Killeverything's (New)NeverEndingBaseballThread

[JakeYonkel]

I find this interesting how with the exception of Al East, NL East, and the NL Central. The number ones are all pitchers. This is why I will continue to agree to disagree with Jake that pitchers shouldn't be eligible for the MVP.

Thanks for posting that. Very interesting stuff.

And pitchers have their own award! If their was a comparable hitter-only award, then I wouldn't have a problem with the MVP being a free-for-all.

I just am of the mindset that even your dominant starting pitchers can onlyl have an effect on 1/5 of your games, whereas Albert Pujols plays in almost 162 of them, you know?


Pretty crazy a Jeter's age that he's still as valuable as he is. I think the "Jeter's overrated!" crowd should eat a dick, frankly.

[SkyDog112046]

I just am of the mindset that even your dominant starting pitchers can onlyl have an effect on 1/5 of your games, whereas Albert Pujols plays in almost 162 of them, you know?

I agree with this 90% of the time, but there have been seasons where the best and most dominant player in the game was a pitcher. If you look at it in terms of percentage of the plays over the course of a season that a player is involved in, then a dominant pitcher can have more effect than a player. But it has to be a truly special season by a pitcher to move him past the best players. I would cite Guidry in 76 and Martinez in 99 as two of those seasons where the best player was a pitcher and should have also gotten the MVP.

[Machado]

Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington failed a Major League Baseball test for cocaine last season, but has apologized and will keep his job.

"I had a very weak moment," Washington said at a news conference Wednesday. "I did wrong and I take responsibility for that and I'm sorry."

Washington said he used cocaine only once and called it "stupid behavior." The 57-year-old manager met with his players earlier in the day and told them about testing positive in July.

The failed test was first reported by SI.com.

Washington said he offered to resign after the drug test. He said he was grateful team president Nolan Ryan and Jon Daniels kept him on.

Washington's contract was extended last year for 2010 before the drug test. His contract expires after this season, which will be his fourth with Texas.

SI.com said Washington informed the commissioner's office and team management about using cocaine before the results of his test came back. The Web site said Washington has been subject to increased testing since then, and has passed every subsequent test.

"Any attempt to try to explain it is going to sound like excuses," Washington told SI.com on Tuesday. "There is no right way to explain something wrong, and I did wrong. Was it tension? Maybe. Anxiety?''

Washington is 241-245 in three seasons as Rangers manager. He led Texas to an 87-75 record in 2009 and a second-place finish in the American League West. He also played in parts of 10 seasons between 1977 and 1989 with the Dodgers, Twins, Orioles, Indians and Astros.

[WhiteHouseSubsAC]

See what happens when you go out after the game with Josh Hamilton?

[killeverything]

Pretty crazy a Jeter's age that he's still as valuable as he is. I think the "Jeter's overrated!" crowd should eat a dick, frankly.

What's so amazing about the guy, is he's progressively gotten better. Last season was the first that he wasn't in the negatives for UZR, or plus/minus. He was two points above league average.

Traitor and Matsui IMO had career years. I expect Jeter to remain about the same across the board, with maybe a very slight dropoff in ISO for age related issues.

Rivera will end up proving my theory right that he's an actual android in 2010 too, and that's why he's so consistently dominate.....even though he's "aged".

[Machado]

Pretty crazy a Jeter's age that he's still as valuable as he is. I think the "Jeter's overrated!" crowd should eat a dick, frankly.

What's so amazing about the guy, is he's progressively gotten better. Last season was the first that he wasn't in the negatives for UZR, or plus/minus. He was two points above league average.

Traitor and Matsui IMO had career years. I expect Jeter to remain about the same across the board, with maybe a very slight dropoff in ISO for age related issues.

Rivera will end up proving my theory right that he's an actual android in 2010 too, and that's why he's so consistently dominate.....even though he's "aged".

speaking of Mo, he made his 1st appearance last night. needed almost 30 pitches to get 3 outs. must be nice to have 5 rings, sure-fire HOF and cruise through the first month or so of ST. add to that, he has not gone on a ST road-trip for many, many years.

[Machado]

A day after apologizing for using cocaine last season, Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington told ESPN's Pedro Gomez that he used amphetamines during his playing career.

Washington was randomly selected for a drug test by Major League Baseball last summer and tested positive for cocaine. After learning he failed that test, Washington told Gomez that he informed the Rangers of his amphetamine use.

Washington did not specify how often he used amphetamines during his 10-year career in the majors, which ended in 1989 with the Houston Astros. He spent the majority of his career with the Minnesota Twins.


"I wasn't the only one, but I'm not going to name names," Washington told Gomez. "Amphetamines were prevalent throughout baseball."

