February 2011
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The Yankee Clause
Via The Chicago Tribune:
“Give the Red Sox credit for taking no chances. Their $142 million deal with Carl Crawford includes a clause that prohibits any team he’s traded to from then trading him to the Yankees. They rarely give no-trade clauses, and in Crawford’s case allowed him to block trades to only two teams.”
Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I feel...
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Today's Exciting Transactions of Little Importance
Braves Sign Rodrigo Lopez to Minor League Deal - The two-time league leader in losses gets another chance as the emergency option for the Braves. Just don’t compare him to Eppa Rixey, another two-time loss leader, who also won 266 games and was voted into the Hall of Fame. Upon election Eppa said, “They’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel, aren’t they?”
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Rob Neyer Leaving ESPN
It’s rare for news about a writer to make more of an impact than the game they cover, but the entire internet baseball community is rightfully up in arms after Neyer’s announcement that he’s leaving ESPN. For many, Neyer bridged the gap between Bill James and the current acceptance of advanced metrics, and his posts were always honest, humorous, and above all, intelligent. After...
January 2011
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“I think there’s a place called Giumarello’s [in Westmont, N.J.]....”
– Charlie Manuel, who apparently only eats steak. You gotta love a man who has his convictions.
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Team Recap: Chicago White Sox
For previous recaps, click here.
Record: 88-74, 2nd Place in the AL Central
Offensive Leaders: Paul Konerko .977 OPS, 4.2 WAR
Pitching Leaders: John Danks 3.72 ERA, John Danks/Gavin Floyd 4.3 WAR (Edwin Jackson had a 3.24 ERA and 2.0 WAR in 11 starts with the team.)
Surprise: After looking like he was near the end of his career after posting an .824 OPS from 2007-2009, Konerko exploded to have...
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Orioles Sign Justin Duchscherer
Duchscherer will earn $1.1MM when he makes the roster, but can earn up to $4.5MM when he makes it to 30 starts. Only problem is that Duchscherer’s career high in starts is 22 and that was three seasons ago. For his eight year career, Duchscherer has only averaged 57 innings per season, but at the very least he’s been effective in that time with a career 3.13 ERA.
That number is almost...
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Stephen Strasburg Attempts to Quit Smokeless... →
While I applaud Strasburg’s efforts because it’s the less disgusting and healthier choice, here comes the really sobering information from the Washington Post:
“Major League Baseball has urged players to not use it when on camera. Since 1993, all tobacco products have been banned in the minor leagues on fields, in clubhouses and during team travel. It’s also banned in ...
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Russ Springer to Retire
And unlike 2004, he’s not messing around. After playing for ten teams in 18 years, all with the same glove, Springer is finally ready to say goodbye to the game. Springer, who contemplated retirment last season, was only able to pitch in two games with the Reds last season before his back blew out.
Says Springer:
“Even last year, when I thought I was going to retire, I had a desire...
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“I am, on the other hand, not a journalist, and thus my deadline is December...”
– The Bill James 1984 Baseball Abstract.
I love baseball more than almost anything and I can easily say that a month devoted to that kind of work sounds awful. Still, I’m incredibly thankful that Bill James and the rest of the mathematically gifted seamheads do it, so that I can enjoy the...
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Today's Exciting Transactions of Little Importance
Padres Claim Samuel Deduno - He posted a 2.93 ERA while striking out 10.1/9 in Colorado Springs last year. If he can get his walks down (5.1/9) imagine what a beast he’ll be in spacious Petco Park.
Rangers Sign Jose Ruiz, Ty Taubenheim - Come Christmas, the Ranger will all gather round and sing a rousing rendition of “Oh Taubenheim.”
Marlins Sign Shawn Hill - One of the last...
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“I always said, it’s a great thing to be wanted. But I want to win here....”
– Chone Figgins on the rumors that he will be traded to the Oakland Athletics.
While Kevin Kouzmanoff may be no great shakes, the Athletics would be setting themselves up to possibly fail to reach 100 home runs with the addition of Figgins. Figgins has hit a total of 10 home runs across the last four...
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Happy SABR Day! →
This is probably reaching you too late, but there are some events just beginning. If you’re looking to get your baseball nerd on, click through for the full list of today’s events across the country.
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Today's Exciting Transactions of Little Importance
Dodgers Sign Mike MacDougal - 6.6: MacDougal’s walks per nine innings over the last three seasons. Unfortunate as that is, it’s just not gonna play.
Rays Sign Casey Kotchman, Claim Rob Delaney - Take John Olerud, and remove the ability to hit for power, average, plate discipline, and his on-field style, and you’ve got yourself Casey Kotchman.
Delaney doesn’t have great...
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Twins Hitters Hate Trees, Nature, Natural Beauty
From ESPN, via Rob Neyer:
“The Minnesota Twins will take down the pine trees behind center field wall. Hitters complained the trees made it difficult for them to pick up the ball out of the pitcher’s hand.
