Tuesday morning Rangers stuff
by Adam J. Morris on Dec 29, 2009 10:34 AM CST
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PrintNothing out there really of note this morning.
Sorry.
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This
is funny.
Well said.
"...like some Russian priest fresh off a bottle of potato vodka and a box of cigars." -t ball
by rangerdanger on Dec 29, 2009 2:01 PM CST up reply actions
Jaques Taylor on 1st take
He was in the middle of saying how the Eagles are better than Cowboys..then the lights just went out in studio..heh..
COWBOYS COWBOYS COWBOYS FOOTBALL FOOTBALL FOOTBALL
Give me team chemistry and emotion over stats any day. Do you think 34,000 Ranger fans were screaming their asses off over Pudge and his .275 OBP?
I watched the ESPN Images of the Decade (in a Fan Shot)...
But I’m at work, so no sound, but when they cut to certain press conference moments, I can just hear the audio so clear in my head with them saying:
“I’m a man! And I’m 40!”
“Practice?!”
“They are who we thought they were!”
“We play to win the game!”
“Playoffs? Playoffs?!”
Funny stuff.
ah jim mora...
that press conference will always be my favorite one of all time
that man was a genius
Fuck Mike Estabrook
I was in a Fantasy Football league, and our names were all of the above, minus practice, since it was basketball.
I was Playoffs? Playoffs?!
Lisa, if the Bible has taught us nothing else - and it hasn't - it's that girls should stick to girls' sports, such as hot-oil wrestling, foxy boxing, and such-and-such.
Rock Flag & Eagle Radio: Thursdays, 10 PM - 1 AM, on FM 88.7 The Choice, or online @ ktcu.net!
I was in a league last year and had a guy named
I touchdown there
We need to not always make hard work out of sex- Rick Carlisle.
Nolan and JD are on the same page in this picture.
But it appears that Harden is in a world of his own.
"Nothing we do here has a point" - Czar Morris
by inactive lsb user on Dec 29, 2009 11:11 AM CST reply actions
Bunch of chicken littles around here.
After spending a lot of time at work and with family the last several days, I caught up yesterday reading through hundreds of comments on Garland, etc. and was not surprised to see a stridently negative tone about the offseason. You’re all a bunch of chicken littles. The sky is not falling. In fact, I’m quite optimistic. Despite the curse of Hicks, the Rangers are having a fair offseason.
I’ve seen several people here post that Millwood + Harden >>>> Harden without Millwood. Ok, whatever. We already have Millwood’s replacement on the staff and his name is Tommy Hunter. I’ll eat my hat if Hunter isn’t just as good as Millwood in 2010, and he might just pitch more innings (the deaf, dumb and blind kid pitched over 180 in 2009). The kid’s a horse that is a good bet to put up the same FIP, xFIP, tRA, etc. as Millwood or better. And cheaper. To sum up, Hunter + Harden >>>>> (and cheaper) than Millwood + Harden.
On Derek Holland: I couldn’t believe people saying he was rushed and/or won’t be that good. I not going to count on him being great, but his peripherals last year were much better than his ERA showed (4.38 xFIP, solid K/BB ratio and rates). Derek Holland will spend all of 2010 in the Rangers rotation and we’ll be glad he did.
On Jon Garland: First of all, it’s just a rumor. Second of all, he’s stable, an assett with so many young players of great variability. Thirdly, he’s likely to sign elsewhere for more money than the Rangers will want to spend for him. If he comes cheaply on a one year deal there is nothing wrong with signing him.
On DH (or the lefty-smashing hitter who seems to have almost magical division winning powers in the eyes of most here): The market is terrible for these guys, there will be cheap choices later in the offseason, and Glaus and Nick Johnson are not the only games in town and probably didn’t want to come here anyway. The Rangers offense has a few guys who are good bets to regress in a good direction in 2010. The DH signing is not going to make or break the offense. Darren Oliver, meh, like Garland, he’s the stable guy in a variable bunch, I don’t have a problem with it. I know the limited resources argument, but again, cheap DHs abound and it is not really going to matter.
Seattle has improved, perhaps, but they still look like an 80-85 win team to me. The Rangers pitching will likely be as good or better in 2010. The only bat that should fall back a bit is Borbon. You’ll be hard pressed to convince me that any area of the team will be worse than last year.
I should have just made a fanpost, sorry for the length.
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by t ball on Dec 29, 2009 11:15 AM CST reply actions 6 recs
x
That’s a very lovely story and you tell it so well, with such enthusiasm.
by MikeEl on Dec 29, 2009 11:27 AM CST up reply actions 3 recs
I missed...
a few days as well with the holiday and have pretty much the same feelings as you.
What bugs me the most is how some have turned on Holland so quickly. People say they don’t expect him to come up and dominate, but then when he comes up and struggles a little they jump all over him and don’t even want him in the rotation for ‘10. I just don’t get it. The kid showed flashes of brilliance last year. Was he inconsistent? Yes, most rookies are. I would put him in the #5 starter slot and leave him there all year. He will take his bumps, but the kid is going to be good.
I hope you’re right about the Rangers bats too. I’m a little afraid that MY and Nellie could slide a little and unless Hamilton, Davis, and Kinsler have better years that could be very bad for this teams offense.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
Tis the season
for those kind of baseball discussions. I agree with you that an inordinate amount of hand-ringing has been going on over Oliver, Garland and the RH-ed half of the DH platoon, but that probably speaks as much to the fact that people miss baseball and talking/debating about something.
Millwood is going to make that trade look reasonable all by himself, and it’s not going to take good years from Hunter or a signing like Garland to make up for him. I bet the wheels really fall off for him this year – those peripherals don’t lie, and he won’t have a plus defense behind him.
The real issue with Oliver or Garland just comes down to use of resources. But we can’t really have a complete discussion about the resources until we’re sure they’re ‘done.’ And I don’t think that really happens this year, even going into ST.
I am willing to bet that JD knows the offense needs something extra, and he’s just not happy with any of the FA options. I would not be surprised to see a package built on pitching going to KC for Butler or a similar trade. And I bet it’s a trade direction they continue to pursue all year if the ST doesn’t happen.
