Random Baseball Musings

[bcl412]

I guess the A's were 13 back at one point. That's crazy. A Yankees vs Rangers Wild Card game would be unexpected but it could happen.

[davell]

Evidently last night, David Cone said something to the effect of Ichiro swings a chop stick.

[bukie]

Houston only has $5.5 million in payroll committed for 2013, and $5 million of that is to help pay for Wandy Rodriguez.

[Clem Fandango]

So, Craig Kimbrel has been pretty good this year...

 

http://i.imgur.com/IlTHy.jpg

 

[Cubswin11]

So, Craig Kimbrel has been pretty good this year...

 

http://i.imgur.com/IlTHy.jpg

I generally don't like the idea of a relief pitcher winning the CY Young award, but I think Kimbrel definitely deserves it this year when you consider how awesome he's been and there aren't any starters who have had too great of years (yes Dickey, Gio, Cain, Cueto and Kershaw all had good years and I think all have arguments for winning the awards but I think I'd vote for Kimbrel).

[TripJ]

So....now that the season is done, who is your AL MVP?

 

I'm trying hard not to be swayed by Miggy's a) reaching the playoffs (albeit with a worse record than the Angels) and b) winning the Triple Crown (which I know is comprised of more or less "meaningless" stats...)

 

Then again, 2003. Screw Cabrerra, Trout is my vote.

[Guest]

So....now that the season is done, who is your AL MVP?

 

I'm trying hard not to be swayed by Miggy's a) reaching the playoffs (albeit with a worse record than the Angels) and b) winning the Triple Crown (which I know is comprised of more or less "meaningless" stats...)

 

Then again, 2003. Screw Cabrerra, Trout is my vote.

 

There's a thread on this in the Polls section. Check it out.

 

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=61508

[XZero771679666304]

It's amazing how many highlight reels Jon Jay ends up on because he misreads a ball or takes a bad route and has to use his athleticism to bail himself out. He's a good CFer, but nearly all of his "web gem" type plays are him saving his own ass.

[J.R.]

Tickets have been selling well but remain available for a potential wild-card game and A.L. Divisional Series games at the Coliseum, A's vice president of sales and marketing Jim Leahey said. The A's plan to remove the upper-deck tarps only if the team were to make it to the World Series.

http://www.mercurynews.com/athletics/ci_21576849/oakland-athletics-pummeled-12-2-by-detroit-tigers

 

This was ridiculous throughout the season, and is more ridiculous now. They will sell you a Mt. Davis club seat a million miles away, but refuse to open the vastly superior upper deck sections behind the plate and along the baselines.

 

Take the tarps off, cut prices, pack the house. What's so hard about this?

[23sharks]

I guess the A's were 13 back at one point. That's crazy. A Yankees vs Rangers Wild Card game would be unexpected but it could happen.

 

Yeah, they've been on fire since the all star break. I'd love to see them win it all.

[Guest]

Tickets have been selling well but remain available for a potential wild-card game and A.L. Divisional Series games at the Coliseum, A's vice president of sales and marketing Jim Leahey said. The A's plan to remove the upper-deck tarps only if the team were to make it to the World Series.

http://www.mercurynews.com/athletics/ci_21576849/oakland-athletics-pummeled-12-2-by-detroit-tigers

 

This was ridiculous throughout the season, and is more ridiculous now. They will sell you a Mt. Davis club seat a million miles away, but refuse to open the vastly superior upper deck sections behind the plate and along the baselines.

 

Take the tarps off, cut prices, pack the house. What's so hard about this?

 

Because they wouldn't pack the house if they took the tarp off.

 

In 2000, the A's hadn't made the playoffs since 1992 and in a deciding Game 5 against the Yankees on a Sunday, they drew 41170 out of roughly 56K. They drew 47K that year in Games 1 and 2. In 2001, they sold out one of the two playoff games against the Yankees (the other one they drew 43K). In 2002, the best attendance in three games against the Twins was 34853. In 2003, they drew 49K twice but only 36K in Game 2 after winning Game 1.