The 14 trees swaying in the wind, and the shadows they cast, led several hitters from the Twins and other teams to voice their displeasure.
Twins President Dave St. Peter says...
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“I felt like if they didn’t re-sign Cliff Lee that [the Rangers] were going...”
– Lance Berkman: hero in Houston, villain in Arlington, unknown in Austin (because they’re too busy listening to awesome underground bands and stuff).
But, Lance, man, what are you doing? You’ve been around this game long enough to know that no matter what, even if you’re right,...
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Today's Exciting Transactions of Little Importance
Nationals DFA Justin Maxwell - Tinkers Ghost put it best: “There’s hitting rock bottom, and then there’s being DFA’d for Alex Cora.”
Adam Kennedy Arrested on DUI - With Josh Lueke’s rape, Milton Bradley’s threats, and now Adam Kennedy’s DUI, the Mariners are becoming baseball’s version of the Portland JailBlazers.
Cubs Sign Braden Looper, Augie Ojeda -...
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Understatement of the Year
Vernon Wells at the Angels press conference where he was sworn in introduced:
“It’s a great leap of faith for them in bringing me in and taking on the contract.”
Yes, yes it was. Vernon Wells is a decent ballplayer, but at 32 and with 4 more years left on his contract, begs the question: why couldn’t the Angels afford Carl Crawford? I feel guilty for knocking a player...
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Team Recap: San Diego Padres
For previous recaps, click here.
Record: 90-72, 2nd Place in the NL West
Offensive Leaders: Adrian Gonzalez .904 OPS, 5.3 WAR
Pitching Leaders: Mat Latos 2.92 ERA, 4.0 WAR
Surprise: We can debate on how important Petco Park was to the team, but the entire Padres pitching staff almost carried the team into the playoffs. The Friars were 22nd in runs scored with 665, but thanks to a pitching...
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“I got a little lot out here at this golf course that I bought. We ended up just...”
– Brandon Webb, Used Car Salesman. (via Hardball Talk)
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Today's Exciting Transactions of Little Importance
Twins Claim Dusty Hughes - Dusty Hughes’ dusty hues will look good in Minnesota’s dusty blues.
Rockies Sign Alfredo Amezaga - Remember when Amezaga had that insane opening to the 2008 season and people went crazy before he settled into a .679 OPS for the season, essentially matching his .652 mark for his career? Yeah, that was something.
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Brian Cashman To Tend Bar
From his stint as a Christmas elf to this new bartending gig, Cashman seems like he’s looking into a possible future career when his time as GM of the Yankees is done. If you’re in the New York area, head over to Foley’s to support the good cause:
“Cashman will be a celebrity guest bartender at Foley’s New York, as the midtown baseball pub celebrates its seventh...
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John Sickels: Top 50 Hitting Prospects from 2006... →
Jumping onto prospect hype is easy, but picking out the truly good ones is extremely difficult. Rarely is one afforded the opportunity to check their work which is why John Sickels’ prospect reviews are so invaluable.
I’m not sure if this was just a bad crop of prospects, or if Sickels was having a particularly bad year, or if the percentage of success for prospects is usually this...
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“We just have to (bleeping) win.”
– Hank Steinbrenner channeling the spirit of George.
Sometimes I like to pretend that the bleeps aren’t at the discretion of the newspaper editors, but rather they’re the embarrassing result of the human-like robots (that are slowly replacing those in power like Hank Steinbrenner) not...
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Mike Maroth Retires
It’s a big day for retirement as Mike Maroth, the last Major Leaguer to lose 20 games in a season, announced his retirement hours after Rocco Baldelli did. Maroth, who went 9-21 with a 5.73 ERA for that atrociously bad 2003 Tigers team, managed to assemble a career record of 50-67 despite never being more than a back of the rotation option.
Craig Calcaterra, as he usually does, put it...
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“Even though Philadelphia was probably not in [on Cliff Lee], they were always in...”
– Rangers owner Chuck Greenberg. Greenberg is a shrewd enough negotiator that he can keep players from signing with other clubs, but isn’t quite good enough to get them for his own—is that what he’s trying to say?
(via Hardball Talk)
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Rocco Baldelli To Retire
The Woonsocket Rocket is unfortunately calling it a career thanks to the mitochondrial disorder which sapped Baldelli of his energy and ability to play the game at the highest level. Baldelli told Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times:
“I don’t anticipate ever playing baseball again. I’m retired. The paperwork will be filed. And you know what. The only time I feel like...
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Team Recap: Detroit Tigers
For previous recaps, click here.
Record: 81-81, 3rd Place in the AL Central
Offensive Leaders: Miguel Cabrera 1.042 OPS, 6.2 WAR
Pitching Leaders: Justin Verlander 3.37 ERA, 6.3 WAR
Surprise: If you were following the Tigers at the beginning of the season, nothing would shock you more than to learn that Max Scherzer finished the season with a 12-11 record and a 3.50 ERA. Through his first...