Random Baseball Musings

[Gmoney08]

former Astros RF Jason Lane is today's starting pitcher for the Padres; he hit 26 HR in 2005

 

I saw that name on my fantasy waiver wire and it reminded me Jason Lane existed. Had no idea it was the same guy

 

Any chance the Big Z if he had put a few years in the minors focused only on hitting could have made an MLB roster for his bat?

 

 

I think his bat might have been able to play at a defensive premium position with multiple years seasoning but he wouldn't have hit nearly enough to play MLB 1B (the position it looked like he would have been built for). Who knows maybe he could have leaned down and played corner OF.

[Guest]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/the-100-mph-throwing-art-school-kid--an-incredible-story-of-a-twins--scouting-find-052923193.html

[DiamondMind]

John Baker has more July wins than Edwin Jackson.

[weis21]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/the-100-mph-throwing-art-school-kid--an-incredible-story-of-a-twins--scouting-find-052923193.html

Really cool story. Thanks for posting that. Will be an interesting guy to keep an eye on.

[bukie]

If the Rays win today, they'll become just the 4th team in MLB history to go 18 games under .500 and then recover to reach .500 later the same year.

[Guest]

https://medium.com/matter/the-untold-and-insanely-weird-story-of-a-rods-doping-habits-e888f08e012a

[TruffleShuffle]

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/30/hey-rube-phillies-pay-dearly-for-amaros-misguided-loyalty/related/

 

conclusions:

-very long term contracts for players in their late 20s are a very, very bad idea.

-ruben amaro is a disastrously bad general manager.

[Banedon]

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/30/hey-rube-phillies-pay-dearly-for-amaros-misguided-loyalty/related/

 

conclusions:

-very long term contracts for players in their late 20s are a very, very bad idea.

-ruben amaro is a disastrously bad general manager.

 

Hmmm...I dunno...I mean, the Phillies are bad, but they still have a better record than the Cubs. Not sure if you're allowed to criticize their GM or not. Need a ruling.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/30/hey-rube-phillies-pay-dearly-for-amaros-misguided-loyalty/related/

 

conclusions:

-very long term contracts for players in their late 20s are a very, very bad idea.

-ruben amaro is a disastrously bad general manager.

 

Hmmm...I dunno...I mean, the Phillies are bad, but they still have a better record than the Cubs. Not sure if you're allowed to criticize their GM or not. Need a ruling.

 

So long as you mention how bad the Cubs are too, you're good.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/30/hey-rube-phillies-pay-dearly-for-amaros-misguided-loyalty/related/

 

conclusions:

-very long term contracts for players in their late 20s are a very, very bad idea.

-ruben amaro is a disastrously bad general manager.

 

Hmmm...I dunno...I mean, the Phillies are bad, but they still have a better record than the Cubs. Not sure if you're allowed to criticize their GM or not. Need a ruling.

where's abuck when you need him?

[UMFan83]

The Phillies are where we were at after 2009. Gigantic payroll, lots of bad contracts, declining veterans, shitty ass farm system, and a GM who tried to live in the moment and wasn't prepared when the bottom fell out. Of course the Phillies got to make the playoffs 5 straight years, appear in 2 World Series and win 1 while the Cubs failed to win a playoff game, so [expletive] them. Anyways, its going to take several years of rebuilding for them to have a contending team again IMO.

[Guest]

oh boy. now you've done it.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Much like those Cubs, the Phillies' bad contracts start to filter out pretty fast in the next year or two, so any GM who uses it as an excuse to hide behind tanking for years is not doing his job.

[Guest]

http://media.giphy.com/media/uY0zZnQqZD8Jy/giphy.gif

[ConstableRabbit]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/the-100-mph-throwing-art-school-kid--an-incredible-story-of-a-twins--scouting-find-052923193.html

Legalize 'em.

[Banedon]

Anyways, its going to take several years of rebuilding for them to have a contending team again IMO.

 

http://i.imgur.com/diM8qvr.gif

[TruffleShuffle]

Much like those Cubs, the Phillies' bad contracts start to filter out pretty fast in the next year or two, so any GM who uses it as an excuse to hide behind tanking for years is not doing his job.

 

that's not even half of the problem. their entire lineup is packed with players who are either well past their primes, or are not good at baseball. their best pitchers are generally overpaid and also declining. their minor league system is pretty much bereft of impact talent. so great, they get some bad contracts off the books, then what happens? how do you get impact talent into your organization? three ways: from within - which isn't going to happen in the near future for the phillies, since their prospects are lousy. via trade, which also is going to be very difficult to do unless they eat a lot of money on contracts like hamels and lee to "buy" prospects from other clubs. nobody is giving up impact young players for ryan howard or jimmy rollins. and the third way is signing free agents, and giving big contracts to already-declining players is a big reason why the phillies are a mess now.

 

all of this becomes even more difficult when you realize that their $170m payrolls are going to be a thing of the past until they start drawing well, which isn't going to happen until they start winning again, and that will be a few years down the road.

[SouthSideRyan]

Much like those Cubs, the Phillies' bad contracts start to filter out pretty fast in the next year or two, so any GM who uses it as an excuse to hide behind tanking for years is not doing his job.

 

And much like those Cubs they have only one truly bad contract.

 

ETA: They could place every player on their team making more than 5M on irrevocable waivers and Kyle Kendrick might be the only one not claimed beyond Howard. And I'd still put it better than 50/50 that he would be.

[abuck1220]

pretty much all the guys on that list contributed to good teams that won stuff or are currently contributing to good teams.

[Post Count Padder]

Brett Gardner is 8 for his last 11 with four HR.

 

....what?

[Derwood]

Hammel's ERA now reaching 10.00 for the A's.

 

Thanks for Russell, though

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Hammel's ERA now reaching 10.00 for the A's.

 

Thanks for Russell, though

It's funnier if Hammel for McKinney was a separate trade.

 

McKinney at Daytona, 19 years old:

 

http://i.imgur.com/oPjhyV4.png

[Guest]

http://m.mlb.com/sf/video/topic/8878828/v34947937/must-c-caught-giants-nab-two-pirates-in-rundowns/?c_id=sf

 

Can't say I've seen this before.

 

What should have been bases loaded one out turns into inning over.

[Guest]

Cliff Lee left the Phillies game after hurting his elbow.

 

Tyler Skaggs left the Angels game after 4.2 no-hit innings with the dreaded forearm strain.

[imb]

Did Machado really [expletive] do it again????????