 

And I'm pretty sure the upper deck in Mt. Davis is closed off also.

[UMFan83]

From watching on TV, the A's ballpark looks a million times better with the upper deck tarped off. If it was open, the crowd disperses more and the empty seats in the upper deck are very noticeable.

[jersey cubs fan]

Take the tarps off, cut prices, pack the house. What's so hard about this?

 

Other than the fact that this is a completely made up equation you've created with no chance of adding up? Nothing hard at all.

[BCVM22]

Apropos of nothing, this great tweet from Geoff Blum:

 

Geoff Blum @blummer27

No, cuz I was the R in WAR RT @DSmithShow: Does Geoff Blum know his career WAR?

[Ding Dong Johnson]

That's pretty damn funny.

[Banedon]

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/telander/15569557-452/miguel-cabrera-accomplishes-something-truly-historic.html

 

So why the lack of hoopla about his accomplishment? After all, Cabrera’s pursuit of the Triple Crown climaxed in a dramatic finish to the regular season in which the Tigers overcame the Sox’ late three-game lead at least in part because of his heroic output.

 

One reason for the lack of hoopla is that, with the full ascendance of sabermetricians as the philosopher kings of baseball team-building, old stats somehow have lost their luster.

 

Homers? Pshaw! The new brainiacs want homers per times at bat with two outs and men on base. Why bother with RBI when we can have — dum-de-dum! — WAR?

 

It’s all a load of manure to me because numbers and situations can be massaged into anything anybody wants. When PECOTA, PERA, LIPS and EqA trump good old batting average, it’s time to wonder when machines will play the games and Theo Epstein will be anointed Genius For Life.

[ManCrushOnNomar]

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/telander/15569557-452/miguel-cabrera-accomplishes-something-truly-historic.html

 

So why the lack of hoopla about his accomplishment? After all, Cabrera’s pursuit of the Triple Crown climaxed in a dramatic finish to the regular season in which the Tigers overcame the Sox’ late three-game lead at least in part because of his heroic output.

 

One reason for the lack of hoopla is that, with the full ascendance of sabermetricians as the philosopher kings of baseball team-building, old stats somehow have lost their luster.

 

Homers? Pshaw! The new brainiacs want homers per times at bat with two outs and men on base. Why bother with RBI when we can have — dum-de-dum! — WAR?

 

It’s all a load of manure to me because numbers and situations can be massaged into anything anybody wants. When PECOTA, PERA, LIPS and EqA trump good old batting average, it’s time to wonder when machines will play the games and Theo Epstein will be anointed Genius For Life.

He gets paid to write this drivel. What am I doing with my life?

[CubInOK]

WAR? WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?

[Guest]

PECOTA is a stat, guys.

[Guest]

I love that his first example is a great example of a stat a sabermetrician would not want anything to do with.

[Banedon]

We're on the verge of the game being played by machines, guys.

[glavine93]

"Homers? Pshaw!" is the best thing that will happen to me today.

[rocket]

i love this false narrative that the sports community isn't making a big enough deal about miguel cabrera.

 

i know rbi and average aren't perfect, but it does bring me joy to see a player win the triple crown. of course, trout is still the mvp, but miguel cabrera winning the triple crown isn't something people are just brushing aside.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

i love this false narrative that the sports community isn't making a big enough deal about miguel cabrera.

 

i know rbi and average aren't perfect, but it does bring me joy to see a player win the triple crown. of course, trout is still the mvp, but miguel cabrera winning the triple crown isn't something people are just brushing aside.

Yeah, it's like "Damn, Cabrera had a great season. Also, look how [expletive] awesome Mike Trout is."

[jersey cubs fan]

look how [expletive] awesome Mike Trout is."

 

Enough already.

 

 

Triple crown winner. Hello?!?