Feel better?
I tend to agree. My frustration thus far is only that the Rangers aren’t the odds on favorite in the West. I fully expect they will be improved in all aspects, except defense which even if not improved should still be very good.
SP seem very likely to rank in the top half of the AL. RP is always a crap shoot, but could be top 5, and everything would have to go very, very, very bad to be bottom 5.
I’m also certain there is still the potential for a surprise trade for DH or TORP, as the FA market begins to wind down in Jan.
It still hurts that the Rangers didn’t get Purke and they weren’t able to fill in that lost opportunity from the international FA market. To me, that’s probably the worst thing that’s happened over the past half-year. Yet, there are a number of prospects that could take a significant jump during this next year, which leaves me optimistic not only for next year but 3-5 years beyond.
In fact, it’s possible at this time next year that Ross and Main could be in that top tier where Feliz, Perez, Sceppers, and Smoak reside. The year after that, we may be talking about Telis or David Perez or Edwin Escobar in that tier (or maybe even Purke as a super sophomore who slipped due to signability and was bought away from TCU).
So, yeah, the Rangers aren’t the odds on favorite in the West in the year they publicly stated was their target for competitiveness. They’re dang close and they look to have a sustainable run of success on the way.
Pro baseball has always been a dream, so this is pretty freakin’ cool out here. -- Tim Steggall, undrafted Rangers minor leaguer.
welcome back
On Hunter and Millwood: Hunter ay well pitch as good as Millwood in 2010 but the question is will Hunter pitch as well in 2010 as Millwood did in 2009? Just like Lee in Seattle. Sure hes better than Bedard and Washburn but in 09 those two had unbelievable years so the actual improvement over what they gave Seattle is little to none.
On Holland: I know I was in that argument yesterday. The question isn’t whether he will be good in 2010 or in his career but in 2009 was he rushed. I believe the answer is yes. Yes his peripherals and FIPs and shit say he should have been better but he wasn’t. Just like we don’t have to replace Millwoods FIP or tRA or whatever we have to replace his actual performance with Holland his actual performance was worse than his peripherals. That tells me he will get better but looking back had he spent an extra month or so in the minors in 2009 he may have performed better in 2009.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
He wasn't rushed!
He was hurried. :)
The question on Holland in 2010 will be: Does he take a step forward like Hunter did in ’09 or will he spin his wheels like Harrison did in 2009?
|Space for Rent|
I still don't get
why people think that it’s near impossible that Lee will do BETTER than Bedard and Washburn did in 2009.
Assuming their defense stays the same which isn’t that far-fetched, and Lee stays the same which is also not far-fetched, you could expect King Felix 2009-like numbers for Lee which is better than what Bedard and Washburn put up.
Lee had almost exactly the same FIP as Felix had last year, and he was BETTER in 2008.
Lee is quite possibly not just treading water for the Mariners….
R
Well
Bedard gave them 83 innings last year with a 2.89 ERA. Washburn gave them 133 innings with a 2.64 ERA. For Lee to match that, he’s going to have to repeat his 2008 which just isn’t likely to happen.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
Check out
King Felix’s 2009 stats.
And tell me Lee has to match his 2008 to match that.
R
And by that
I mean Bedard’s and Washburn’s stats.
R
Uhh
Over 210 innings of ~2.75 ERA.
Cliff Lee in 2008 was 2.54 ERA in over 220 IP. So yeah he will have to pretty much duplicate his 2008 to match what Washburn and Bedard gave them last year
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
Uhh
2.54 ERA < 2.89 + 2.64 ERA
That’s doing better.
Also,
0.712 > 0.694/0.681 (Defensive efficiency of SEA vs. PHI/CLE in 2009)
97 < 102/98 (Park factors averaged from last 3 years for SEA vs. PHI/CLE)
In 2009
Felix – 3.09 FIP leading to a 2.49 ERA in 238 IP
Lee – 3.11 FIP
You have to factor in how the defense and home park will affect a pitcher if you want to talk about pitcher results. And, if you look at it, if Lee pitches the same as last year in front of the same Seattle defense, he will be an UPGRADE over Bedard and Washburn results, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE LUCKY…..
R
OK
His stats say he should be able to duplicate or come close to what those guys gave them. But even if he does its a wash and have they actually improved their team? If he beats them by a small margin how much improvement is that? If they make the playoffs its a improvement because in a one game span Lee is way better than Bedard or Washburn but over the 162 game season how much does Lee impact that team that Bedard and Washburn didn’t impact it in 2009? I don’t think its much.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
Ummmm
2.49 ERA is SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER than 2.89 + 2.64 or around 2.75….
R
Over the course of a season...
…it is 5-6 runs.
by Adam J. Morris on Dec 29, 2009 1:37 PM CST up reply actions
Over 200+ innings you are talking about a handful of runs
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
Point is
that it’s BETTER. 1/2 a win better too.
That’s not treading water. And that’s assuming he doesn’t go 2008 on us.
If he goes 2008, that’s likely another 1/2 win to 1 1/2 wins.
R
OK so they are a half win better than last year
Thats not a significant improvement
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
okay
Other than assuming that Lee pitches exactly as well as he did last season at the age of 31 and that the Seattle defense will be as strong as it was last season, you’re still not getting much of an improvement in performance. And that is if everything works out as perfectly as you think it will.
In reality, part of Lee’s stats in 2009 were the result of pitching in the NL which you don’t take into account with park factors or defensive efficiency. In the AL, he had a 3.25 FIP last season and a 2.83 FIP in his career year (worse xFIPs in both seasons). Seattle’s defense and Safeco Field aren’t going to make it a guarantee that he is able to have yet another a career year
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
Errrm
Did I say guarantee?
I asked why do people discount the possibility that Lee will be better to near the point of nothingness?
Sure, there’s also the AL/NL conversion, but the point is that he DID perform at a near King Felix level, and yet for some reason, people think that at BEST he will be “treading water” for Seattle.
My point is that’s not the best case scenario for Seattle, NOT that I guarantee he will produce better than Washburn and Bedard did combined.
