Transmogrified Tiger

I don't mean this to be condescending, but many of these topics have been debated at length, particularly in the Adam Dunn thread in Rivalries. Perhaps reading them might help you out with the opposing opinion. I don't care one bit whether Dunn hits another sacrifice fly for the rest of his playing career. You can't be serious. Do you even notice that the Nationals are in first place by doing the EXACT OPPOSITE of what you just said? I guess a K is better than a sac fly, or moving runners over. I'm not kidding, and I never said that. The Nationals are 16 games over .500 despite giving up 4 more runs than they've scored, that will likely correct itself over the course of the season. The fact is, if Sac flies happen, then fine, it's better than a K or another out. However, I'm not going to think less of any player who doesn't make a particular type of out.

They also just cleared a pretty decent amount of payroll. Couple that with the five million or so they had to play with before the season even started, and then they have space to make a pretty significant move if they so choose. Okay, I just had a chance to look at the numbers, and I don't see Oakland clearing any payroll. A's send: Byrnes= 2.2 million Bradford= 1.4 million Total= 3.6 million A's recieve: Payton= 3.5 million Kennedy= 2.2 million Witasick= .316 million Cash= -? Total= 6.016 million - cash from Boston So in order to free up any payroll, they need to get at least 2.5+ million from Boston. So even if the Red Sox pay all of Payton's salary, Oakland doesn't free up more than a million(500k in essence since half has been paid) in payroll. don't forget that san diego is paying part of payton's contract, too. That's true, SD is paying 2.65 million. However, like I said before, even if Oakland doesn't have to pay a cent of Payton's deal, the most money they free up is a million.

I don't mean this to be condescending, but many of these topics have been debated at length, particularly in the Adam Dunn thread in Rivalries. Perhaps reading them might help you out with the opposing opinion. I don't care one bit whether Dunn hits another sacrifice fly for the rest of his playing career.

Baserunning has very little to do with it compared to how often you get on base and how good the guys behind you are at getting on base. why do you put speedier guys on base in front of your 3-4-5 hitters? If you are on first and someone doubles, you may or may not score depending on how well you run the bases. you know what the odds on getting back to back hits from your 3-4 hitters is? it's 9%, assuming both are hitting .300. You don't put speedier guys in front of your 3-4-5, you put your high OBP guys in front of the 3-4-5. If they happen to be fast, it's a bonus. i was assuming OBP was equal and we were debating baserunning/speed. having Dunn bat leadoff wouldn't be a good idea, agree? it would be wasted power yes, but you wouldn't put someone that slow in as leadoff (or as #2). The speed doesn't really matter to me. I like Walker in the leadoff role, and he's probably no faster than Dunn(who apparently isn't completely lead footed). Obviously if OBP and other production was equal you want the speed near the top, but speed/baserunning is down the list compared to those other factors.

Baserunning has very little to do with it compared to how often you get on base and how good the guys behind you are at getting on base. why do you put speedier guys on base in front of your 3-4-5 hitters? If you are on first and someone doubles, you may or may not score depending on how well you run the bases. you know what the odds on getting back to back hits from your 3-4 hitters is? it's 9%, assuming both are hitting .300. You don't put speedier guys in front of your 3-4-5, you put your high OBP guys in front of the 3-4-5. If they happen to be fast, it's a bonus.

Baserunning has very little to do with it compared to how often you get on base and how good the guys behind you are at getting on base.

He doesnt have to repeat his AA numbers and hit 340. But if he can get on base, move runners over, hit to all fields - thats what we really need, and he can do it. I disagree. Someone has to be on base for Dunn to drive in, haven't we gone over this ad-nauseum with Lee? Podsednik or Pierre - I would take them in a heartbeat over Dunn. It's not even close. You realize Dunn has a higher OBP than both those guys? Right now Walker and Hairston are doing great at the top of the order, better than Pierre and likely Podsednik. Having Dunn over Pierre/Podsednik/leadoff guy will create more runs, it's basically a statistical certainty.

What lead-off/high OBP guy were you thinking of? There aren't a lot of them, and many aren't as valuable because of poor SB rates or very low power numbers. I'd venture that Dunn will help out our offense more than any high OBP lead off guy. Not thinking of anyone in particular, but I'd make the argument that Murton would actually be more beneficial to our offense than Dunn. Even if Murton reproduces his AA numbers(very unlikely given his unsustainable BABIP), he still won't be as productive as Dunn. There's very few players in the league that produce more offensively than Dunn.

The specific number of PA is unrevealed in Walker's contract. That seems pretty standard for MLB deals. I'm pretty sure the number is 525. Regardless, with his injury and splitting time earlier with Hairston, he's unlikely to vest it. Even then it's likely a moot point since the Cubs are likely to pick up the option.

