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Latest on Mon, 03:45 pm
: I cant answer the first question. Regarding the second, I love mlb.tv. If you have a decent internet connection, it is worth every penny.
: Hey guys I really need some help with a couple of things: 1st: MLB 10: The Show. I'm thinking about buying it and having it sent [...]
: The yankees are going to repeat because the sox lost bay and he is basically there whole offense is david ortiz were to struggle
: Anyone going to be in Tampa on the weekend of Feb 27 / 28? I eventually heard back from Steinbrenner Field (after three emails and two [...]
: Guys, Being a Brit, even though I get to see the Yankees as often as I can, it's no more than a few times each season [...]
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If Billy Wagner decides he wants to pitch this coming season is anyone interested in trying to bring him to the Yankees after what he did with the Red Sox? His control seemed lacking to some degree but his velocity was just as good as when he left and he never seemed lose it over the short time he pitched with Boston… He would be a pretty good left handed setup man and he along with Marte, Coke/Dunn could make quite a few tough hard throwing lefties out of the pen.
I don’t know if he would do it if he couldn’t be the closer but I have heard he was willing to setup possibly and if so a chance with the defending champs makes sense for a guy looking to win…
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Ian Kennedy has taken his AFL time to sharpen his 2-seam fastball…
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091117&content_id=7678974&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy
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I need your help!
Has anybody been in Russia? What’s your opinion?
I’m going to go there in spring but still I need more information. All I’m familiar with is Moscow…
Can you suggest me something? What to visit? Or probably, you can advise some really interesting places especially which are situated far away from big cities?
Any ideas about travel agencies that hone in on some outstanding or off the wall tourist activities? I visited such web sites as (gotorussia.com, russia-travel.com, dovisit.com, russia.com, etc.), they really offer such tours but I’m not sure they are reliable enough…
I really appreciate your help and advices.
Thanks a lot, Michael
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EJ Fagan Reply:
December 31st, 2009 at 6:28 am
No idea on the specifics, but in the words of my Russian Politics professor a few years ago, “Never try and drink a Russian under the table. You’ll lose.”
Good luck!
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“An MLB executive tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the Yankees plan to pursue free agent relievers Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez.”
Both Soriano and Gonzalez could do well in our pen as setup men but I see Gonzalez in the same mold as Marte so I don’t think we need another lefty in his 30’s… Soriano is the one I would want to be the setup man for Mo he can come in take over the 8th, handle a closing situation or 2 if Mariano is unavailable that day and he shouldn’t cost all that much to establish the 8th.
Mariano, CL
Soriano, SU
Marte, LHP
Robertson, RHP
Coke, LHP
Bruney, RHP
Gaudin, RHP
Aceves, RHP
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EddieA Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
I like it! the only thing is I thought the yanks were cost cutting. Soriano will cost a pretty penny to obtain.
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The other Chris H Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
some 60+ million is coming off the book and Soriano is a setup man… He made 6 million this year which was a 4 million dollar raise from the previous year… I really have a hard time seeing him making 6 million this year and definitely no more than that.
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According to Bob Nightengale The Yankees are letting teams around the league know that Nick Swisher is available for trade… Who would play RF?
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EddieA Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Why would they make him avail? What are their intentions- to free up money to sign a big fa? Swish is relatively cheap and productive. I dont see why they would give that up.
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The other Chris H Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
It’s not freeing up money we aren’t a firesell team… We made Swisher available last year right after trading for him… Trading Swisher would be done in order to not sign a free agent and use Swisher’s trade value to bring in a starting pitcher most likely but I doubt he goes anywhere.
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“Jason Bay rejected a contract offer from the Red Sox worth close to $60MM over four years, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. We’ve heard for a while that Bay wants to test the free agent market.”
So Bay apparently wants closer to 20 million dollars per year, does anyone think he is worth? Maybe the offensively starved Giants but that park isn’t very inviting and I don’t know why Bay would leave the Sox for the Giants.
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Why isnt anyone talking about the yanks signing Marlon Byrd? He plays good d and has a good bat.
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The other Chris H Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
The number 1 reason is that the Rangers need to keep him, they may not but they really do need an outfielder with his credentials so letting him walk is dumb by them!
The number 2 reason is that Marlon is 32 years old and is wanting a long term deal coming off a career year in a contract year… He has never hit 20 HRs before this year and this was the first year he ever had 500+ ABs…
Marlon Byrd’s UZR rating this year was -6 and his RngR is -1.8 so he didn’t do that well on D this year and we really need more of a CF playing LF…
A much smarter move than signing Byrd to a 3-5 year deal is signing Mike Cameron to a 1 year deal who played well above average CF defense this year and can provide 25 HRs to our lineup and he will only cost 5-8 million on a 1 year deal.
Mike Cameron 2009 RngR 14.7 in CF
Mike Cameron 2009 UZR 10 in CF
Marlon Byrd 2009 RngR -1.8 in LF
Marlon Byrd 2009 UZR -6 in LF
2009 offense
Mike Cameron (37 next year)- .250, 24 HRs
Marlon Byrd (33 next year)- .283, 20 HRs
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EddieA Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
I like Mike Cameron too, but he’s a stop gap to what?
I wouldnt mind signing him to a 2 yr deal, and then pry Victorino away from the Phils to replace him and to fill in the 2 hole in our lineup.
I’m not a firm believer in that uzr stat bc victorino has a horrible uzr, yet he won the gold glove last yr and I’ve seen him make some nice plays. I’d say Shane is an avg def cf, but based on this uzr stat its like no team would want him patrolling the field.