I’m going to stop responding to the bigsteve because frankly it’s not worth my time, but I still don’t get why other people seem to buy into the poo-poo-ing on Seattle’s moves, in general.
R
Nobodys poo pooing their moves I don't think
But when you look past the surface and look past the fact they got the name Cliff Lee its not a huge improvement from their 2009 team. Go find where someone said theres no way he could do better than Bedard and Washburn did. Nobody said that. We’ve said its unlikely which I think is the right wording but nobody said it won’t happen. And even if it does happen its not such an improvement that it puts them from a 80 win team to a 90-95 win team. Its a marginal upgrade over what they had for the regular season. Now if they get to the postseason its a huge upgrade.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
I discount it because its not likely to happen
The point is, that he only performed at that level last season in the NL.
Cliff Lee with the Indians in 2009:
FIP: 3.25
xFIP: 3.95
tRA: 3.97
Felix Hernandez in 2009:
FIP: 3.09
xFIP: 3.42
tRA: 3.31
You are now bringing Lee into a better situation, but he’s a year older and just didn’t perform that well in the AL last season. Lee pitching as well as Felix did last season is his best case scenario the same way that Holland’s best case scenario this season is to pitch like Tim Lincecum. That’s obviously exaggerating, but the Mariners got great performances from their pitching last season and Lee will have to be at his best just to match that.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
Except that's NOT Lee's best
The year before, Lee had:
FIP: 2.83
xFIP: 3.57
tRA: 3.19
IN THE AL.
That’s BETTER than Felix’s year last year.
And Felix’s performance was a 1/2 a WIN BETTER THAN BEDARD’S AND WASHBURN’S RESULTS.
So, if Lee performs at your definitiion of his best, he will be BETTER THAN Bedard’s and Washburn’s RESULTS.
That combined with Figgins’s potential upgrade and Bradley’s potential upgrade is no small amount.
R
Well....
actually, technically it is a small amount. As < 10 is usually small.
But that’s pretty significant at this scale.
R
You have baseball men on your side:
Will (MI): Was the move to Seattle a good one for Cliff Lee? He’s going back to the AL, but also getting out of a bandbox.
Joe Sheehan: Every pitcher alive should want to pitch for the Mariners. He and Felix could go Koufax/Drysdale on the league next year.
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
Now Lee is 2 years older than when he put up those numbers
Could it happen…sure
Whats the likelihood though? 10%…15%
Thats why we are saying its not likely
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
Well I'm not talking about Figgins or Bradley
I do think they help the team out but that’s another thing.
So like I said above, Lee is going to have to repeat his 2008 career year when he is now on the wrong side of 30 for him to be an improvement over what Bedard/Washburn gave them. You might think that he has a halfway decent chance of doing that. I clearly don’t. I think Lee is going to have a hard time giving the Mariners what they got from that duo last year and wont’ surpass that.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
Hunter DID pitch as well as Millwood in 2009.
Hunter had a nearly identical xFIP, and better marks in FIP and tRA than Millwood. Holland was not rushed. He was exactly as inconsistent as I would expect a young pitcher to be. A month or two probably wouldn’t have made much difference.
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Hunter SHOULD have pitched as well as Millwood in 2009
He was about half a run worse in ERA and over 80 innings less than Millwood. If he can lower his ERA to the mid 3’s and pitch almost 200 innings then we are probably going to be really really good.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
No, no, no.
ERA is NOT a good measure of a pitcher’s performance, nor is it a good predictor of performance. Stop using ERA to describe how good/bad, etc. Millwood was.
If Hunter does exactly what he did last year (except pitch all of his 180+innings in the majors) he will have been at least as good as Millwood was in 2009. ERA doesn’t mean shit.
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hehe
Does FIP tell you how many runs Millwood allowed?
Whether it was luck or whatever ERA tells you how many runs Millwood allowed to score which is relevant. Would he duplicate that performance in 2010…not likely. But he did it in 2009 and thats what we have to replace. Hunters advanced stats tell me he could be as good as Millwood was in 2009 but I think its asking alot to expect him to pitch an additional 80 innings while lowering his ERA a half run.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
I surrender
to the futility of arguing this point with you.
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by t ball on Dec 29, 2009 1:35 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
ugh
at the end of the day ERA IS useful when used appropriately
Despite the fact that sabre people have sworn it off, ERA actually tells you how ultimately effective a pitcher was at run prevention (in regards to the team too obviously). Yes, it is beyond shitty as a predictor, but that is not what is being discussed. ERA serves as a natural representation for runs allowed.
I know it is painful, but ERA is not as shitty as some would lead you to believe
Fuck Mike Estabrook
It IS what is being discussed.
Read my first post. I was predicting that Hunter would be as good or better than Millwood in 2010. ERA has far less predictive value than xFIP or tRA. Don’t join an argument in the middle unless you’re going to address the right point.
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ouch...let me refute this statement though
i know what you were arguing and i agree with you…but perhaps you should learn to reread what you write
you stated that ERA is not a good measure of a pitchers performance. At the end of the day that just is not true. Millwood is a perfect example, despite the fact that Millwood was average in his pitching, and the fact that he will suck this year, his actual performance in regards to utility was fairly good last year
a mid 3 ERA says that…true, it does not say that he pitched particularly well, but it does say that he prevented runs from scoring
If a team sports a mid 3 ERA they will still win even if the pitchers are rolling the ball to the plate
Fuck Mike Estabrook
ERA...
is a good indicator of what a pitcher was able to do that year. I wouldn’t use it to predict or expect what a pitcher will do in subsequent seasons though. Do you expect Millwood to win anymore ERA titles? Use ERA to explain past performances, not what a pitcher is likely to continue to do. xFIP or tRA are much better indicators of that.
In the end, did Millwood have a good 2009? Sure. Do I expect him to repeat that performance? No. That’s what t is getting at and what the bottom line is here. 2009 is done. Chances are that if Millwood pitched like he did in ‘09 again he wouldn’t have an ERA in the mid 3’s.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
ERA is not a good measure of pitcher's performance
Because it does not measure a pitcher’s performance. What it measures is how many earned runs a pitcher gave up while he was on the mound or left runners on base in the middle of an inning. It is a combination of the pitcher and his defense and sometimes how his bullpen performs.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
I am aware of that
but at the same time…irregardless of any of the bullshit…ERA will tell you what a pitcher accomplished (in the big picture). It is a shitty predictive stat, but it does tell what he did (and the team) accomplished in run prevention.
