:00Rob Neyer on Tony Muser's firing. "If you want to feel sorry for somebody, feel sorry for the baseball fans in Kansas City. They've not only had to put up with 431 losses since July 9, 1997, but now there's a very real danger that their team won't even exist a year or three from now." (Baseball Prospectus)
Joe Sheehan on Tony Muser's firing. "The teams that have dumped their managers this Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-759751472002-04-29T13:42:00.000-07:002002-04-29T13:43:24.000-07:00Chris Kahrl's Transaction Analysis for April 23-24. "As it turns out, Jung Bong only had to make one start...The only thing we really know is that Bong got major leaguers out and didn't do too shabby, and that Chipper Jones doesn't seem comfortable in left field just yet." (Baseball Prospectus)
Doug Pappas had a conversation with Bud Selig. Selig tried to rebut some of the things that Pappas Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-758548552002-04-26T10:40:00.000-07:002002-04-26T10:40:39.046-07:00Vizquel: Belle's bats were corked. (ESPN.com)
Belle: Were not! (ESPN.com)
Pedro dominates Orioles. (ESPN.com)
Diamondbacks dominate Maddux. (ESPN.com)Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-758193082002-04-25T12:40:00.000-07:002002-04-25T12:42:27.000-07:00Avoiding Dissonance. Excellent article by Jonah Keri on understanding (not necessarily excusing) the seemingly irrational moves that GMs often make. (Baseball Prospectus)
Joe Sheehan watched a Royals/Tigers game, and enjoyed it. "By the way, anybody who thinks the Royals' problem is Kauffman Stadium is nuts. That is one beautiful ballpark, arguably the best one to open in the 20-odd years Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-757766362002-04-24T11:50:00.000-07:002002-04-24T13:16:38.000-07:00Turn down the music! Paul Shuey says that the Indians' clubhouse is happier now that Kenny Lofton isn't there, playing awful music. Rob Neyer retorts: "If one is searching for actual evidence that the Indians are better off without Lofton because he was disruptive in the clubhouse, one will have a tough chore, considering that they won all those division titles even with him and his crappy Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-756905422002-04-22T09:36:00.000-07:002002-04-22T09:36:28.793-07:00Chris Kahrl's Transaction Analysis for April 16-17. "As for John Rocker, well, among John Hart's missteps, I wouldn't hold Rocker too much against him. He didn't take much to get, and you're talking about a lefty who pumps gas in the mid-90s. Why not take a flyer? It didn't work out in the early going, but little ventured for nothing gained isn't the end of the world." (Baseball Prospectus)
Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-755825782002-04-19T05:39:00.000-07:002002-04-19T13:01:48.000-07:00'Village idiot' lays groundwork for Bud to fold up Blue Jays. Unbelievable. This is a team that has won two World Series in the last 10 years, and used to draw 4 million fans a year. Who's next? The Dodgers? (Toronto Star)
Rob Neyer on pitchers over the age of 45. Jesse Orosco turns 45 this week. (ESPN.com)
Bill Simmons: "Believe me, when I heard Disney was making a baseball movie Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-755443982002-04-18T06:05:00.000-07:002002-04-18T06:05:36.650-07:00Chris Kahrl's Transaction Analysis for April 14-15. "As [Mike] Trombley illustrates, public perception of your value hinges on whether or not they think you're a closer or you're short the 'c.' Trombley was never really either of those things, and it's an open question about whether either really exists in baseball. He was, and is, a useful big-league reliever. He'll help the Twins at the Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-755035512002-04-17T06:25:00.000-07:002002-04-17T08:33:31.000-07:00Bob Halloran: "My parents went to a couple of spring trainings, and my mom gave me a baseball that has the signatures of Carl Yastrzemski, Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, Jim Rice and Bob Stanley on it. If I could somehow get Stanley's name off it, the ball might be worth something." (ESPN.com)
John Bonnes looks at the Indians' hot start from a Twins fan's perspective. (Twins Takes)
After latestPete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-754741112002-04-16T12:36:00.000-07:002002-04-16T12:36:45.830-07:00Chris Kahrl's Transaction Analysis for April 11-13. "In terms of losing a player, I don't know if there's a tougher loss to take for the Mariners than losing Edgar Martinez." (Baseball Prospectus)
Joe Sheehan: "Giants not named Barry Bonds are hitting .239/.306/.340. Heck, it's actually worse than that, because Giants' pitchers are hitting .385/.448/.577. The Giants open a 12-game road trip [Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-754305522002-04-15T11:10:00.000-07:002002-04-15T11:24:51.000-07:00Joe Sheehan: "As much as I love watching Pedro Martinez pitch, I just cannot believe that he will give the Sox enough this season to push them over the top. In fact, given that his contract expires after the 2003 season, I believe the Sox would be best served to shut him down, allow him to undergo surgery, and try and bring him back a year from now." (Baseball Prospectus)
Gary Huckabay has Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-753236982002-04-12T06:22:00.000-07:002002-04-15T06:13:08.000-07:00Rob Neyer on Bill James's Win Shares book. (ESPN)
Here's a Clutch Hits thread on the topic, with input from Neyer. (Baseball Primer)
Taiwan's baseball cleans up its game. "Around 6,000 screaming fans crammed into a compact stadium on the outskirts of Taipei last Saturday to watch a baseball match. It is a scene that would have been barely possible just a few years ago, after a series of Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-752027422002-04-09T06:06:00.000-07:002002-04-09T06:11:47.000-07:00Joe Sheehan: "Take this with a grain of salt, but it certainly appears to me that the changes to the strike zone that we saw last year have disappeared." (Baseball Prospectus)
The Week in Quotes from Baseball Prospectus.Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-751625472002-04-08T06:53:00.000-07:002002-04-08T13:57:15.000-07:00Baker's Dozen: The week in preview. "On Thursday, September 26, the Yankees host Tampa Bay for the final home game of the season. That night, I want everyone who booed [Jason Giambi last week] and chanted for Tino to go out to Yankee Stadium and chant 'Sorry! Sorry!' every time Giambi steps to the plate. I will bet any Yankee fan who booed him on Friday that, at the end of the 2002 season, Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-750719922002-04-05T06:12:00.000-08:002002-04-05T08:05:00.000-08:002002 All-Haiku Baseball Preview Spectacular from Ken Goldstein. A sample:
Boston Red Sox
Not quite another
Spahn and Sain and pray for rain.
