The MLB Thread

Thanks for sharing, shemp.  I had missed that stat.

This team is fun to watch again, but I still don't trust the bullpen.  One more deal for a serious arm would make smackie a very happy man.

Also, I couldn't help but see the parallels last night between the Angels season and the Ducks season, right down to making an already good team better with a trade (Gaborik/Smardzjia) .  The major difference is winning the AL West will be 10 times more important than winning the Pacific Division.  Anything could happen in a one game playoff….

Cespedes did not learn his lesson.  Amazing….but good for my team.


AL: Jose Bautista (captain), Yoenis Cespedes, Brian Dozier and Adam Jones.
NL: Troy Tulowitzki (captain), Yasiel Puig, Giancarlo Stanton and Todd Frazier.

Dodgers v Tigers is fantastic… unless you like pitching.

Tanaka to the DL, MRI on elbow scheduled.  I feel badly for the guy, but F the Yankees.

Also means that whomever finishes second in the vote getting will likely make the team.  That is currently Garret Richards.

vansmack wrote:
Tanaka to the DL, MRI on elbow scheduled.  I feel badly for the guy, but F the Yankees.

Also means that whomever finishes second in the vote getting will likely make the team.  That is currently Garret Richards.

Or not.

"Red Sox closer Koji Uehara will replace Masahiro Tanaka on the American League ‪#‎ASG‬ roster."

vansmack wrote:
Cespedes did not learn his lesson.  Amazing….but good for my team.


AL: Jose Bautista (captain), Yoenis Cespedes, Brian Dozier and Adam Jones.
NL: Troy Tulowitzki (captain), Yasiel Puig, Giancarlo Stanton and Todd Frazier.

Josh Donaldson, too.  That's great news for my Angels!

vansmack wrote:

vansmack wrote:
Tanaka to the DL, MRI on elbow scheduled.  I feel badly for the guy, but F the Yankees.

Also means that whomever finishes second in the vote getting will likely make the team.  That is currently Garret Richards.

Or not.

"Red Sox closer Koji Uehara will replace Masahiro Tanaka on the American League ‪#‎ASG‬ roster."

i think garrett richards gets the nod if tanaka gets injured one day later.

Is Spring Training important?

Stephen Drew is hitting .131
Kendrys Morales is hitting .230

Drew had an entire season before hitting like that in the playoffs.

Interesting stuff from yesterday's Boswell chat…..

Q.
WHO YOU GOT…
…on your team at shortstop, Ripken or Jeter?


A.
THOMAS BOSWELL :
Thanks. Talk about the Question of Questions (for today at least).

I would take Ripken, by a small margin, because he was a far better defensive player.

But most stat analysts would take Ripken by a fairly large margin. Go ahead and be shocked. I am.

Both FanGraphs and Baseball Reference have their own methods for defining the total value of a player. But they come up with similar results. They call it WAR – Wins Above Replacement. But the acronym covers the basic fact: They think they can rank 'em (statistically) and they do.

The conclusion of both is that Ripken was one of the best defensive players in history at any position and the third-best defensive shortstop ever (behind Ozzie Smith and Mark Belanger) while Jeter is one of the very worst defensive shortstops ever. In fact, out of 546 shortstops, going back to the 19th century BaseballReferfence ranks Jeter as the 25th worst ever – or thee 521st best, if you want to put it that way –with a NEGATIVE value in runs to his team for his defense.

Both sources consider Jeter a far better offensive player – almost twice as good, perhaps.

This syncs with what I have said for 25 years about Ripken – absolutely fabulous defensive player at SS, but only a good hitter. That's a main reason his streak is so valid – would you say that Ozzie Smith should take a few days off a season if his hitting slumps a little? Of course not. His defense has enormous value, so never bench it when he's healthy.)

BaseballReference:

Ripken is the 36th best player in history (including pitchers) with a value of 95.5 wins (above an easy to acquire replacement player). Ripken ranks between Pujols and Clemente.

Jeter is the 57th best player ever with a WAR of  72.1. He's just below Larry Walker (!???) and Harry Heilman and just above Rafael Palmeiro and Johny Mize.

See, I told you it would make you want to scream – one way or the other,

FanGraphs also has Cal as the 36th best player (including pitchers) with a value of 92.5 extra wins for his team.

Jeter is 69th with a value of 74.4 wins.

Here's the killer, for bar arguments. FanGraphs – which carries plenty of weight in baseball these days –gives Jeeter an offensive value of +361.6 runs to Ripken's +165.4.

But on defense, Ripken is the fifth best defender in history with a value of 310.1 runs to the O's, behind only Ozzie Smith, Brooks Robinson, Belanger and catcher Ivan (Pudge) Rodriguez with +310.1 runs. While Jeter has a career value of -24.4 runs!

This goes right to the core of the way many teams are currently built with a big weight on sabermetrics and defensive value.

Okay, you want to know. Here are the worst defensive players in history. (Remember, the longer you play the more negative defensive WAR you can build up.) Gary Sheffield, Manny Ramirez, Frank Thomas, Adam Dunn (!) and Dave Winfield.

DAVE WINFIELD!?????

This is why the current valuation arguments get SO loud in baseball.

And here are the five best fielding pitchers ever and their value in runs.

Maddox +185.6

Glavine 169.5

Spahn 146.7

Carlton 145

CY YOUNG +142.

Livan Hernandez is 10th despite far less innings pitched.

I'd say "discuss among yourselves" but I bet "discuss is much too mild a term.

As I said, give me Cal by a hair – not >30 spots in all-time ranking.

dWAR, visualized: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCdp-pSA8kc

All this emotional outpouring toward Jeter, I just don't get it. You'd think he has Lou Gehrig's disease or something. Instead, he gets to retire and enjoy his millions and watch his nephew grow up with his boyfriend.

I don't know why Jeter couldn't have just retired without alll this farewelll tour ballyhoo…seems unecessary and kinda embarassing


heck of a ballplayer.

Ugla released outright.

Who takes a chance on him at $150k?  Giants?  Dodgers? A's?  The O's need a 2B, right?  He'd do well in that tiny park.

vansmack wrote:
Ugla released outright.

Who takes a chance on him at $150k?  Giants?  Dodgers? A's?  The O's need a 2B, right?  He'd do well in that tiny park.

if the sox really are looking to make a move, maybe them. convert him to outfield or third base, move bogaerts back to SS, and hope the left field wall treats him well.

wow, astros fail to sign top pick brady aiken. reminds me a lot of the controversy of signing harper and strasburg… i think it was strasburg who came down to the wire for signing. it's kind of refreshing to think about how far the nats organization has come.

stevewizzle wrote:
wow, astros fail to sign top pick brady aiken. reminds me a lot of the controversy of signing harper and strasburg… i think it was strasburg who came down to the wire for signing. it's kind of refreshing to think about how far the nats organization has come.

It's pretty unbelievable. 

The last 3 that didn't sign (and weren't eligible for NCAA, which might be the case here) became free agents.  I really can't see MLB letting that happen in this case.  Start the bidding at what, $20 million?

Grievances are sure to be filed, but this is a disaster for MLB.   

Also, if they screwed over Jacob Nix too in this mess, it will be a MAJOR cluster-F for MLB.

Also, I believe the Angels have just acquired Huston Street.

vansmack wrote:
Also, I believe the Angels have just acquired Huston Street.

congrats. it blows my mind he's only 30.

vansmack wrote:
Ugla released outright.

Who takes a chance on him at $150k?  Giants? 

It is apparently the Giants, to a minor league deal, so not even $150k.