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EddieA Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
All in all, theres some nice players out there I wouldnt mind the yanks getting either by trade or fa- relievers, outfielders, pitchers (sheets). I just want them to put the best team on the field to have a chance to repeat and not miss a beat if they cannot re-sign some of their own.
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The other Chris H Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 10:33 pm
He’s a stop gap to either or Ausin Jackson or after this season Jayson Werth is a FA and can play LF or RF if you want to then trade Swisher or move Nick to LF. Adam Dunn is also a FA after the season and while I see him as a DH he would still likely get a handful of starts in LF so other guys could get in at DH without losing Dunn’s bat.
Gold Gloves don’t mean anything toward defense! The Gold glove is often times based on either reputation, flashy plays instead of solid D and the abiltity to hit believe it or not… Jeter did well this year but Gold Glove level? I don’t think so…
The RngR stat is the one I use more than just UZR even though both together can tell you something about the player especially in the OF…
We can re-sign our own but I really hope we don’t for the most part! The only ones who should be brought back are Andy on a 1 year deal and Matsui on a 1 year deal.
Damon can’t play LF anymore
Hinske is just a power lefty bat off the bench and Juan Miranda can do that
Hairston Jr is a solid defensive player but Ramiro Pena can play all those position as well or better with a younger bat
A lineup with Cameron in CF and Melky in LF or maybe Cameron in LF and Gardner in CF…
Jeter, SS
Cano, 2B
Tex, 1B
Arod, 3B
Posada, C
Matsui, DH
Swisher, RF
Cameron, CF
Cabrera, LF
Combined with a starting rotation of…
Sabathia
Burnett
Pettitte
Sheets
Hughes
Bullpen
Mariano, CL
Soriano, SU
Marte, LHP
Robertson, RHP
Coke, LHP
Bruney, RHP
Gaudin, RHP
Aceves, RHP
You end up cutting payroll and upgrading your outfield defense and starting rotation depth and set yourself up to repeat and get younger in the process because you didn’t get locked into any real long term deals.
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Just off the top of my head I came up with five or so better leftys then Johnson. At least, pitchers that I would want on my team.
How about these guys; Warren Spahn, Steve Carlton, Whitey Ford, Sandy Koufax, Carl Hubbel or Lefty Grove and just for the hell of it CC.
Give me any three of them and even I could win the WS with the Nationals. Remember, those guys (except CC) are use to three or four day starts. Just to think at one time the Mets had three of the (soon to be) best pitchers on their team at one time…so sad!
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The other Chris H Reply:
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:39 pm
I wouldn’t take CC over Randy Johnson in his prime and I would only take Spahn and maybe Grove over Randy out of that list…. Are you really trying to put down a 300 game winner just because the Yankees want to sign Chapman? That is ridiculous! Randy has already proven himself and has proven himself to be a talent that lasted the years and is still pitching well into his 40s even with the injury last year.
I really don’t know how you put Koufax over Johnson, Randy has had a much longer career and proven to be affective for a lot longer time which has to count for something. Whitey Ford was a great pitcher but Randy’s level? Randy was and to some degree still is a very dominate and powerful lefty.
EDIT: Actually CC might be debatable… Randy is clearly the more overpowering strikeout pitcher but CC’s abiltity on short rest and his big body frame make him durable…
Where do you see Sabathia’s rank being all time in lefties when he is done? I know he is a somewhat longshot to reach 300 but with the Yankees offense behind him and CC’s abiltity coupled with his relative health throughout his career he has a much more real shot than anyone else.
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You guys already heard about the josh johnson news, right? Would any of you guys trade for him? He’s only 25 and has some good stuff.
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The other Chris H Reply:
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Johnson has injury concerns which is why the Marlins don’t want to go over 3 years on the extension but he can be an absolute beast and really dominate great lineups (and did so against us this year). With that said I probably wouldn’t trade for Johnson because of his injury concerns and the fact that the Marlins rarely get screwed on trades for their great players… Look at Beckett it would be a very similar deal and the only player we have on the level of Hanley Ramirez is Jesus Montero and I wouldn’t trade him for anyone right now and especially not him+ more prospects, thanks but no thanks… We can sign him if he makes it to the market.
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Is anyone else getting the feeling the Yankees aren’t trying to bring Damon back to DH and instead they are trying to bring Damon back to play LF for 2 years? I really hope I’m wrong but if it’s DH Matsui has all the better power numbers and is a better hitter on the road when it comes to power so the only reason to bring Damon in over Matsui is if Damon is playing LF and if Damon is playing LF we are screwed!
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I really like this Chapman kid and I don’t care what team he goes to I want him to do well (except if he becomes a Red Sock) but is anyone else just plain tired of reading and talking about him? I have never debated someone so much who wasn’t even actually in baseball… It’s not a bad thing to talk about but boy this story has gone on for along time!
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I would take Carl Hubbell, Steve Carlton, Sandy Koufax, Warren Spahn and Lefty Grove over a malcontent as Johnson.
Let me put it this way; Denny McLain won 31 games one year right? What doesn’t show up is, his team won a few of those games for him. If one goes by the record, they see 30 wins, not how he won them. Granted, his era. was under 2.20+/- and started over 40+/- games with over 300 innings. Randy has had the same thing going for him with his time on the mound.
Those guys above (except for Steve, for awhile) were on avg., or less then avg., teams then was Johnson…makes a difference but so does the period they pitched in.
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The other Chris H Reply:
November 24th, 2009 at 1:05 am
I’m not going off of Randy’s win total… I am going off of Randy Johnson’s pure stuff and very few lefties have hit 100 MPH like Randy has with the nasty strikeout stuff he has!