Doesnt mean shit about the future…but it can speak for the past
Fuck Mike Estabrook
irregardless is not a word
and ERA is not a good measure of a pitcher’s performance.
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by t ball on Dec 29, 2009 11:16 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
ERA is not a good measure of a pitcher’s performance
Not alone it isn’t. But, it conjunction with other stats it tells part of the story.
|Space for Rent|
But since it is affected by other factors
that have nothing to do with the pitcher’s performance, how can you use it as a measure of a pitcher’s performance? Do you think RBIs are a measure of a hitter’s performance, too?
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
I'm going to say no at least one more time
because I just can’t believe you’re using ERA like that. Millwood did not “pitch better” than his peripherals because his ERA was much lower than his FIP, xFIP, and tRA. Hunter did not pitch worse than Millwood because his ERA wasn’t as shiny.
Go to stat jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200, just go.
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Im not saying who pitched better
Only who was more successful. Whether it be luck or whatever Millwood didn’t allow runs like Hunter did. When you boil it down thats the main goal is to not allow runs. Everything points to Hunter being just as good if not better than Millwood but he has to turn that into actual performance before it makes a difference. Derek Holland had good FIPs and shit last year but when it came down to performance on the field he allowed alot of runs. Im sorry but ERA does have its relevance and when you are talking about replacing someones performance thats what you have to replace. You don’t have to replace their FIP or tRA or anything you have to replace how effective they were at keeping guys from scoring runs.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
You know those Charlie Brown cartoons
where he just gives up and turns away yelling “Aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrgghhhhh!!!!!”? That’s me.
Except I can’t give up. One more try. I will quote you:
Everything points to Hunter being just as good if not better than Millwood
Ding ding ding ding ding ding ding!!!!! That’s the whole point. We’re talking about predictive value going forward into 2010. Millwood’s 2009 ERA doesn’t mean shit when we’re trying to replace what MILLWOOD IS LIKELY TO DO IN 2010.
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You have been arguing that Hunter will do better than Millwood did in 2009
Hunter DID pitch as well as Millwood in 2009.
If Hunter does exactly what he did last year (except pitch all of his 180+innings in the majors) he will have been at least as good as Millwood was in 2009
If you now want to change that to who would be better in 2010 im not gonna argue. I think Millwood would have regressed had he stayed here. Not as much as some people but I don’t think he would be a mid 3’s ERA guy. I think Hunter will put up a 2010 similar to what Millwood would have put up had he not been traded.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
Go read my first post one more time.
My point was that Hunter would be as good or better than Millwood in 2010. From my first post:
I’ll eat my hat if Hunter isn’t just as good as Millwood in 2010
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yes
And my reply said Hunter may well be as good as Millwood in 2010 but I don’t think he duplicates Millwoods 2009
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
You are such a beating
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
by Rodney on Dec 30, 2009 1:28 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
baseball, it's a talking sport
I don’t know what else you’d expect from the crowd here, over-reaction is what we do. And we do it well.
What a drag it is being broke.
And if I'd have been posting more
I probably would have jumped right in.
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I'm glad someone is optimistic....because I'm still not excited yet.
By the way…..what kind of hat are we talking about??
Wash is an idiot!!
we were the 4th best team in the AL last year
A couple of marginal improvements takes us to an exciting September. Don’t give up just yet!
What a drag it is being broke.
Good point that should always be remembered
It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops.
Possible areas which might be worse
Young’s hitting
Borbon’s hitting (as you mentioned)
Replacement for Byrd (big since we don’t have ANYONE signed as a replacement)
Kinsler going the way of Blalock
Cruz possibly
Defense in general
Health in general…..
Your resident pessimist
R
but according to george dunham on the ticket
you cant just replace marlon byrd!!
"I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it." - Mitch Hedberg
I guess
I’m being more affected by the anti-Borbon talk I’m hearing from management.
So, I guess if you’re optimistic that Borbon will be the replacement, I guess you can combine the Borbon/Byrd area.
You forgot the...
R.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
by slc ranger on Dec 29, 2009 6:16 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
He must be an imposter
I mean, that is why you would put the R there right? So that we know it’s really you and not someone else?
Give me team chemistry and emotion over stats any day. Do you think 34,000 Ranger fans were screaming their asses off over Pudge and his .275 OBP?
It has to be right?
I mean if he didn’t how would we know it’s really him?
B
Josey Wales born on LSB July 18, 2006 Jumped the shark--That glorious day in 2008. RIP Josey Wales.
In the interest of quicker games Ron should just tell the ump he's pulling the Feliz card and the ump should rule the inning over.--Sherman McCoy on Sept. 4, 2009
by boomer1 on Dec 29, 2009 7:46 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I'm glad I wasn't the only one waiting for this to happen.
I knew he would slip, at some point.
"Nothing we do here has a point" - Czar Morris
by inactive lsb user on Dec 29, 2009 9:12 PM CST up reply actions
True, mostly
but I don’t expect Young to regress downward as much as the Hamilton-Davis duo has room to regress upward. I’m betting on Kinsler being as productive as he was in 2009. His defense might come down a bit. I expect Cruz to be pretty close.
Health was pretty bad for some guys in 2009, so I don’t expect that to be worse.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
I expect MY's value in 2010 to be about the same as 2009
Any regression at the plate will likely be made up in the field. He wasn’t as bad at 3B as his total 2009 UZR indicates.
|Space for Rent|
also replacement for Vizquel
Utility player isn’t the most important thing in the world, but that is one area that we will almost assuredly lose ground from last season.
What a drag it is being broke.
How much will that hurt the team though?
I loved what he gave the team defensively, but by the end of the season he was a below replacement level offensive player. Improvement from Young at 3B and Andrus playing more often will take care of the defense we lose from Vizquel. As long as there are no major injuries to the IF, the Rangers won’t lose much there.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
replacing Vizquel w/ Arias
would probably be about 2, maybe 3 wins. That is based on my assumption that Arias is a below replacement level player.
