by
Greek Giant
I was never a fan of the unbalanced schedule that sees teams play their divisional opponents 18-19 times per year. There are a few reasons for my displeasure regarding this type of scheduling. First, with so many games against the same divisional opponents, teams with weak opponents in their division have an unfair advantage. Second, I have always felt it is a mistake for Major League baseball to give teams in the West Coast only one look at teams in the East coast from other divisions. As a baseball fan I would love to see Bryce harper for 6-9 games at Willie Mays Field. I would love for the Giants to travel to Miami or Atlanta more than once.
The lack of play between teams in different divisions is bad for the game and short-changes the fans who want to see out-of-town stars play their team for more than a single homestand. It seems mine is not the only objection to the travel and scheduling issues caused by the unbalanced schedule. Throw in inter-league play and you have an even more unique element to which teams compete against. Not only does inter-league play give teams a certain edge, depending on who they play, it also dilutes the uniqueness of the World Series.
The current scheduling system was instituted in 2001 to create more inter-divisional drama in the races and give teams like the Yankees and Red Sox more games against each other. Essentially, this unbalanced schedule was created for the likes of the Yankees, Red Sox, Giants and Dodgers to maximize revenue and fan interest in the great traditional rivalries.
With the current uneven number of 15 teams per league and MLB committed to inter-league play, again to maximize revenue for series like those between the Mets and Yankees or Cubs and White Sox, it is unlikely we will see a more balanced schedule soon. It is, however possible, to reduce the degree of the unbalanced schedule and make it so the Giants and Dodgers for example, instead of meeting 18 games a year, could meet for 15 and allow for an additional series agains non-divisional opponents with teams traveling to the other non-divisional opponent every other year.
It appears more than likely that Major League Baseball will have to add a team in each league to address these issues properly. Why not add teams in say, Vancouver and Montreal and make a more equal schedule for each division and league, minimize inter-league play, and make everyone happy?
The other problem with interleague play is that it is not equal. Some divisions are weaker and therefore some teams get an advantage. I guess with 162 games it might not be significant but the wildcards are coming down to a handful of games.
Not equal, and they don’t play the same game. Let’s get futbol and football teams together for a game or two.
I really look forward to Giants-Dodgers games.
Rather than Vancouver, I’d like to see an MLB team in Calgary.
(2011 data) 2.3 million in Vancouver area, with Calgary (1.2) and Edmonton (1.2) together equaling that. Pittsburgh metro area is said to be 2.3 million, and they have a bit of trouble competing financially. Canada and USA may count “metropolitan area” differently?
Nothing beats a game against LA, and I resent interleague play taking those away.
Having been to both cities, I’d prefer Vancouver because it would be a really, really fun roadie to go on!
Montreal deserves their team “back”
Oui.
To answer your last question, ” because nothing will make everyone happy.”
But it would make me happy. Thanks, GG.
Knives and forks,
grits ain’t groceries,
& Mona Lisa was a man!
All this DH talk made me feel like a ballgame on a rainy day.
“That’s Right Lon”
I like playing more games against the rest of the West, and seem to remember that September used to be exclusively about settling the West winner by head to head games. I hate playing only 7 games a year against the rest of the NL. Interleague play is squarely to blame for this, and should be stopped immediately.
Going to two 16 team leagues, only meeting at the WS and ASG feels right. Besides expansion into Canada, this could involve placing a team in Mexico City and in Havana: The latter more or less has to be placed into the NL for a rivalry against Miami that would quickly equal the LAD/SFG or STL/CHC battles. MLB would probably want 4 team divisions, but I’d prefer two 8 team divisions, just like the good old days when I was a boy and you had to beat 7 other teams.
A little arithmetic tells me that 162 is 14 games against one’s own division, and 8 against the other, which doesn’t sound so bad. SF, SD, Col, Ari, STL, CHC, Vancouver or Mexico City, and lastly LA in the West.
Oh, and no DH in either league, while we are dreaming.
My dream …dh in both leagues
???
Lol
I like offense— sick of rally killing lame pitchers who can’take hit. Horrible.
“The strategy”…Already seen the ohhh wait for it..the double switch. I’d rather see someone actually hit the ball and score some runs.
Baseball needs offense, it needs to attract a younger audience..do just makes it more fun.