Let’s put it this way Randy Johnson is 2nd in the all time strikeout list second only to Nolan Ryan so not only does he have 300 wins but he is the number one lefty all time in strikeouts… His stuff for a lefty is almost unprecedented…. I’ll take Randy.
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Does anyone know why some peoples posts (not all posts) are all turned into links and when you quote it doesn’t actually quote anything but the name?
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
November 24th, 2009 at 1:10 am
Yeah there wasa problem with a plugin. I’m working on it.
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The other Chris H Reply:
November 24th, 2009 at 1:20 am
Just making sure it wasn’t just my computer haha…
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Red Sox apparently have interest in Justin Duchscherer and since Justin was originally drafted by Boston it seems they want him back as insurance for Wakefield and Dice K…
This does nothing to the Halladay plans but what it does do is put us in the driver seat for Sheets if we want him, if they trade for Halladay it would take away his shot to start the year in the rotation… with the Yankees he just has to bump either Hughes or Joba to the minors.
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Which pitcher would you rather have be the Yankees 4th starter going into the year?
1.Edwin Jackson by trade
2.Sheets by way of contract
3.Bedard by way of contract
4.Joba with Hughes as 5th starter
5.Hughes with Joba as 5th starter
Me personally I would rather go with Jackson just because he is still young (26), throws hard (98 MPH), has experience in the AL East and pitched well against our own lineup in Yankee stadium this year in the rain! He provides everything you want, I don’t expect a 3.6 ERA again but he is more than a worthy 4th starter in a rotation.
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I like Option #4, but you probably know that already. Sheets intrigues me also.
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The other Chris H Reply:
November 25th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
I just don’t think you can trust that going into the season with your backups being Mitre and Gaudin… You are basically having to hope that Andy, Burnett and CC all have the same season or better, I have no problem with both Hughes and Joba being starters but I think one (Joba) needs to start the season in the minor leagues.
CC
AJ
Andy
Pitcher X
Hughes
This allows you to let Hughes start at the major league level and at the same time develop Joba as a starter in an environment geared towards development more so than winning that way Joba can focus on developing his change and his curve and getting his velocity up and keeping his slider crisp which he wasn’t doing last year.
To go into the season with just Hughes and Joba is asking for trouble to me… If Andy or AJ get hurt you are looking at a lacking rotation…
Sabathia
Burnett
Joba
Hughes
Mitre/Gaudin
Or
Sabathia
Pettitte
Joba
Hughes
Mitre/Gaudin
OR
Sabathia
Joba
Hughes
Gaudin
Mitre/Kennedy
If you add a capable starting pitcher like Sheets at least you avoid option 3…
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Buster Olney says the Yankees are looking to add two relievers but that they might not be willing to give up na first round draft pick for them…
Personally I hope Jose Valverde ends up signing a deal with the Yankees but if it’s not him I have no problem with the Yankees signing Soriano, Gonzalez or Lyon.
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In AL East news Alex Gonzalez decided to take the Blue Jays 1 year deal and is leaving the Red Sox but staying in division… This means the Sox and Jays could be doing a SS switch if Scutaro decides to go to Boston.
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More AL East moves…
the Rays traded a PTBN to the Indians for Kelly Shoppach. so now both Indians catchers are in the AL East alongside their former battery mate Sabathia.
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The Yankees are showing interest in Brandon Lyon according the Ken Rosenthal…
Lyon had a .205 OBA to both right handed hitters and left handed hitters and actually gave up more HRs to righties than lefties which could help him in the New Yankee Stadium… (112 ABs Vs LHP- 1 HR, 161 ABs Vs RHP- 6 HRs)
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The other Chris H Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 11:37 pm
Which relief pitcher available would you rather have? All have been offered arbitration so they all cost picks.
Brandon Lyon(30)- 78.2 IP, 56 H, 7 HR (1 VS LHP), 31 BB, 57 Ks, 2.86 ERA, .205 OBA
Rafael Soriano(29)- 75.2 IP, 53 H, 6 HR (4 Vs LHP), 27 BB, 102 Ks, 2.97 ERA, .194 OBA
Mike Gonzalez(31)- 74.1 IP, 56 H, 7 HR (2 Vs LHP), 33 BB, 90 Ks, 2.42 ERA, .209 OBA
Soriano has the best strikeout numbers but is the most vulnerable to left handed power and even though Gonzalez is a lefty he has better strikeout stuff than Lyon even though Lyon gave up the least amount of LH HRs.
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 11:50 pm
Lyon scares me, seems like a typical reliever who fails in the big spot. I’m probably underrrating him a bit, but I like the other two guys much better.
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The other Chris H Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 10:40 pm
I would have to agree, he doesn’t dominate nearly enough which can be a big difference in the AL East but going on his splits alone he had a .190 BAA with RISP, a .190 with RISP and 2 outs and .273 with bases loaded.
My personal choice would be Soriano because I think a RHP for the 8th is best considering we have Marte and Coke/Dunn to deal with lefties.
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Well Scutaro has joined the Red Sox on a 2 year deal and I am pretty sure this is a down grade from Gonzalez considering Gonzalez has better defense and Scutaro just had a career year in a contract year at the age of 33, a feat he likely will not repeat.
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EddieA Reply:
December 4th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Yep, I think Scutaro falls down to earth this coming season. Last year isnt typical of how he consistently has been.
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The other Chris H Reply:
December 6th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
His year this year reminds me so much of Adrian Beltre’s last year with the Dodgers! Career highs in every statistic with power numbers way higher than ever before all indicates a contract year that won’t be repeated. Beltre has never hit more than 36 before or since he hit 40 that year, they just fall back down to who they are. Keeping Scutaro until he is 37 will only hurt them.