I think that is significant. And any DL time for any of the infielders could make it a bigger dropoff.
What a drag it is being broke.
well Vizquel was 1.2 WAR
and I think Arias is likely a win (or two if he is pressed into extended playing time) below replacement level.
Is that unreasonable?
What a drag it is being broke.
Well
I don’t think he’s going to get extended playing time, if he’s a win or two below replacement level.
If he’s that bad, he won’t be the utility infielder, and won’t get as much playing time as Vizquel got last year.
I just don’t see that we’re going to be 2-3 wins worse in 2010 because of the UIF.
by Adam J. Morris on Dec 29, 2009 2:29 PM CST up reply actions
So are you suggesting
that Arias would be most likely valued at ABOVE or BELOW replacement level?
We know what Vizquel is capable of.
"Nothing we do here has a point" - Czar Morris
by inactive lsb user on Dec 29, 2009 9:20 PM CST up reply actions
Enjoy, Toddler
Arias has had a solid Dominican Winter League season, hitting .296/.345/.327 in the regular season for Escogido with six stolen bases in eight attempts and more walks (seven) than strikeouts (five), and more notably playing shortstop for the most part (his last 24 starts have been at shortstop, after alternating between second base and shortstop during his first week of play). If the shoulder is back, Arias’s candidacy for the Rangers’ utility infield spot becomes more legitimate.
That works for me…I don’t think he is as bad as some here.
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
JD
said the same thing last year during the off-season as well.
Oops, I didn't attrib that
The above quote is from Jamison Newberg :)
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
attribution
is the key to a good life
Dammit
I thought it was consumption…
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
yeah, I think we've heard something similar to that
for about 3 winters now, or at least it seems that way.
What a drag it is being broke.
What he wasn't doing last year,
and what ruined a promising career though;
(his last 24 starts have been at shortstop)
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
OKC play by play
still mentioned his iffy arm on occasion. My theory is that the kid simply never did/doesn’t do his strength work. There were no structural problems when his shoulder was scoped in spring 2007. That makes it a makeup issue and that ain’t going away.
I reserve judgement until I see how he actually does at 2nd base
Last year in the few games he played there he looked atrocious.
Why Arias?
I don’t see why the Rangers would go with Arias as their utility guy. And the utility guy this year isn’t going into next season with much playing time in the plans. You’re looking at Elvis and Young both getting at least 150 games in the field and ideally Kinsler can finally play a full season. Injuries can change that, but as things are constructed, the utility player will probably get no more than 50 games played.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
Young's hitting might be worse
But its possible for him to still be better for the team’s offense. Remember how horrible Young was last season with men on base and w/RISP. He might end up with a worse line and a worse offensive season, but he could still drive in more runs.
As AJM said, Borbon is Byrd’s replacement and with his speed, he could decline in hitting and still give the team about the same offensive value that Byrd did.
Kinsler and Cruz aren’t any more likely to have major declines than any other non-Pujols player. Its not something I’m concerned about. Same with the defense. There isn’t a single position on the field which the Rangers got worse over the offseason. Moving Hamilton to a corner spot, putting Borbon in CF, giving Young another year at 3B, these are all things that will help the defense improve further.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
All that is well and good
But at the end of the day, this team will rise or fall based on whether Chris Davis and Josh Hamilton hit like they did in 2008, or hit like they did in 2009.
by Adam J. Morris on Dec 29, 2009 2:01 PM CST up reply actions
I agree with the idea of this team...
being able to compete based of how well CD and Josh perform, but I’d also throw Kinsler in there. Especially if he’s hitting in the middle of the order all year. I think he needs to have a big year for the Rangers to win the West.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
Is Kinsler really all that likely...
…to be significantly better in 2010 than in 2009?
Kinsler was a very good player last year, including with the bat. I don’t understand lumping him in with Hamilton and Davis, who were terrible offensively.
by Adam J. Morris on Dec 29, 2009 6:37 PM CST up reply actions
I think most of us just want Kinsler to be more consistent
Sacrifice some HRs possibly for a better average. I don’t think theres anyone on here who doesn’t want 30 homers from him but I know personally I would rather have 25 homers but a 280+ average
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
Consistent?
Thanks Joe.
It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops.
Agreed on Kins
Dumb people have dumb opinions however. You can’t stop them, even if their opines have no basis in fact.
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
I don't think...
I’m dumb to think that Kinsler can improve significantly from ‘09. Did he have a good year? Yes. Especially when you look at the production of other players at his position and his defense. However look at his OB% and watch his swing from the heels every time approach and that’s what I’m talking about. I’m not judging his performance off what others did. I’m judging it off what I think he’s capable of doing.
Those of us who think Kinsler can improve do have a basis in fact. his OBP dropped .48 from his ’08 season and his OPS dropped .78 from ’08. You can also look at his LD % and see why he struggled at times. With another year of ML experience and is at his peak performance age I believe Kinsler could have a huge year.
AJM said for the Rangers to win in ‘10 Hamilton and CD need to return to what they did in ’08. I would argue that Kinsler needs to return to what he did in ’08 as well. If you want to add something to the discussion then fine, don’t just jump in and be a dumbass.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
Ok, dumbass
OMG, his uppercut swing!!! Swing from the heels sucks, ’cause I saw it on TV!
Take the entire player’s worth into the equation and yes, he was better in ’09 than ’08. His FRAA improved from -7.3 to +9.6. His batting fell from 29.3 to 13.1. But, since he plays a very important defensive position, his RAR and WAR were both better in ’09 (46.3 4.6) than ’08 (43.3 4.3).
Now, can we both return to some modicum of civility?
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
I'm not looking...
to deliver an uppercut swing. When you call someone or their opinion dumb they usually don’t take too kindly to it. You made a dumbass comment towards me and I called you on it, simple as that.
I never said Kinsler didn’t play better defensively in ’09 compared to ’08. No one has. The stats you used show that. I was talking about his offensive performance only. I feel he can do better, because well, he has done better.
