Killeverything's (New)NeverEndingBaseballThread

[madmaxfan]

Breaking news!!! Justin Verlander has been named AL MVP. As he rightly should be. Took 13 first place votes along with 3 second and 3 third place votes.

The voters should all be ashamed and recalled.

The pitcher has his own award and an everyday player should also
have his own.

Here is an interesting stat. All of the MVP candidates excluding Miguel Cabrera went a combined 2 for 35 against Verlander.
2 for 35. Think about it.

[Machado]

Cardinals shares for winning the World Series were $323,169.98 each.

[johnk5150]

Ken Rosenthal from Fox Sports saying the Cubs actively pursuing Pujols AND Fielder.

I doubt it Ken. Ken must do a lot of day drinking.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Albe ... nts-112811

[killeverything]

Ken Rosenthal from Fox Sports saying the Cubs actively pursuing Pujols AND Fielder.

I doubt it Ken. Ken must do a lot of day drinking.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Albe ... nts-112811

There's a story on ESPN about the Cubs going contacting Pujols' agent. Way to fuck with their rival, but after winning another WS in St. Louis I find it hard to believe he would leave, especially after St. Louis has stated they want him back.

[johnk5150]

Ken Rosenthal from Fox Sports saying the Cubs actively pursuing Pujols AND Fielder.

I doubt it Ken. Ken must do a lot of day drinking.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Albe ... nts-112811

There's a story on ESPN about the Cubs going contacting Pujols' agent. Way to fuck with their rival, but after winning another WS in St. Louis I find it hard to believe he would leave, especially after St. Louis has stated they want him back.

If Theo thinks the way to make the Cubs relavent again is to hand out another Soriano-like contract I don't want him running my team.

[Facedown]

Looks like Bobby V. is the new Red Sox manager.

[tin00can]

Looks like Bobby V. is the new Red Sox manager.

...and ESPN is already telling us why he's a great choice.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/72967 ... -valentine

Boy, ESPN just can't wait to gargle more BoSox and Yankees balls, can they?

[Machado]

Bobby V as the new Sux manager. That is great.
His style is going to choke the life out of his players.
Don't count on the red sox to contend with Bobby running the ship.
Did the Sox hire him over Lamont because Bobby can speak Japanese?

[killeverything]

Apparently Valentine is the one best suited to follow Lucchino's orders. Something needed to change in the clubhouse, especially after their NY level choke job last season.

[Machado]

Apparently Valentine is the one best suited to follow Lucchino's orders. Something needed to change in the clubhouse, especially after their NY level choke job last season.

Hating the red sux as only I can, I was hoping against hope that
Lamont impressed the sux management enough to be hired.

Bobby V will now have to back up all the tough talk/comments he made while in the ESPN broadcast booth.

[killeverything]

David Dejesus signs 2 year deal with Cubs.

Greg Maddux left the Cubs to sign as a special assitant for the Texas Rangers.

[Machado]

these players are going from having a player's manager writing the line-up card to a manager that is no nonsense.
That is not going to make for a smooth transition. I give this team at least 3 yrs to be a serious contender.
Bobby V. was critical of Beckett last year during a gave he was broadcasting on T.V. I'm sure Beckett will be the 1st player to wrap his arms around his new manager,


A Boston Red Sox official told at least one player at the beginning of the managerial search that they "weren't going to hire Bobby Valentine or someone like that," a clubhouse source told ESPNBoston.com last week.

The conversation suggests that Valentine, known as a no-nonsense manager in stints with the Mets and Rangers over 15 years, was perceived by some as a darkhorse candidate who would not be popular with some players.

"They're going to have a mess on their hands," the source said when asked what would happen if Valentine, who at that time was just one of several candidates, was hired.

ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney had heard similar rumblings, citing sources Wednesday saying that "some Red Sox players have been upset" that Valentine had emerged as a candidate and have been "grumbling to each other, through texts and phone calls."

[killeverything]

these players are going from having a player's manager writing the line-up card to a manager that is no nonsense.
That is not going to make for a smooth transition. I give this team at least 3 yrs to be a serious contender.
Bobby V. was critical of Beckett last year during a gave he was broadcasting on T.V. I'm sure Beckett will be the 1st player to wrap his arms around his new manager,


A Boston Red Sox official told at least one player at the beginning of the managerial search that they "weren't going to hire Bobby Valentine or someone like that," a clubhouse source told ESPNBoston.com last week.