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I was reading some of the comments from a month or so , came up with one I thought was very unusual…
About Montero, this was written:
“I see him as an Elston Howard type who can hit .300, hit 30 HR’s and play LF/DH/1b and maybe even some catcher, though I doubt he’ll ever be an everyday catcher.
Romine and Murphy are the catchers of the future.”
I only hope I misunderstood the opinion of Elston Howard by the poster, because he was a very good catcher for many years. In fact, he was a better catcher then Yogi, that is why yogi spent most of his years from about 1960/61 to 1966(?) in the out field. Another reason Yogi was in the OF more was…age, we all know how that is with catchers. Needless to say, both were very good G.G. Catchers, something Montero has little chance of becoming. If Montero becomes about as good as Posada…should that be enough?
I do agree with his last sentence, made a good point.
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Chip Reply:
December 6th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
If Montero can manage to be compared defensively to Posada, he’ll be a perennial MVP candidate. I mean Mauer hit .294/.372/.411 as a 22 year old in the majors for an OPS of .783 (his first full season). Montero’s season (which was cut short just as he was really starting to heat up) in AA last season translates to a .262/.303/.421 season according to the MLE calculator which gives you a .724 OPS despite the fact that he’s only 19.
For another comparison, Montero hit .317/.370/.539/.909 as a 19 year old in AA while Mauer hit .341/.400/.453/.853 despite being a year older in his AA season. That just goes to show that if he can manage to stick behind the plate, Montero has a chance to be historically (like Mike Piazza) good.
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The other Chris H Reply:
December 6th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
I think anyone would be happy with a Mike Piazza or Jorge Posada behind the plate if he can swing at a level anywhere near that, the kid seems to be one of the great pure hitters to come along in a great while! That doesn’t guarantee him success but it gives him a great chance and with Jorge Posada, Joe Girardi and Tony Pena all on the team he should be able to pick up something defensively behind the plate, at least enough to be good enough to stick. My only concern is at 20 he is already 6′4, 225 pounds, I mean this kid could get up to 240 easy you have to wonder about his pure size behind the plate and the target that t creates and what will ultimately wear out his body and decide if the risk is worth losing his bat possibly or moving him to a new position.
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Chip Reply:
December 7th, 2009 at 2:53 am
Jose Molina is 6-2, 235 and he’s regarded as a great backstop. It’s possible that he can still grow and stick back there. Obviously, Montero only has to be somewhere in the same ballpark as league-average to be an absolute monster
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Черт возьми! Круто!
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Old Ranger Reply:
December 7th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
odonteplete…
“Dammit cool!”
Looks Russian to me, did it translate right?
Or is it “Damm cool”
===================================
Chip…
“though I doubt he’ll ever be an everyday catcher.”
“Romine and Murphy are the catchers of the future.”
If Montero becomes ABOUT as good as Posada…should that be enough?
The first two lines were written by the person I quoted, the last one was mine…I agree with all 3 of the lines and hope I am wrong on the first one. We should know in the next year or so…maybe, sooner.
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Chip Reply:
December 8th, 2009 at 8:34 am
I’m actually incredibly high on Romine. I think he’s going to turn into an above-average MLB catcher. Still, Montero is on another planet. If Romine and Montero can split time at catcher at the MLB level with Montero occasionally playing 1B/DH, that’s a huge boost to our offense. Like I said, even if Montero can hang with the worst catchers in the league, he could be historically great.
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Old Ranger Reply:
December 8th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Yup…!
Putting the whole package together (offence/defense), Romine is the guy, Montero is the big bat. There have been many players come up as good stick, -/- “D” and turned it around with a lot of hard work at the major league level. If Montero wants it bad enough and works hard enough, he can improve his defense an acceptable amount. One needs the God given talent to improve much more then that…does he have that talent to tap into? If not, so/so catcher (middle of the pack), I could sign-up for that.
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Chip Reply:
December 8th, 2009 at 8:35 am
I’m actually incredibly high on Romine. I think he’s going to turn into an above-average MLB catcher. Still, Montero is on another planet. If Romine and Montero can split time at catcher at the MLB level with Montero occasionally playing 1B/DH, that’s a huge boost to our offense. Like I said, even if Montero can hang with the worst catchers in the league, he could be historically great.
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The other Chris H Reply:
December 8th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
If Romine gets good enough with the bat you could possibly get to the point where they switch off between catcher and DH and keep both of them fresh and keep both bats in the lineup, it’s a long shot but it could happen.
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Well the reports are in and the Tigers have asked the Yankees for Phil Hughes and Austin Jackson in return for Granderson so it looks as though that idea is dead and we can move on to Mike Cameron.
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Chip Reply:
December 8th, 2009 at 8:38 am
That’s what they asked for, it’s not what they expect to get. They throw Phil Hughes in there and hope the Yankees allow them to get Austin Jackson+
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The other Chris H Reply:
December 8th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
They ended up with Jackson+ but it ha to be done through a 3-way trade, I wonder who called who to setup a 3 way deal? It really seems like Granderson was the Yankees plan A this offseason for the outfield.
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As expected; I don’t like it, we gave up to much! IPK and A-Jax ok, but all three of them…No way. I do like the idea of having CG but, the cost!?!
Coke is a good guy to have around (lefty)…now we have; Granderson, Swisher, Melky, Brett and Pena for the OF. Swisher and CG strike out a lot (140+), about two times(+) as many times as BB.