Which line is better? .319 / .375 / .517 or .253 / .327 / .488. If you can’t see the difference between the two then that’s your problem. Saying people are dumb to think that Ian could have done more offensively is dumb itself. Especially since he has done better before. You said there was no basis for thinking that and I just gave it to you. Deal with it and stop acting like someone who thinks something different than you is stupid.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
If only this was a video game and defense didn't count
Then you may be correct. As it is, you are wrong, I have proved it, and I am done with this.
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
You didn't prove shit
Other than what everyone has been saying which is Kinsler improved defensively but regressed offensively. Is he the type of player that can only be good in one area of his game in a given year? Can he not maintain his good defense from 09 and improve his offense closer to his 2008 level? All SLC and others are asking is for Kinsler to be more consistent. Play the great defense but also be more well rounded offensively. Home runs are nice but mix in some more singles and doubles and get the batting average up to 280 or so.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
Fun stat
Rangers – hitting in general
.260/.320/.445
Rangers – hitting w/ RISP
.268/.335/.425
They actually did about the same with runners in scoring position. So, if you expect Young to be “better for the team’s offense”, you’ve also got to expect others to be “worse for the team’s offense” somewhere else.
IOW, I’m tired of this situational results/chance-based crap which bigsteve loves, and want to evaluate on the actual expected value to the team.
R
I'm not big into situational splits
but Young had a .978 OPS with the bases empty, a .774 OPS with men on base, and a .655 OPS with RISP.
I don’t understand the point of looking at the entire team. If Young’s situational splits are more balanced, that doesn’t force anyone to get worse. I haven’t looked through everyone’s splits to see if there is any regression that will happen, but for Young, I think we can expect his overall offensive numbers to decline a bit but his overall offensive value to remain about the same.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
The point is that
If you expect regression from Young for his situational splits to conform with his base stats (which is reasonable), you should also expect the same for ALL other players.
You can’t cherry-pick saying that he will be regressed while everyone else stays the same in their “clutchiness” unless you have a real reason to believe that they will keep up their clutchiness.
So, his doing “better” in certain situations will likely be offset by someone (or several other people) doing worse in those same situations relative to this past year.
IOW, it’s pointless to look for “improvement” from a stat which will likely regress to the mean for ALL players, anyways, since there’s been NO evidence that clutchiness exists. (Choking, OTOH, seems to be quite possible).
R
Its not cherry picking
I never said everyone else will stay the same, just that studies show that a player’s “clutchiness” should reflect their season stats and any differences between the two is likely the result of SSS.
You are the one that brought up Young possibly declining on offense next season. I responded saying that he might hit worse, but that his hits will probably have better timing. If there is someone else on the team that had drastic situational splits (especially ones that are uncharacteristic of a 10+ year career), be my guest and lets look at them. Until then, I fail to see what your issue is with what I said.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
Because
the problem is that ON THE WHOLE, the TEAM DID APPROXIMATELY THE SAME IN CLUTCH SITUATIONS AS THEY DID AS A WHOLE.
I don’t NEED to go look up the difference, since what you expect of the team will be the same FOR NEXT YEAR IN TERMS OF CLUTCH STATS.
Hence, SOMEONE or more likely a GROUP OF SOMEONES will likely regress so that ON THE WHOLE THE TEAM WILL BE WORSE.
And I don’t even want to use the crap stats you’re talking about dealing with whether they’re “more valuable” because of clutchiness or not.
I’m talking about value to the club ASSUMING REASONABLE REGRESSION.
So, yes, Mike Young was not as “valuable” to last year’s club, because he didn’t perform as well in the “clutch” situations.
But that has nothing to do with my evaluation of how he will contribute to next year’s team as a whole.
Frankly, I don’t even want to talk about crappy clutch stats, which have no bearing on predicting future value. The point is that in value to the club (and not chance based “value” which fluctuates), that Young can regress.
But if you DO want to talk about those crappy clutch stats, my point is that the team as a whole did about the same in “clutch” situations as normal situations. So, you WILL GET NO ADDITIONAL VALUE ASSUMING PEOPLE REGRESS NORMALLY. So, Young’s “value” will be lost somewhere else if you’re basing things off the bigsteve method of measuring team value, WHICH I HATE.
So, if you’re talking about bigsteve accounting, you can take it and shove it where the sun don’t shine, because I’m not going to deal with that any more.
R
Preperation H does feel good.... on the whole.
Give me team chemistry and emotion over stats any day. Do you think 34,000 Ranger fans were screaming their asses off over Pudge and his .275 OBP?
Career
Situation SLG OPS
None on/out 468 .808
None on:1/2 Out . 413 .746
Men on, 2 outs .464 .852
Man on 3rd, < 2 outs .551 .913
Looks like his 2009 was out of balance with his career numbers. Maybe the deviation will adjust some -
"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912) also -
"Telephone, n. An invention of the devil which abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance."
~Ambrose Bierce
by Ed Coffin on Dec 29, 2009 5:17 PM CST up reply actions
I don't doubt
that the deviation will adjust.
I expect him to be just as good in “clutch” situations as his regular stat lines.
I don’t expect that to be an improvement for the TEAM, though. Because I expect them to also be as good in “clutch” situations as their stat lines. And for all intents and purposes, they were about the same in “clutch situations” last year EVEN WITH Mike Young’s anti-clutchiness.
R
one ranger makes the
top moment in the SAL league for 2009
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
So is Ben Sheets
an official absolutely not no way in hell scenario for the year?
"Congrats Rangers fans, you just found your replacement for Mark Teixeira. Just a crazy, crazy steal." -Goldstein
As long as he's...
asking for 10-12 mil, yes.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
I can't see anyone guaranteeing him $10-12 million for 2010
I think he’s going to have to take a one year incentive deal to regain that type of paycheck. I’d love to see the Rangers sign him to a reasonable base with some high upside incentives if he logs the innings to earn them. That way, the dollars to pay out the incentives (if earned) would be back-loaded and get us past the new owner taking over.
by swampdonkey on Dec 29, 2009 12:18 PM CST up reply actions
I don't think...
he’ll get that much either. However as long as he’s asking fo rthat much you can count the Rangers out.