The conversation suggests that Valentine, known as a no-nonsense manager in stints with the Mets and Rangers over 15 years, was perceived by some as a darkhorse candidate who would not be popular with some players.

"They're going to have a mess on their hands," the source said when asked what would happen if Valentine, who at that time was just one of several candidates, was hired.

ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney had heard similar rumblings, citing sources Wednesday saying that "some Red Sox players have been upset" that Valentine had emerged as a candidate and have been "grumbling to each other, through texts and phone calls."

With the team that they have, you have to be a fucking idiot to think they won't be contenders. They didn't get beat out by the MFY or the Rays, they fell apart. If they didn't play in the AL East they still would've won the Division easily.

I highly doubt that it's going to be that big of an issue when ST starts. They said the same thing about Girardi when he had the ice cream yogurt machines removed from the clubhouse. How did that work out? The next season they spent half a billion dollars and the won the World Series.

Much ado about nothing. I personally welcome more of a hardass manager. The primadonna shit was like a team of Arods.

[Machado]

these players are going from having a player's manager writing the line-up card to a manager that is no nonsense.
That is not going to make for a smooth transition. I give this team at least 3 yrs to be a serious contender.
Bobby V. was critical of Beckett last year during a gave he was broadcasting on T.V. I'm sure Beckett will be the 1st player to wrap his arms around his new manager,


A Boston Red Sox official told at least one player at the beginning of the managerial search that they "weren't going to hire Bobby Valentine or someone like that," a clubhouse source told ESPNBoston.com last week.

The conversation suggests that Valentine, known as a no-nonsense manager in stints with the Mets and Rangers over 15 years, was perceived by some as a darkhorse candidate who would not be popular with some players.

"They're going to have a mess on their hands," the source said when asked what would happen if Valentine, who at that time was just one of several candidates, was hired.

ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney had heard similar rumblings, citing sources Wednesday saying that "some Red Sox players have been upset" that Valentine had emerged as a candidate and have been "grumbling to each other, through texts and phone calls."

With the team that they have, you have to be a fucking idiot to think they won't be contenders. They didn't get beat out by the MFY or the Rays, they fell apart. If they didn't play in the AL East they still would've won the Division easily.

I highly doubt that it's going to be that big of an issue when ST starts. They said the same thing about Girardi when he had the ice cream yogurt machines removed from the clubhouse. How did that work out? The next season they spent half a billion dollars and the won the World Series.

Much ado about nothing. I personally welcome more of a hardass manager. The primadonna shit was like a team of Arods.

C'mon now Kill, the reason your team took a major league dive was due to the heavy drinking in the clubhouse/airplanes, etc... Don't blame it on anything else but that.
Team chose to drink vs play hard.
And yeah, the Yankees and Rays both beat the Sux.
You can't come in 3rd place without having 2 team ahead of you

Seriously, because of the epic collapse, I get to use the months between now and game 1 of the 2012 season to pick on you a little bit and remind you how Great the Yankees are and how average the sux are headed.

[tin00can]

The Angels trade Tyler Chatwood to the Rockies for Chris Iannetta. I like this because it looks like it means the end of the Jeff Mathis era is finally here.

[johnk5150]

David Dejesus signs 2 year deal with Cubs.

Over/under on when he goes on the 60 day DL at 5/15.

[Machado]

David Dejesus signs 2 year deal with Cubs.

Over/under on when he goes on the 60 day DL at 5/15.

A very overrated MLB outfielder.
He was all the rage a couple years ago and now look at him.
Good thing the Yankees did not "overpay" for his services several years ago.
Then again, the Yankees and other teams caught a break when Dejesus
fractured his wrist that year. I think that was just prior to the trade
deadline.

[TawnyVonJagger]

Welcome to Miami, Heath Bell.

An honest-to-God fucking CLOSER. Holy shit!

[tin00can]

I'm sure none of you care, but Jerry Dipoto - new Angels GM - traded Jeff Mathis for a pitcher I've never heard of who has terrible stats, but I have a boner that could cut a diamond.

Mathis is gone. Scioscia no longer has his chew toy behind the plate.