I like defense, speed and athleticism in my OF, with Swisher, Matsui, Tex, Posada and Cano we have guys to hit the long ball. Why do we need 8 guys hitting 25 or more HRs a year…it’s nice to have but not a “Got to have”.
I would go with this…
CG-LF
Jeter-SS
Tex-1B
A-Rod-3B
Matsui-DH
Posada-C
Cano-2B
Swisher-RF
Brett-CF
Not because I like Brett as a player anymore then Melky, it’s just he has more things to bring to the game if he gets to play every day. He hasn’t had the chance to play every day as Melky did when he came up. Remember, he lost his job because he came back to soon. After his hand injury, he wasn’t the same with the bat, was clueless. This team is getting older every year, with Pena on the bench we have a guy to come in and pinch run.
If Melky improves as much in 2010 as he did in 2009, we may have a good trading chip or, a good OF replacement for injuries. He showed well last year.
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The other Chris H Reply:
December 8th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
You like Coke and Kennedy way to much!
Jackson isn’t going to be as good as Granderson, Coke is nothing more than an average left handed reliever and Dunn is going to be better than him anyway and Kennedy is never going to be anything more than a 4th or 5th starter and for us right now he is the 7th or 8th starter behind Joba, Hughes, Gaudin and Mitre and only slightly above McAllister and Nova.
No way Granderson takes over leadoff!
I would go with the following lineup…. Buster Olney has already reported Granderson will hit 2nd…
Jeter, SS
Granderson, CF
Tex, 1B
Arod, 3B
Matsui, DH
Posada, C
Cano, 2B
Swisher, RF
Melky, LF
Melky has the better arm in LF and isn’t a good player off the bench so he basically gets buried behind Miranda and Pena on the bench, while Gardner however is a weapon off the bench and can steal on Que. Pena isn’t a pinch runner who can steal bases Gardner on the other hand can steal bases almost every time he pinch runs and he makes Pena the super sub first off the bench for the infield and the 5th outfielder which is what he should be.
I say at least start with Melky in LF and see what happens with his performance.
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Chip Reply:
December 9th, 2009 at 9:53 am
Agreed on the overvaluing of Coke and Kennedy. Coke isn’t in the same league as Marte and Dunn is essentially equivalent to him. I’m really high on IPK so it was tough to see him go but it’s not like he was getting his shot this year and possibly not next year. Say the Yankees go out and sign Cliff Lee next year, now you’re looking at CC/AJ/Lee/Joba/Hughes which is a killer rotation while Kennedy continues to burn through options.
Honestly though, in my heart of hearts I’d rather see Granderson move over to left and put Gardner in center as the everyday lineup. Granderson is really good on defense but I don’t think people realize how incredibly good Brett is out there. Also, Granderson is going to put Melky to shame in left field. Nothing would ever fall in left center with those two running around out there. On top of that, you get a guy in Gardner who could end up stealing 50 bases if he can get 500 ABs.
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Old Ranger Reply:
December 9th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
I may have over valued Coke but not IPK…I said, Coke was to much…not IPK. Doesn’t matter anyhow but, I also liked IPK, I thought he could be a help in the BP as the long man or a #3/4 starter in the National league.
I do agree with your last paragraph and Jeter and CG were put in the wrong order…my bad.
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The other Chris H Reply:
December 9th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
I like Kennedy out of the pen but he was never anything more than 5th starter and those grow on trees, he was blocked by a few guys anyway and was never going to be a big part of any championships. I am interested to see what he can do in the NL though, I will be watching some Diamondback games this year.
Coke lost a lot of his value once he started getting hammered by lefties, he was basically a left specialist who gave up more HRs to lefties than righties and you can’t have that, Dunn has more potential and in the end trading those 3 for Granderson isn’t bad you have to trade talent for talent and I think we got more talent back than we traded.
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Gardner 50 bases? It will never happen because you can’t get that many opportunities when you hit dead last in the batting order and he isn’t bumping anyone down!
Granderson is not a LF and his bat combined with Melky’s glove and D is much more valuable than having Gardner’s glove and D combined with Granderson. Besides if Gardner starts Melky becomes a nobody and can’t play off the bench so he needs to be traded and after that Pena is the 4th outfielder. If Gardner is on the bench however he is a weapon and it makes Pena even more valuable being the 5th outfielder and first infielder off the bench.
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Chip Reply:
December 13th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
Gardner would steal 50 bases if given 500-600 ABs and a .350 on-base percentage. I’m not sure you can say for sure that the Granderson/Melky combo would beat out the Granderson/Gardner combo. I think if you move Granderson to left field he probably wins the gold glove and Gardner would be one of the best defensive center fielders in the league. That would be an outfield defense that only the Mariners could touch.
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The other Chris H Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
He won’t get 500-600 ABs in the role he is one on our team and he wouldn’t get that many ABs hitting in the 9th spot because he will be subbed out to much for Melky and others…
Again if you only look defensively… If you are reasonable about it you don’t trade Kennedy and Jackson for Granderson to put him in LF, besides that Gardner hasn’t shown any consistency against either handed pitcher enough so to warrant putting him in the lineup every single day and I have concerns of him even getting to a .350+ OBP with the struggles he has. Melky’s bat and arm in LF would be better than Gardner’s D in CF with no bat.
Gardner has a career .256/.325/.352/.677
Gardner in 2009 Vs RHP .264/.335/.373/708
Gardner career numbers Vs LHP .241/.310/.316/.626
Now he can’t hit right handed batters very well last year and in his career he isn’t a good AB vs left handed pitchers which makes him average at best overall because he is below average with his bat… Tee fact he is fast and will still a base if he gets on doesn’t change that much. You can’t steal first base.