And I know I’ll never convince anyone otherwise.
The DH is to baseball as a Franzia box is to wine
You know in the wine industry, we don’t care what you drink, as long as you are drinking
Are you kidding, aren’t you?
Have a couple more.
Franzia is better.
“…hints of turpentine, with a sewage nose and skunk finish….55 points”
So you’d prefer an arcade game over baseball. Playing on the field is more than half of the game, not swinging a bat.
Obviously you’ve never played the game.
What does it matter?
I’m a paying customer
And anyone can feel about the DH however they like, at least until they make me King! I ban domed stadiums and artificial turf and DH and interleague play as soon as they make me King!
you’ve got my vote, ST
Hail, hail!, your Excellency.
Buy yourself a play-station.
There is always WWE or the NFL. That’s performance art, of course, but the customers dictate it. In baseball money buys you the right to watch, that’s all.
Well, really understanding the game means something.
Rotflmao
The whole idea of baseball is to prevent the other team from scoring runs and to prevent him from hitting safely. It’s the reason it is 9 against 1. The skills in baseball are centered around pitching and defense and that’s where the art is. Any fat slob can swing a bat, but they can’t always run, catch and throw a baseball. Remember the DH was incorporated into professional baseball to save the arms of pitchers. In youth sports (girl’s softball) it was to allow more people to be able to play on a team, but even Little League doesn’t have a DH. They want the kids to learn how to play baseball.
I hate watching those pathetic Bumgarner ABs.
God bless the contrarian voice and process of rational debate! 🙂
Too easy to manage AL games. That is why the NL has always been referred to as the Senior Circuit.
That ball game with DH is NOT baseball. Over.
You of all people, the one who has a firm grasp on the slippery uncertainty principle, exercising simplistic, Manachean thinking.
Relax Scout, we are debating about a “divertissement” not about the “Dialogo sopra i due massimi sistemi del mondo”.
Verdad.
Preachers to the choir. The devil is bad. Sin is bad. Raise the voice, amen, hallelujah!
Seguro, compañero Scout.
What’s your story again? You are a direct descendant of the 108th viceroy of Venice, or just really like the guy?
Well, direct descendant, like many hundreds (maybe thousands) of Contarinis living today in all of the region Veneto. It was a very prolific family.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvise_Contarini
I suppose I’m a descendant of William the Conqueror.
Have you some documents proving it?
Nope. Maybe a descendant of Aztec warrior as well. I have no proof of that either. But it sounds cool.
If you’ll ever come to Venice I’ll be happy to see you and show you my documents. Gimme a whistle.
Will you recognize me in another life? We’ll have to agree on the signature of that whistle 😉
Ask my e-mail to Dr.Lefty or to Paul in p,v.
That’s incredibly impressive.
I believe his authenticity if that makes any difference to you.
TO believes that Alvise is Scout in disguise. But Scout surely doesn’t know the Venetian dialect so I say : “The Oracle el xe la più granda testa de casso che gò incontrà in vita mia”.
Real or not, I’ve always appreciated his twin themes of the greatness of himself and Italy, and the inferiority of the USA.
TO you always miss the target. I never said that the USA are an inferior country. For the greatness of Italy speak the 20,000 American students studying italian art in our universities, and the millions of tourists from all over the planet.
http://www.rivistauniversitas.it/Articoli.aspx?IDC=2986
http://www.integrazionemigranti.gov.it/archiviodocumenti/lingua-italiana/Documents/EMN%20VI%20RAPP%20STUDENTI%20PDF%20IT%20def.pdf
You frequently take shots at the USA, while referring to yourself and your country in grandiose terms. I have no idea who you are, or what you may have accomplished, but I have a pretty good idea that there are others here who have been very successful in life. In contrast, they don’t feel the need boast about it.
All of you know nothing of me and of my life and I didn’t boast anything ever. You should take care of yourself, dear friend.
I find his insights on the game of baseball and especially the Giants very interesting. Oh wait… he’s never posted anything about baseball or the Giants. My bad.
Giants baseball inspires passion across the globe!
http://images.media-allrecipes.com/userphotos/250×250/03/57/09/3570996.jpg
You could have 9 DHs and 8 position players and however many pitchers to round out the roster. You could have fewer pitchers by allowing free substitution with pitchers going in and out for matchups. Only have warmups for the first time entering the game.