The 2005 drug agreement between owners and the Major League Baseball Players' Association calls for random amphetamine testing. Amphetamines were not banned during Washington's playing days.

[Machado]

MLB Extra Innings charge
for 2010 season

$44.75 x 4 payments for the early bird special=$179

Free Preview
April 5-11

[JakeYonkel]

Holy shit.. wasn't it like $130-140 last year?

[Machado]

Holy shit.. wasn't it like $130-140 last year?

I don't think so.
I want to say the early bird special last year was $160.
Don't quote me on that.

[killeverything]

Holy shit.. wasn't it like $130-140 last year?

I don't think so.
I want to say the early bird special last year was $160.
Don't quote me on that.

Yep.

Goddamnit.

We all know.......

Comcast knows......

I'm gonna buy it. One of these days I'm gonna stand up and say "no more!"

We all know...

Comcast knows.....

I won't.

[JakeYonkel]

I'm gonna have to figure out if it's worth it for me or not. It's not that I watch every game, I like knowing that I CAN if I want to. Damnit.

[tin00can]

I'm gonna have to figure out if it's worth it for me or not. It's not that I watch every game, I like knowing that I CAN if I want to. Damnit.

I'm with ya there. I get almost all the Angels games on FSW, but to have a reasonably-priced option for all the others, well...hmm. I'll consider this.

[JakeYonkel]

The difference is that you at least get your team's games.

I'm in the Tampa market, so I get all the Rays games. Which means I'll still get the Yankees the 20 times they play Tampa and the other 10-15 times they're in nationally televised games, but the beauty of the Extra Innings package is to be able to flip on a Twins/Tigers game on a Thursday afternoon when nothing else is on.

I'm probably gonna have to pull the trigger. Crap.

[killeverything]

The Mighty Red Sox sign Alan Embree to a minor league contract with an invite to camp.

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox/ ... fty-embree

Hmmm. I guess if your a LHP you can pitch forever. I don't think he'll be serviceable at 40. It was five years ago I skewered Theo on this very thread, for using Embree for 37 1/3IP and a 7.66ERA. I argued with Jake it cost them the Division.

Now he was one of The 25, and I'm all for having Alan Embree day at the Fens while playing the MFY. Keep playing the last out from the ALCS on the jumbotron, ovation, cheers, hearts will warm, the MFY will look at their 2009 rings and snicker.

I'm all for that.

That said. I don't want any part of Embree coming out of the BP anymore.

[Facedown]

Joe Nathan to have TJ surgery. Done for the year.

[killeverything]

Joe Nathan to have TJ surgery. Done for the year.

That's a bummer, you knew it was coming though. When I heard he was going to give it some rest and see, you knew he was going to need it sooner than later anyway.

Minnesota is loaded with arms ( not as good as Nathan IMO ), but they'll be fine. Somehow Gardenhire will have them in the thick of it all season again. Plus they got that new Stadium, they'll step up.

[JakeYonkel]

Nathan's a top 5 closer, but he wouldn't be the difference between them contending or not. What's he worth over the value of Jon Rauch or Matt Guerrier, and extra game or two across an entire season?

Of course as I'm saying this, the thought of a Mariano Rivera-less Yankee bullpen frightens the hell out of me.

[killeverything]

Nathan's a top 5 closer, but he wouldn't be the difference between them contending or not. What's he worth over the value of Jon Rauch or Matt Guerrier, and extra game or two across an entire season?

Of course as I'm saying this, the thought of a Mariano Rivera-less Yankee bullpen frightens the hell out of me.

What you have to pay attention to though is that only one or two wins over the course of the season, especially in such a tight Division is detrimental. Detroit and Minnesota had a one game playoff last season. That one or two wins difference could change everything.

He has a WPA3.9 in 2009. Which fangraphs has at about a 1.9WAR. For comparisons sake, HBT ranks most MLE #5 starters at -0.01. Basically a -1 is good enough for a starting job. Nathan had a 2.1 in 2008 and was projected to be a 2.0 in 2010.

Certainly the Twins are gonna miss Nathan's dependable production as a closer ( he only failed to convert 25 of 272 oppurtunities ). What a lot of people ( hardballtimes, rotosheet ) are saying ( and it makes sense ) is that they'll miss Raunch, Guerrier, and Neshek in set-up roles more.

On to Jon Raunch, Pat Neshek, Matt Guerrier and their projections. I prefered to use CHONE over Marcel and Bill James for these.