Melky hit 13 Hrs last year and is only showing improvement over the last 3 years, I think he will be at 15-18 HRs next year and if that is the case with his defense and arm strength in LF he is better with Granderson in CF than Gardner with Granderson in LF.
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Chip Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Yeah I know he’d never get 500-600 at bats but you’re picking pretty convenient numbers to throw out there. Also, he was injured parts of last year in addition to his major league sample size being fairly small.
The problem with making the argument about not putting Granderson in left field is that you don’t make those kind of decisions based on who you traded for him but how he can best help your team in the present. I just really want to see Gardner get a real shot in the big leagues but I think it’s going to have to be with another team.
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The other Chris H Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Let me make this real clear for you so you get!
Melky in LF and Granderson in CF BETTER than Granderson in LF and Gardner in CF IMO!!!!
So you think career numbers and numbers he put up this year which all show he sucks with the bat are convenient because I am trying to make him look like and hitter when he isn’t or because he is generally a bad hitter? He isn’t a wizz with the bat! All his value comes from his defense and his legs and because of that Melky will have the much better bat next year and if I am right and Melky hits 13-18 HRs next year while playing above average D in LF than he is better than Gardner in CF hitting .260 and stealing 20 bases.
I think it’s pretty convenient for your argument to throw out 50 stolen bases when you know there is no way for him to reach that total!
I say trade Gardner while he still has value! I would trade him for Thornton from the White Sox in a heart beat!
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Chip Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
If that trade is available I agree that you do it. I still would rather see Gardner get a shot than Melky but I do realize it’s not going to happen. I’d have no problem with the trade.
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The other Chris H Reply:
December 17th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
I doubt it would be available now that the White Sox have traded for Juan Pierre.
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Apparently the Rangers, Mets and Yankees have the most interest in Ben Sheets according to baseball tonight, these are 3 teams we have bee hearing for a while now and if it comes down to these 2 against us I think it’s a no brainer for sheets to choose the Yankees.
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COke is actually a pretty good pitcher.He was lights out ofr awhile his first season and again in the first half.A real bulldog too.I’ll miss him.I think he’s going to be around a long time getting lefties out.
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The other Chris H Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
He has to much tendency for the long ball… In his 261 career ABs he has given up 10 HRs and 6 of those to left handed batters, and those don’t include his post season HRs allowed.
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Arquimedes Caminero- Is he the Rule V pick?
Arquimedes Caminero, rhp
Age: 22 Level: Low A-Double-A
Caminero is a pure fireballer, armed with an explosive 95-98 mph fastball and a mid-80s slider. That combination makes him death on righthanders. His big (6-4) frame is conducive to starting, but Caminero’s aggressiveness, inconsistency, and lack of a third pitch make him a prime bullpen candidate. Working out of the ‘pen would also get him moving quicker, as he’s 22 and has pitched sparingly above short-season ball. Caminero needs to overcome astounding control deficiencies (nearly 6 BB/9 this year over 40 IP–compared to 13.5 K/9), but he has the scorching stuff to make an impact. His name definitely won’t hurt (Arquimedes Euclides Caminero).
Edit/Delete Message
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One thing overlooked on a player hitting 9th, after the 1st inning, it doesn’t matter. Having him hitting in front of Jeter and CG, Tex and A-Rod is a plus. I still say, he would have more impact on the team then Melky. Of course that’s only my opinion, others think otherwise…so be it, that’s what Blogs are for.
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“Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski told Steve Kornacki of MLive.com that there’s a chance Phil Coke starts in Detroit. “.
Really how? With a 91 MPH fastball and a slider that doesn’t always break well? This has got to be a joke right? Coke was OK as a lefty reliever but he can’t start what else will he throw his lack of change change up?
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I just read that the phils traded for doc, but they gave up lee. Thats a dumb move. how does this make them better? If they had lee AND Doc, then it would of been a good trade for the Phils.
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Chip Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
This way they can get a long-term ace rather than just lose Lee next season.
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The other Chris H Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
So they want a long term ace who is 2 years older than Lee?
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Chip Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
Never said it makes sense but they want to lock Halladay up for many years rather than big for a big-name free agent pitcher. Apparently they think they’re better off this way. I think it’s a sideways move at best
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The other Chris H Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
Sideways for now until Halladay is 38 and Lee is 36 and still has more good years left than Halladay… I guess they thought Halladay would take less money to leave the Jays than Lee would to stay a Philly.
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EJ Fagan Reply:
December 15th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
The Phils got a better haul for Lee than they gave up. Aumont is the real deal.
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I just want to tell you that your blog is very interesting, what template did you use ?
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What you think about news – GOPers Hold ‘Prayercast’ to Ask God to Stop Health Reform ?
Wanna hear your opinion
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Old Ranger Reply:
December 18th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Not a bad gambit, someone has to stop them…they are way out of control. Socialist do the things they have been doing, and yet they wish to be known as Progressives. Most of the stuff is against the Constitution but, they control everything so, what can we do…2010 is a new election year, time to take back this country and make it like it use to be. You get what you work for, not what I work for.
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Allen Reply:
December 21st, 2009 at 8:30 am
Ok so what exactly in the two bills are “Socialist” and “Unconstitutional”?
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EJ Fagan Reply:
December 22nd, 2009 at 2:13 pm
An 1890s reading of the Constitution is irrelevant today. The 1930s changed what Government can and cannot do, and mostly for the better. “What it used to be” to me is always a silly distinction – except for a brief period during the 1980s where taxes were a little bit lower, federal tax rates are the lowest they’ve been since before WWII. Government has scaled back regulation over the past 30 years to an astonishing degree – the number of companies treated like public utilities is nothing compared to the 60s and 70s.