That’s it.
Like Bumgarner?
my dream also
oh, i meant my nightmare
you should root for an AL team, no?
How about Cleveland? They’re a good bet to win it all in ’17.
I admire your courage.
To get rid of inter-league play I think we should contract, rather than expand the number of teams. I suggest eliminating teams like Tampa Bay in the AL, and ohhhh, let’s say… the Dodgers in the NL. =D
Seriously though, adding two more clubs would dilute the talent pool to AAA level. I’m looking forward to watching some River Cat games soon, but not when I go to AT&T Park …
In 1968, the last year we had two 8-team leagues, the population of the US was 201 million. Today it is 324 million. Considering that we are drawing MLB players from other countries in increasing numbers, pay much more money to a pro player, and have better medical care (consider TJ surgery’s effect on pitching careers), there’s easily the talent pool to double the number of teams to two 16-team leagues.
Of course, a valid counterargument could include athletes participating in other pro sports.
1960 was the last year there were 16 teams. In 1961, the AL added the Angels and a new version of the Senators. The NL followed suit the next season with the Mets and the Colt 45s.
Good fact checking, your memory outdid my Google skills.
GG
I agree with you. This has been one of my pet peeves for a long time. When the schedules were balanced you might play a team when they were hot or cold. But at the end of the season everyone in your division played the same schedule 162 games and no matter who won you had no argument. But some teams get an advantage by playing a little softer schedule. One or two game swing in schedule could be the difference in the playoffs.
At the beginning, I was pretty excited about interleague play. Now, I think it has passed it’s shelf life. Having said that, if MLB decides to keep interleague, I think to have somewhat of a balanced schedule, it would probably have to be the following: Play 18 games against teams within your division; which would equal 72. Then play 30 games each against the NL East and Central (3 home, 3 road and none of this 2 game series BS) and 30 games against the AL division that the Giants would be scheduled to play. There’s your 162 game schedule.
Excluding the DH as a component, it’s a wash to me.
Even though the force is dark today – JoBu and Breck of the Roni agrees with the Giant-Greek – dump the schedule as it is now. I want to see the NL West vs the NL West – all of September.
Speaking of 1B/DH MLB personnel, would Mark Trumbo hurry up and pick his destination? C’mon, Denver or Baltimore, they’re both hitters parks. Or pick door C. Wherever he lands, I’m sure #trumbombs will follow.
Seems like Mike Napoli will head back to Texas after a layaway .
He would be scary in Denver
As if Arenado isn’t scary enough. Well it would be fun to see some of that “video game” baseball from time to time.
Which makes one stop and consider what baseball (MLB) in Mexico City, at ~7000 feet would be like. It, Mexico City, is in the top 4 or 5 expansion targets for baseball.
If MLB ever put a team there, I hope the player’s union adds some medical insurance into the CBA for all the future lung disease treatments…
It’s in the expansion plan. San Antonio, TX was the bid for Latino fans, but somehow Mexico City became the focus. Go figure.
Not to mention body guards for everyone.
Serio. Beisbol en Tenochitlan es chistoso.
Year in review from Alex P.
http://www.csnbayarea.com/giants/giants-year-review-their-own-words-0
Soooooo much better than Baggs…
if you listen to this, and don’t like it, i’ll buy you dinner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1mDArvgOtE
I’m waiting for you here.
http://www.ilmeloncino.it/en/photogallery_restaurant.htm
ENJOY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XV2w07ihQU
Stuff for tourists.
Then this is better https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BkwnGq2yaA
Always keeping it classy, eh Clutch?
I saw that years ago when it was on TV…..
i was thinking mickey D’s, AC, but we can find something a bit more affordable than that beautiful spot?
OK, I’m most for simpler places and I know a lot of “bacari” in Venice.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicchetti_(food)
pour me a glass of “ombra”. i’m on my way..
You are wellcome. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/720daaef7de5824610cef33155c5a984189bd04a06f8c9f75aa9c152e93d19f0.jpg
that looks so good! is that mortadella?
Yep and baccalà mantecato in the forefront. Crabmeat to the left.
She’s even waaay better live. She did a show with Delbert in Petaluma years ago. Muy fun.