Try Pedro and floods.
Rangers end A's 20-game home win streak. They scored 5 runs in the 6th after A-Rod was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game. (ESPN)
Thomson, Rockies hold Cardinals' bats at bay. Andy Benes continues to struggle. (ESPN)Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-114528982002-04-04T06:40:00.000-08:002002-04-05T06:15:39.000-08:00Finley's wife arrested on spousal abuse charges. "Actress Tawny Kitaen, wife of Cleveland Indians pitcher Chuck Finley, was charged Wednesday with spousal abuse and battery for allegedly attacking her husband…If convicted of the two misdemeanor counts, she faces up to a year in jail and a $6,000 fine." (ESPN)
Countdown to the 40th anniversary of the 1962 Colt .45s. Former Astros broadcaster Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-114142032002-04-03T06:17:00.000-08:002002-04-03T06:17:54.500-08:00Power players: Plenty of young pop in NL Central. Andy Latack on Lance Berkman, J. D. Drew and Adam Dunn. (ESPN)
Chris Kahrl on today's class of third basemen. (ESPN)
Chat wrap with Rob Neyer. "Bobby Hill's going to be a good major leaguer, but he spent last season in Class AA and his stats there weren't that good. So a few months in Triple-A wouldn't hurt." I can't read or hear the name 'Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-113779562002-04-02T07:22:00.000-08:002002-04-02T12:00:10.000-08:00Mac Thomason analyzes the 2002 Braves' hitters and pitchers. "How many 37-year-old baseball players are still in the majors? Very few. How many who were never stars, or even regulars? Very very few. Keith Lockhart is the only one, to my knowledge, who still has a chance at a job after ripping his manager for not giving him enough playing time after declining for years and during a season in Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-112566532002-03-29T12:09:00.000-08:002002-03-29T12:25:44.000-08:00Team win totals contest. Pick seven teams and predict how they will do against the Las Vegas over-under line. My picks: Yankees – under 99, White Sox - over 89, Mets – under 90.5, Astros – over 88.5, Giants – under 89, Dodgers – under 84, Rockies – over 77. (Baseball Primer)
Derek Zumsteg: "The cure for hopeless franchises is not to reward them for driving themselves into the ground. It's Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-112154922002-03-28T08:58:00.000-08:002002-03-28T09:07:49.000-08:00Chris Kahrl's Transaction Analysis for March 19-25. "The Dodgers seem to have overlooked that [Jesse] Orosco wasn't any good in the situational job last year, and they're asking for trouble if try and rely on him to get people like Barry Bonds or Todd Helton or Larry Walker or Ryan Klesko. When he's brought in to face Sean Burroughs, he'll be facing somebody who was born in Orosco's third year Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-111779652002-03-27T09:15:00.000-08:002002-03-27T09:15:55.000-08:00Joe Sheehan (Baseball Prospectus) reports from Arizona:
Day Zero. "[A]s what we've been doing influences the mainstream, we'll have to make an effort to enhance our work with the insider information we've at times disdained. Being dismissive of it is just as bad as the beat writer who dismisses OBP or the national columnist who derides statheads."
Day One. "The one A's left-handed hitter who Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-111507562002-03-26T14:32:00.000-08:002002-03-26T14:32:29.183-08:00Art Martone on the 2002 Red Sox, numbers 33 (Jason Varitek) through 37 (Frank Castillo). "There's no reason to think [Darren] Oliver is anything more than what he's been for the last several years in Texas. His OPS allowed last year was .881, which means the average guy in the batter's box hit like Trot Nixon when Oliver was on the mound." (Providence Journal)Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-111074142002-03-25T11:38:00.000-08:002002-03-25T11:38:03.403-08:00Art Martone on the 2002 Red Sox, numbers 31 (Dustin Hermanson) and 32 (Derek Lowe). "[Y]ou can't help but reach the conclusion -- or at least I can't -- that Joe Kerrigan did the right thing when he made a starter out of Lowe last September...Six or seven front-of-the-game innings from Derek Lowe are more valuable than the one, end-of-the-game inning he was capable of providing. (Providence Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571988.post-109706532002-03-21T07:14:00.000-08:002002-03-21T13:01:10.000-08:00Chris Kahrl's Transaction Analysis for March 14-18. "[Juan] Pierre is a player that we should all enjoy watching, both on the visceral 'watch that waterbug skitter on the bases' level, and on the lofty theoretical level of seeing what a player with his ability to run and make contact can do on Planet Coors." (Baseball Prospectus)
Joe Sheehan picks the Cardinals to win the NL Central. (Pete Sommersnoreply@blogger.com