And its mostly been for the better. A few bumps in the road, but that’s the nature of public policy.
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Old Ranger Reply:
December 23rd, 2009 at 10:25 am
Sorry EJ, the Constitution is the law of the land, it has been twisted turned and until Pres. Johnson, more or less followed. Remember FDR wanted to change many things; the Supreme Court from 9 to 12 for one…he wanted to add 4 libs to the court so he could do some of the things he wanted to do.
One must read the Constitution and learn the thoughts behind it, to understand our founding fathers wanted the Gov. to be unobtrusive and limited.
As of 2009, we have had a dictatorship, run by un-elected appointees of OB (that have admitted they are socialists/communists), not the two houses of Gov.
If you need the thoughts of those behind the Constitution, try reading the papers of Ben Franklin, Adams etc. very educational stuff.
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roy Reply:
December 24th, 2009 at 3:08 am
Old Ranger, read the works of Hamilton. Anyway, the Civil War had a greater effect than FDR.
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Old Ranger Reply:
December 24th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Roy, I have read Hamilton and many of the others, it was required reading in school.
You are right, to some degree but, the Civil War was more about economics then freeing the slaves, most books now days make it out as though it was all about slavery.
FDR tried to do the same thing Obama is doing now, the problem was…he didn’t own the congress and courts, Obama does.
Anyhow, this isn’t the right forum for this stuff. Let’s get back to the important stuff…like baseball and the Yankees.
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EJ Fagan Reply:
December 31st, 2009 at 6:38 am
The Supreme Court gets to decide what the Law of the Land is, and without their interpretation the Constitution is just a pile of words. They’ve repeatedly held up a General Welfare-based, post New Deal reading of the Constitution. FDR’s Supreme Court shenanigans failed, which proves the resiliency of the democratic system established. And despite this, the Court mostly upheld the New Deal when challenged.
A federalist interpretation of the Constitution is essentially a Night Watchman state. Strict reading would mean the elimination of the Social Security administration, Medicare, Tennessee Valley Authority, Federal Reserve, Department of Education, EPA, and even the Air Force. A documented written in the colonial era obviously needs to be given some leeway today. The Supreme Court has established that the limits of public policy on a broad scale, when not discriminatory, arbitrary, or capricious, can be established by our elected officials, who almost to a person support the above mentioned programs.
While the interpretation you are mentioning is a nice fantasy, it doesn’t work in the real world. The Constitution gives enough flexibility to push the limits of what used to be accepted practice.
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Whoa, new layout
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Old Ranger Reply:
December 25th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
You got it Eric…
On to Baseball…sorry about that, it was way off topic!
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The Giants are so bad.
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Люди в подобных случаях говорят – Бей своих — чужие будут боятся.
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How many of you are old enough to remember the pictures on the news and in the papers (during the VN war) of a Vietnamese officer shooting a bound NVR in the head?
That was my introduction to bad journalism. They never reported the part that was very pertinent…the rest of the story.
The NVR had just raped and killed his wife and kids, he was very up-set (to say the lest)…so, he shot him.
Me, I would have…let’s just say, it wouldn’t be nice.
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Jay says:
January 4, 2010 at 7:11 pm
Ken, normally I agree with you. I just have no idea how you can make this argument, when it’s SUCH a subjective issue. For instance, how did ARod go from “clutch” when with Seattle, “clutch” with the Yankees in the ALDS against the Twins, then go on an “unclutch” stretch from the ALCS ‘04-’08, then became “clutch” again. And then David Ortiz in the playoffs used to be “clutch,” but in the last couple years, became “unclutch.” Explain this? These are just two examples.
I assume that because you are the “Old Ranger,” you are probably older then I am. I know you used to comment at RAB (I’m pretty sure you used to end your posts with a 27 at the bottom). Being 30 years old, I deal with my grandfather and situations like this all the time; whatever he sees, he believes that is the way things are. The fact is, your eyes lie. I also think stats lie as well, so I am not going to try to beat you over the head with OPS+, WAR, UZR and stuff like that. However, unless you are able to look at an 18 year old and decide if that kid could turn into a superstar, you need to rely on stats more often then not. A good baseball player gets 600 ABs a year, and plays 10 years or so. They also have 3 years of minors, spring ball, winter leagues, etc… There is no way your eyes can see all these at bats, thus you cannot determine, just off of what you see, whether or not a player is having a great week, month or year, or if the player is just that good. Relying on your eyes will get you Chris Shelton, and get rid of ARod because he is bad in the postseason.
In the case of Vasquez, I’m not in disagreement with the post. He thus far hasn’t shown that he has performed well. However, if you look at his portfolio as a whole, both how he performed and what he costs/is worth, it’s a major plus. I agree with your closing statement about his lack of being the leader. I do think the arguement could be made also that last year he turned a corner. Lastly, the key to the entire post is this: “And of course, there’s a big difference between “hasn’t” and “can’t”. I’m willing to say that Vazquez certainly hasn’t pitched well under pressure in his career, but not that he can’t.”
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I had the same trouble with older people, as you have with your Grandfather. One day I found myself doing the same thing, but a Lt. Col. told me I was getting sloppy in my planning for a job. I reevaluated how I approached things after that.
I digress, Yes, clutch is very subjective but i have seen and worked with guys that were clutch and not so much. I believe clutch is in the DNA (mind and talent) of a person, sometimes one doesn’t have the confidence in himself. One day he needs to step up…and surprises himself by doing so. Most of the time if you mention to that person he came through in the clutch…he is bewildered…that was his job, no big deal or I had no choice.