If nobody signs him by Feb. or March and he has to settle for 1 year and 4 or 5 mil with incentives I’d love to see the Rangers in on him again. I think they would be too, similar to last year. Only if he’s healthy though, which is a big IF right now.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
If he continues to ask for 10-12, there's no way
But, I’d hate to miss out on him if 5-7 + incentives would work. If he and Harden had their innings monitored, holy moley that could be a nice 1-2
"Congrats Rangers fans, you just found your replacement for Mark Teixeira. Just a crazy, crazy steal." -Goldstein
I think...
that 5-7 mil + incentives may still be a little too high for the Rangers. I hope I’m wrong though because I would love to see that top of the rotation as well.
Again it all depends on his health, which I still have very large doubts about.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
it would be be nice
how about 5 mill plus 7 mill in incentives, i would be fine with that.
With a long-winded response like that, you must be really high on the Rangers' hopes for getting him.
Pro baseball has always been a dream, so this is pretty freakin’ cool out here. -- Tim Steggall, undrafted Rangers minor leaguer.
Let's hope not....
Sure seems like he would want to play here if we could just make him a decent offer.
Maybe sheets
is asking for 12 mill from other teams so he can sign with us for less well hopefully.
Welcome to the blog...
but I’m not sure that makes much sense.
Pitchers aren’t going to take less to come pitch in Arlington.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
i think he said that sarcasticaly
"He do what he do" - Ron Washington
by dustinvandeman on Dec 29, 2009 11:46 AM CST up reply actions
Yeah...
he probably did.
My internet sarcasm meter is pretty low.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
Huh?
Josey Wales born on LSB July 18, 2006 Jumped the shark--That glorious day in 2008. RIP Josey Wales.
In the interest of quicker games Ron should just tell the ump he's pulling the Feliz card and the ump should rule the inning over.--Sherman McCoy on Sept. 4, 2009
i was kidding
but it would be nice none the less.
It would...
be very nice to have a healthy Ben Sheets in the Rangers rotation with Harden, Feldman, Hunter, and Holland. That rotation would be tits.
I just can’t see it happening though for two reasons. First off, I have my doubts that he will even be healthy by ST. Secondly, if he’s healthy, I think he will look for more money than the Rangers will want to give him and he’ll sign elsewhere.
Also…there is a reply button on the bottom right of each post. Use it when responding to someone, it makes conversations much easier.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
i agree
but for some reason i call B.S on him asking for 12 mill i dont think any team wants to take a chance on that.
OT: Avenged Sevenfold drummer The Rev has died.
It’s not shocking, it just really really really sucks.
A7X is w/o question my favorite act. I’m bummed.
Not too much a fan of them, but the dude could drum.
Also, natural causes at 28? Yeah right.
Lisa, if the Bible has taught us nothing else - and it hasn't - it's that girls should stick to girls' sports, such as hot-oil wrestling, foxy boxing, and such-and-such.
Rock Flag & Eagle Radio: Thursdays, 10 PM - 1 AM, on FM 88.7 The Choice, or online @ ktcu.net!
Ah, thanks for clarifying.
Lisa, if the Bible has taught us nothing else - and it hasn't - it's that girls should stick to girls' sports, such as hot-oil wrestling, foxy boxing, and such-and-such.
Rock Flag & Eagle Radio: Thursdays, 10 PM - 1 AM, on FM 88.7 The Choice, or online @ ktcu.net!
Im sure there are a few here who can answer that for you
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
Well, Z asked the SBN guys to change his to his name, and they did
But I don’t know if he’s a special case because he has mod status here or something. But hey, can’t hurt to email ’em.
But there is no way to change your username yourself, no.
I failed my LSB ethics test.
"WHAT A SHITLOAD OF FUCK" - LL's "Poochie" on Rich Harden signing with Texas over Seattle
They changed my username for me
Just e-mail them and tlel them what you want your new username to be and they’ll change it for you.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
Yeah, didn't you used to be gdawg1 or something?
I failed my LSB ethics test.
"WHAT A SHITLOAD OF FUCK" - LL's "Poochie" on Rich Harden signing with Texas over Seattle
I'm worried
that you said “our”. Do you have multiple personalities?
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
100+ comments on
"...like some Russian priest fresh off a bottle of potato vodka and a box of cigars." -t ball
Shit. Fail. 100+ comments on
Nothing out there really of note this morning. Sorry.
What are you dudes talking about?
"...like some Russian priest fresh off a bottle of potato vodka and a box of cigars." -t ball
by rangerdanger on Dec 29, 2009 2:05 PM CST up reply actions
Pissing match over ERA v. FIP, mostly
by Adam J. Morris on Dec 29, 2009 2:08 PM CST up reply actions
Often, when there's nothing really to talk about, I like to bring movies/tv shows into the mix
I’ve been watching Brotherhood on Netflix ‘Watch Instantly’ (that I am even a member of Netflix is your fault Adam, you suggested I order Domino’s and do the two week trial. I did, and obviously now realize that I cannot live without it in my life).
Anywho, Brotherhood is a great, great show. I’m only half way through the 2nd season, but at the risk of being strung up by my toes, it’s close to the Soprano’s in my book.
Also, my buddy says ‘The League’ on Fx is great. I don’t really agree.
"...like some Russian priest fresh off a bottle of potato vodka and a box of cigars." -t ball
by rangerdanger on Dec 29, 2009 2:39 PM CST up reply actions
Close to the Sopranos?
No.
The 3rd season pretty much sucked, too, by the way.
Neftali Feliz says sit your 5 dollar ass down before he makes change...
Hi, Keith. Is this the year Edinson Volquez finally wins RoY?
by Brian Thomas on Dec 31, 2009 8:06 AM CST up reply actions
And here I was afraid I'd miss out on LSB sending my comp. in for a tuneup yesterday.
Shoulda known not to worry.
I failed my LSB ethics test.
"WHAT A SHITLOAD OF FUCK" - LL's "Poochie" on Rich Harden signing with Texas over Seattle
Ah yes...
Everyone missed the “I just learned how to cuss” teenager too.