What lead-off/high OBP guy were you thinking of? There aren't a lot of them, and many aren't as valuable because of poor SB rates or very low power numbers. I'd venture that Dunn will help out our offense more than any high OBP lead off guy.

McDougal has some pretty pronounced Home/Road splits in the now pitcher friendly Kaufmann stadium. Although he only threw around 12 innings last year, they were even more pronounced then. Caveat emptor.

I fail to see how Burnett is better than Wood. Burnett's best season is about as good as Wood's worst in ERA+. Also, I think you're mischaracterizing the argument about OBP and K's. I think you'll find that most of the people that clamor for Dunn are the ones that are not complaining about K's. In fact, on the whole I don't see a lot of people lamenting the fact that we K too much.

They also just cleared a pretty decent amount of payroll. Couple that with the five million or so they had to play with before the season even started, and then they have space to make a pretty significant move if they so choose. Okay, I just had a chance to look at the numbers, and I don't see Oakland clearing any payroll. A's send: Byrnes= 2.2 million Bradford= 1.4 million Total= 3.6 million A's recieve: Payton= 3.5 million Kennedy= 2.2 million Witasick= .316 million Cash= -? Total= 6.016 million - cash from Boston So in order to free up any payroll, they need to get at least 2.5+ million from Boston. So even if the Red Sox pay all of Payton's salary, Oakland doesn't free up more than a million(500k in essence since half has been paid) in payroll.

Same. I couldn't remember if it was Tapani or Trachsel that gave up 62. Trachsel, right? Yup. That moment is burned into my head. I just wish it meant as much to me now as it did then :( Wait a second then. Trachsel, Brock for Broglio, and Sandberg off of Sutter. How'd I only get 2 right?

Bud Selig says it's not A-Rod's choice.

Same. I couldn't remember if it was Tapani or Trachsel that gave up 62. Trachsel, right?

If Dunn is traded within the division and it not to the Cubs, Hendry better skip the convention next January. If the Cardinals or Astros get Dunn I'm not watching another Cubs' game this year. The Astros may be willing to part with more prospects. Drayton McClain has a thing about wanting local boys to play for his team. While everyone comments on, including me, the financial straits of the Astros, McClain is a billionaire with plenty of money. He just usually doesn't want to spend it. He has shown in the past a prediliction of overpaying to keep a "hometown" talent. It wouldn't surprise me to see him send a boatload of talent to the Reds if he thinks he can land the hometown boy Dunn. I could see the Astros willing to send Burke, Qualls, and Giminez to get him. They might even include Jason Lane or Jared Gothreaux. If that's the case, the Cubs would have trouble matching the offer. In the Astros favor, they could overpay with prospects because they stand a greater chance of Dunn staying with them at a hometown discount once his arbitration years are over. As much as I want Dunn, I think making statements like yours are a little over the top and quite ridiculous. Burke is a quality prospect, but there's nothing very special about Qualls or Gimnez. Replace Burke with a pitching prospect, and Qualls and Gimenez are basically equivalent to Wellemeyer and Soto. I doubt that Cincy will want the OF Lane, and we can certainly do better than Gothreaux. A Burke, Qualls, Gimenez, Gothreaux package is very similar to a Mitre, Welly, Soto, Nolasco/Pinto deal. Mitre isn't as good as Burke, but Nolasco/Pinto are better than Gothreaux, and Mitre fits the major league team better right away.

Man, you've completely lost me on this one. I think they are the best to listen to, by a fairly wide margin. Same here. I love Mike Patrick.

Exceptionally well said XZero. =D>

I'm sure that Cedeno will get sent down. He is not exactly excelling in a backup role. Yeah. 1 for 16 since his callup. 17 PA's in 13 games, sheesh.

I believe you stick your index finger out of the glove to protect it. When in the glove, that finger rests just behind the "pocket" and therefore takes the most abuse from hard thrown balls. As a kid we didn't have holes for our index finger, we just slid it out over the top of the glove. It would eventually wear a nice comfortable little groove . . . My infielders glove is the same way, it feels too cramped with the finger inside it. Wears a nice groove between the index and middle finger.

It only took an 0-2 on Saturday for him to get Dubois'd. Goony, Redman is starting today.

If Bowden really twisted our arms, I'd even part with Macias. I don't know. Macias has been one of our best pinch hitters lately. Fred, can you back me up with the numbers? No, any manipulation of statistics to show Macias having success will have this site and all visiting it sucked into a black hole by Gremlins.

He's basically equivalent to Bradford. Seems like a lateral move to downgrade in the OF and pick up a horrible SP.

So Oakland went from Bradford, Byrnes, and a prospect to Payton, Witasick, and Kennedy? Unimpressive IMO.