Yes, I did post on RAB, you were right, Yes I am very old but, I hope I never become an old fart that thinks; “It was always done that way,” ETC. One does learn from history but, the main thing is always “Adapt & Improvise” with any situation or any time in life. I have also learned from people much younger then I am, many times, so being 30 or 18 years old is not a sin.
Very good Reply Jay, I liked it. Thanks!
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I was thinking: will anyone ever break Nolan Ryan’s single season strikeout record?? I just came across this stat (383 Ks) playing videogames and I got a bit curious, so I did some research. Not even close to what the guys here at TYU do, just some 15 minutes spent between google and wikipedia.
As you know, Ryan K’d 383 batters in his record-breaking season. Just to put things in perspective I looked at the 2009 stats for Justin Verlander, Tim Lincecum and CC Sabathia. The first two led the MLB with 269 and 261 Ks. CC got “only” 197 strikeouts, but I looked at his stats because I’m a big fan of his. LOL.
I also did some math, and came to the conclusion that a pitcher, who would start 32 games in a season, would have to K 12 guys per start, and would still break the record by only one single strikeout. If this ace would pitch for, say… 7 innings in every single start, he would have to get 1,71 batters per inning, on 3 strikes.
Lincecum got 1.15 in 2009. Verlander got a close 1.12. Our guy CC caught only 0,85 batters on strikes.
As I sayed, I’m an amateur, so I didn’t have the patience or the luck to find the amount of IP by Nolan Ryan to get his 383 SOs. But he was over 40, so he didn’t break any records in THIS stat in the ‘93 season So I can’t really compare my Ks/IP stat.
But let me throw in another set of numbers. Verlander recorded 720 outs in 2009. 269 by strikeout, that means 37,3% outs by Ks. Lincecum got 676 outs, with 261 Ks (38,6%) and Sabathia outed 690, with his 197 Ks (28,5%).
That Ace we imagined above (the guy with the 32 starts, 7IP and 12Ks)… He would record 672 outs, and 384 Ks. That would get him a sky-high 57,1% of outs by strikeout.
Even if he pitched 8 innings in every start, he would still get 50,2% of batters by K.
So, bottom line is: Even todays aces (Lincecum, CC and Verlander) don’t even get close to what would be necessary to break Ryan’s record. That’s why I can’t see that happening.
Please, if you don’t agree with me or if I made a bizzare math mistake (that is highly probable. I always sucked in math! =[ ) or even if this post is too long and boring, correct me or show it to me. I would gladly see my theory fail, even better if CC breaks it. But I just don’t see it happening. Thanks for reading
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Ken (O.R.) Reply:
January 29th, 2010 at 1:18 am
One thing you may have missed, Nolan started 40+ game back in 1970 or 74. Some where in there is when they all went to 5 man rotations…I think.
On the other hand, most guys hated to face him…I have heard a lot of players say things like “I had a count of 0 and 2 when I stepped into the box” or “No chance”. A few of his records will not be broken….I don’t think anyhow.
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Guys,
Being a Brit, even though I get to see the Yankees as often as I can, it’s no more than a few times each season – and I have never been to spring training. So I was pretty excited when I decided that I would soon be attending a conference in Miami, because I figured I would probably be able to catch a game during my trip.
Sadly, the conference is taking place slightly earlier than I’d hoped (Feb 25/26) and even though I will stop over in Florida for the weekend of 27/28 as well, I will be elsewhere by the time the Grapefruit League begins! Darn!
I will probably schedule my travel so that I am in Tampa for the weekend anyway, and I wondered if you seasoned campaigners can suggest if there will be anything occurring at Legends Field (or elsewhere in the area) that would at least allow me to scratch the itch, even if it doesn’t satisfy my craving for the new season? Like, are there weekend practices that are open to spectators for example?
I’ve twice tried contacting the stadium staff about this and have received no reply
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Cheers
Tim
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Anyone going to be in Tampa on the weekend of Feb 27 / 28?
I eventually heard back from Steinbrenner Field (after three emails and two phone calls) and they confirmed that since I am in town that weekend, I might like to watch the public workouts in the stadium, which run between 10 and 2.
Since this is the closest I am going to get to Spring Training this year, I’m pretty excited to be getting my fix of live ball. Anyone else happen to be in Tampa over that weekend?
Tim
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The yankees are going to repeat because the sox lost bay and he is basically there whole offense is david ortiz were to struggle
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Hey guys
I really need some help with a couple of things:
1st: MLB 10: The Show. I’m thinking about buying it and having it sent over to Brazil. However I would have to get the PS 2 version, because PS 3 still costs a fortune down here. Around US$ 800. I looked around on the internet but could’t find any answer to the following question:
Does the PS 2 version have everything that the PS 3 version has? (Of course there is the lower graphic quality and the online playing mode “problem” but those don’t bother me at all)
What I would like to know is, if it makes sense to buy the PS 2 version, or am I gonna get the same features and playing modes of, say, the 07 version but with updated rosters?
Can anyone help me with that?
2nd: MLB.tv. I want to get this because down here we only get one game a week, on sunday nights. That means i have to hope the Yankees are playing on primetime on sundays, or I don’t see them at all.
The good thing is, I don’t think we have blackouts in Brazil, so I would be able to watch every game. Is MLB.tv worth the $25, or are the games shown on terrible quality and you can’t really follow it?
thanks in advance for the help/answers.
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
March 8th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
I cant answer the first question. Regarding the second, I love mlb.tv. If you have a decent internet connection, it is worth every penny.
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