[SkyDog112046]

I like the move to bring in Bobby Valentine. He's about the closest thing to Billy Martin available. When the Sox were laying down in September I said it was an off-field issues, not on-field issues. There is no way a .600 ball club becomes a .300 team overnight without a bunch of serious injuries, and while they were banged up they were still relatively intact. My instincts were correct. That team flat out quit.

Henry & Co need to get tough and Bobby V is just the first step. A message needs to get sent to them on the first day of spring training. Stuff like no music or TVs in the club house, keeping the clubhouse locked up during games so they have to sit on the bench, mandatory workouts, etc...

Some of the Sox players are pissed at Beckett and his crew. If you have heard any of Pedrioa's interviews you can tell he is disgusted with them. They need to bring in more hard nosed players through free agency to change the culture in the clubhouse. More dirt dogs, less prima donnas.

[Facedown]

Bobby V., depending on how he does, could just be a band-aid. 2 year deal? Joe Maddon is available at the end of next season and John Farrell in 2013.

[johnk5150]

Dear veteran's committee. Voting Santo in after he's passed on is a bigger dickbag move than overlooking him all those years. Hopefully this move will prompt them to be a little more inclusionary in the future.

[johnk5150]

I'd like to add....what's the fucking point of putting Santo in now veteran's committee? You feel better now? Your hands feel clean?

[Facedown]

Marlins sign Reyes 6yr/106mil.

[Machado]

Marlins sign Reyes 6yr/106mil.

What a joke.
Marlins better get that guy a new hammy because he will be spending
a lot of time on the DL over the next 6 years.
Here is a clear example of a team over-paying for a player.
Is this franchise so desperate? Have they not read the medical history at all?

[killeverything]

Bobby V., depending on how he does, could just be a band-aid. 2 year deal? Joe Maddon is available at the end of next season and John Farrell in 2013.

They tried to get Farrell Unlike the Theo to the Cubs deal, Toronto was straight up, "yeah you can have him.....for Clay Buchholz." Can't blame em'.

John Dewan's Stat Of The Week

Is the Ted Williams Shift Effective?

November 30, 2011



The short answer: Absolutely.

But only if the bases are empty.

For the past two years Baseball Info Solutions has been tracking every play during which the defensive team employs a “Ted Williams” type shift where three infielders are playing to the right of second base. Based on our preliminary study of this data, The Shift works when the bases are empty.

There are five players who faced the shift more than 200 times in 2010 and 2011. They are David Ortiz, Ryan Howard, Carlos Pena, Adam Dunn and Prince Fielder. When looking at groundballs and short liners that they hit (balls that can be handled by infielders), every one of them did worse when facing The Shift with no one on base. Here are the results:

Batting Average, 2010-2011
Groundballs and Short Liners Only, Bases Empty
Shift On No Shift
David Ortiz .208 .259
Ryan Howard .174 .273
Carlos Pena .183 .213
Adam Dunn .207 .263
Prince Fielder .208 .248
On average, that’s 55 points of batting average lost to The Shift.

Based on a smaller sample size (because managers employ The Shift less often with men on base), the data is only showing a 3-point batting average drop when using The Shift with runners on.

These are our preliminary findings. We will study this in greater detail in The Fielding Bible—Volume III coming out in the spring.

[Facedown]

Bobby V., depending on how he does, could just be a band-aid. 2 year deal? Joe Maddon is available at the end of next season and John Farrell in 2013.

They tried to get Farrell Unlike the Theo to the Cubs deal, Toronto was straight up, "yeah you can have him.....for Clay Buchholz." Can't blame em'.

That's what I'm saying, Vals contract ends when Farrells does or they could buy him out and go for Maddon next year.

[johnk5150]

St. Louis Post Dispatch reporting Cubs made Pujols an offer last night. Pujols is going to make BANK from St. Louis with at least 2 other offers out there.

[Machado]

CJ Wilson is asking for 6 yrs and at least $100 million.
WTF!
Since when does a guy with only 2 years of success command
that much money?

Reports are Buerhle is asking for about 4 yrs/$60 million.

Between the two, I think the safe play is signing Buerhle.

[killeverything]

CJ Wilson is asking for 6 yrs and at least $100 million.
WTF!
Since when does a guy with only 2 years of success command
that much money?

Reports are Buerhle is asking for about 4 yrs/$60 million.

Between the two, I think the safe play is signing Buerhle.

I know right.

Buerlhe is the prize pitcher in FA, not Wilson.