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
Chat: Joe Sheehan tidbits
Yippee?
Bryan (MA): Which teams do feel could regress significantly this season?
Joe Sheehan: This could be a bad year in Orange County, where the Angels look to be much worse and the competition much better.
Ha!
Hawkeye (Grafton, ND): Brandon Morrow an SP in Toronto? What kind of season do you expect?
Joe Sheehan: The Jays seem to be able to make almost anyone a league-average starter. Imagine what they can do with talent like this. Morrow is better than anyone they got for Halladay, just a great trade for the Jays.
Hmmm…
workermonkey (hartford.ct): so…. did everyone forget about Vlad? it seems silly to think Nick Johnson looks better in the middle of the Yankees lineup than Vlad does. am i crazy?
Joe Sheehan: Neither player does anything outside the batters’ box, although Johnson can play some first base while Guerrero can’t really play anywhere but DH. Johnson has a big OBP edge and bats from the left side. I’d value him much more highly; Vlad, largely due to physical limitations, simply isn’t a valuable roster piece any longer. The standard for DHs is awfully high.
And now trollbaiting:
Joe Sheehan: (on the Cubs) If Z, Lee, Ramirez et al, play well, they’ll contend, and if they don’t, you won’t get much for them. And nothing would make Sori tradeable.<—- LOL!
Oh, too bad! /Cuban
tderrick17 (Wash, DC): GM Draft! Great idea. Who are your top 5, in no order.
Joe Sheehan: Epstein, Cashman, Beane, Zdur…OK, I have to learn to spell it, sorry…. Five is tough. Daniels or Williams, I guess.
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
Kenny Williams?
Puke.
"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence." -- Vince Lombardi
Glaus the panacea? Hardly...
Joe Sheehan: I may have lost it over the holiday, but isn’t Glaus’ contract for like $2 million? This couldn’t possibly be related to the Vazquez deal. It’s still horrible. And Glaus as a 1B isn’t a great idea. Yay, .270/.350/.450 with no speed or defense.
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
And just for the zingers...
Jim Clancy (Exhibition Stadium): Pursuant to Carlos’s question about Matthews, I would like to know if you think any deal from this year is just that headscratching bad. I mean, few are as terrible as Matthews’s deal was, but does anything come close?
Joe Sheehan: Brandon Lyon, just because of the silliness of giving a middle reliever a three-year deal. Fernando Rodney,just because of the silliness of giving a Fernando Rodney a two-year deal. Garret Atkins, because the Orioles already had a fat, slow, pseudo-corner-guy with a huge platoon split who hits into lots of DPs.
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
And who was this?
xxx (yyy): Rangers in 2010 — legit playoff contenders, or an also ran watching Seattle and the Angels duke it out?
Joe Sheehan: I had them arriving in ‘10. Let’s see if they can fix the offense, which was, oddly, their biggest problem last year.
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
We have to find a way to short circuit
a BigSteve feedback loop; let’s brainstorm this. I’ve had my fun with the phenomenon, but lets get down to brass tacks, a practical solution. Maybe…well….maybe an electrical burst would do the trick – say a taser – to interrupt the Bs pathway (brain-mind-mouth/hand-keyboard- repeat)? I mean if it works as well on Bs as it did on that UT kid who got zapped at a Kerry function (“don’t taaazzzze me bro’!”) then we’e in business. Hmmm, and I’m just tossing stuff out there now, but…Maybe a keyboard shock. AdMo, on the scale of difficulty I would imagine that setting up an LSB “keyboard shock” behavioral conditioning mode might be a bit harder than setting up a troll blocker mode – am I right? Probably…. too complex, yeah.
Why is Nolan Ryan sitting on his ass today?
C’mon, old man. MASSIVE CHANGE.
by Black Francis on Dec 29, 2009 3:50 PM CST reply actions 2 recs
It is snowing in Arlington
Asked, and answered…
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
And where there's snow
Snow monkeys cannot be far behind…
"To have the judgment and wisdom and personal touch of Nolan Ryan, and the tremendous group that JD has assembled, I think the Rangers on the baseball side are the envy of every franchise in baseball in terms of talent."
-- Chuck Greenberg
Well it hasn't been snowing every day
I’ve seen no massive change recently.
by Black Francis on Dec 29, 2009 4:56 PM CST up reply actions
Dumping in Denton.
"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
"Baseball's all that's real" - JB
Coming down hard in N Dallas
I would venture we won’t see the 5-8’ drifts I saw in Lincoln, NE the other day though…and Damn!, is a -0 or worse degree windchill stunningly brutal.
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
driving to CO for a ski trip 1/1/10
last time I made that drive I got lost in a pass on some mountain road with no guard rails…roads were iced over…I literally cried, never been more terrified.
I’ve been wigging on this trip for the last month or two.
Shoulda flown….but on the way we’re stopping in Santa Fe and Durango.
Any tips from anyone on some cool Durango bars (that keep nice, local microbrews on tap) would be appreciated.
"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
"Baseball's all that's real" - JB
If I may ask, ..
how did you make it out of said mountain?
"Nothing we do here has a point" - Czar Morris
by inactive lsb user on Dec 29, 2009 9:25 PM CST up reply actions
to be honest, I was in a state of mind that led me to that moment....carelessness (as many others) ruled my 20's.
I can seriously answer, without lying, that I have no fucking idea how I dodged that bullet.
I wish I did bc I’d write a manual or something.
"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
"Baseball's all that's real" - JB
Brew
Durango Brewery, Steamworks, & Carver are all microbreweries where you can try their beers and have a meal. Ska is hard to find, and only has a tasting room and gift rack. All 4 have good beer. Steamworks was my favorite.
Lost Dog is a bar/lounge in downtown that I liked.
by Oracle Galvez on Dec 30, 2009 11:10 AM CST up reply actions
after reading that it looks like the title of some skat film
"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
"Baseball's all that's real" - JB
I hadn't noticed this before
But those three guys are doing the ceremonial jersey holding right in front of a Medical Center of Arlington sign. Whose decision was that?
born under a bad sign.
"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
"Baseball's all that's real" - JB
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