Raunch: 2009 WAR0.07 2010 WAR0.09
6.41K/9 2.59BB/9 3.95ERA 1.26WHIP 3.96FIP

Neshek: 2008 WAR0.02 2010 WAR0.01
7.62K/9 3.46BB/9 4.15ERA 1.35WHIP 4.28FIP

Guerrier: 2009 WAR0.4 2010 WAR0.4
6.08K/9 2.92BB/9 4.18ERA 1.31WHIP 4.49FIP

With these we can get a slight idea of what to possibly expect. The problem is though, no roles have yet been defined. So we don't know how these cats are going to handle added pressures. Like Neshek has a high K/9 rate, but a high hit rate too. Is that because of the defense behind him? Or does he just give it up? I don't feel like going through Minnesota's 2010 UZR, DiPS projections and new park factors right now. Fuck that.

Oh and Jake, I wouldn't worry about Rivera. I thought we established he's an android. Which will be a bigger scandal to hit baseball ( much less the world ) than steroids. I think he's like the Bionic Man or some shit.

*We have the technology. We can rebuild him*

[Facedown]

Twins sign Mauer to 8yr/184mil no trade contract extension.

[killeverything]

Twins sign Mauer to 8yr/184mil no trade contact.

I love seeing small market teams lock up their superstars. King Felix in Seattle, Mauer.

[JakeYonkel]

Great job by Minnesota and I'm glad he won't wind up in Boston or New York.

But I do have to question extending a catcher for 8 years, as good a hitter as he is.

[Hootchietoad]

Great job by Minnesota and I'm glad he won't wind up in Boston or New York.

But I do have to question extending a catcher for 8 years, as good a hitter as he is.

My Metal Health tape is older than him. He won't even be 27 til mid-April. I think it is a safe risk for the Twins. He could always DH or play first, I guess, if needed.

[JakeYonkel]

Oh, I know - the deal will take him through his age 35 season, so he won't be ancient. But there was already talk in the last year or two about shifting him to 3B. Naturally the position he plays certainly helps define his value. He's not really a $20M hitter if he's playing an infield corner.

[Machado]

the twins are going to have to pay mauer all kinds of $$
for the next 8 yrs.

mauer was in a great position during these negotiations.
maybe when nathan went down with the TJ surgery, the twins brass had no choice but to pay mauer all this money??

good for him
good for the twins

[killeverything]

the twins are going to have to pay mauer all kinds of $$
for the next 8 yrs.

mauer was in a great position during these negotiations.
maybe when nathan went down with the TJ surgery, the twins brass had no choice but to pay mauer all this money??

good for him
good for the twins

Maybe in the later years of his contract he'll become a defensive liability behind the plate. The thing is though, barring an injury. The boy can hit, so they have a very good player to step into the DH role later.

I'm glad he's not in Boston or NY too. Plus from everything I've read about the prior discussions, he had no intention of leaving Minnesota. He's a hometown kid. Playing for the team he grew up rooting for.

This kind of shit is good for baseball. King Felix stays in Seattle, Mauer in Minnesota, Lincecum in SF, and Verlander in Detroit. Every team should have one or two bonafide elite players. Not just the big market teams.

[Machado]

the twins are going to have to pay mauer all kinds of $$
for the next 8 yrs.

mauer was in a great position during these negotiations.
maybe when nathan went down with the TJ surgery, the twins brass had no choice but to pay mauer all this money??

good for him
good for the twins

Maybe in the later years of his contract he'll become a defensive liability behind the plate. The thing is though, barring an injury. The boy can hit, so they have a very good player to step into the DH role later.

I'm glad he's not in Boston or NY too. Plus from everything I've read about the prior discussions, he had no intention of leaving Minnesota. He's a hometown kid. Playing for the team he grew up rooting for.

This kind of shit is good for baseball. King Felix stays in Seattle, Mauer in Minnesota, Lincecum in SF, and Verlander in Detroit. Every team should have one or two bonafide elite players. Not just the big market teams.

as much as i know he would have been a great fit behind the plate in The Bronx next year, this kind of deal is great for baseball.

i really don't think he will stay a twin for the entire 8 yrs.
either the team will not be able to compete one year down the road and forced to unload his large contract, or mauer will demand to be traded because the team is still not winning many games.
bottom line-it comes down to winning and if the twins are unable to sell ticket at some point in the future, how will they afford to pay this contract???

[JakeYonkel]

They have a brand spanking new stadium opening in a few weeks. And they seem to contend every single year. They'll be OK.

[tin00can]

as much as i know he would have been a great fit behind the plate in The Bronx next year, this kind of deal is great for baseball.

Oh jesus, shut the fuck up about him being a "great fit behind the plate in the bronx next year." As if that is the only team where he'd be a great fit.

Fucking Yankee fans. I'm sure that next year Pujols would be a great fit at 1B for the bronx next year, right?

[JakeYonkel]

Please don't hold him against me.