She bounces when she plays.
What? What bounce?
She plays an upright piano and she, literally, bounces on her seat as she plays with much vigor. She’s older now, but could likely still knock your socks off.
Wow !
Similar to this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BkwnGq2yaA
i saw her a while back, and was the first to buy tickets, so i was front row, center. i asked her to play this. she gave me a big smile, and played it with her trademark bounce on her piano stool. was a great night.
I went to see her and Lou Ann Barton once. Sold out. Ended up at the Last Day Saloon (?) on Clement (?) to see an epic performance by Commander Cody and an epic performance by a friend who ran into his son there and, well, an epic night overall!
I did not know Luke took an assistant coach with him in Theo (Robertson who went with LW to the LAL.
But the Warriors now have Willie Green on their staff
http://www.detroittitans.com/news/2016/8/10/mens-basketball-former-titan-willie-green-03-named-golden-state-warriors-assistant-coach.aspx
http://www.nba.com/warriors/news/warriors-hire-willie-green-assistant-coach/player-development/
I’m with you on this Greek, but I suspect my opinion might change if the Rox or Padres were ever any good. Cut interleague to a home and home series per year. Natural rivals can play each other and the others can rotate every year. I would rather see the Cubs and Mets at AT&T twice a year and worry about Boston or Cleveland in October.
Kawakami and the HOF http://tinyurl.com/hkamx6s
Another Drawing if GG wishes to use. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/730f462fd06f55ab368df8f39d3dac9febf1d3d79684380a0ea21e65ed06645e.jpg
This is great Clutch. Please send me the artist’s name and date and I will use it somewhere.
Seems Dave Cameron thinks the Twins should just get it done…
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-twins-should-take-jose-de-leon-while-they-can/
Revisiting that fishing story that kept the DH out of the NL:
http://archive.naplesnews.com/columnists/sports/david-moulton-how-a-fishing-trip-and-the-phillies-kept-the-dh-out-of-the-national-league-ep-39187750-342974662.html
…and it was always about the owner’s $$$.
and not the game.
Baseball, at the professional level, has always been about the owners’ $$$. No wealthy owners, no stadiums, no leagues. Their role has never been to preserve the romanticism of the sport, but to broaden the audience and to fill their pockets with lucre.
Nothing new: business is business. Bucks for bucks’ sake.
Hold on to this – it is surreal. It WAS a slam dunk. Had there been cell phones the DH would have been with us NL peeps all the way back to the yes/no vote on August 13, 1980,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBco0H3g-tc
Back and Forth – Forth and Back
Golden State Warriors announced the assigning of Damian Jones and Patrick McCaw to Santa Cruz. Both players will be in uniform for tonight’s game vs. Northern Arizona.
Luke Walton’s guy Timofey Mozgov had a series to remember … err … forget.
With just over 4 minutes to play in the first quarter he went up for an uncontested dunk and missed.
The rebound went to teammate Jordan Clarkson, who passed back to Mozgov under the basket.
He bobbled it for a turnover.
Then seemingly eager to make amends, he went down on the other end to grab a rebound off a shot by Utah’s Rudy Gobert, but tipped it into the other teams basket.
Wanna Get Away? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyJqDD_hMA0
Phil Nevin Ayala – first day of Spring Training – Bunt Coverages
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cxt6h-L9vrM&t=5s
Heh heh heh.
This guy is good.
Tenure of Announcers, by team.
https://i.imgur.com/b0gSMX2.png
How about that, Jaime Jarrin. A Ford C. Fricke recipient as well. They’ve had the airwaves covered in english and espanol.
I can easily see Dusty and Sergio getting together
http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/washington-nationals-free-agent-profile-sergio-romo-122616
You bet. They will miss Melancon.
How about that Red Sox farm system? Unloaded bushels of talent in trade and graduated a host of talent to the Bigs, and they still have a couple of top tier talents left. What Giants fans wouldn’t do for an outfield prospect like Benintendi!
Former Giants farmhand Luis Ysla comes in at #15:
Luis Ysla, LHP, Grade C+: Age
24, yet another bullpen option for ’17 and ’18; posted 4.07 ERA with
60/27 K/BB in 55 innings in Double-A; acquired from Giants in ’15;
fastball as high as 98 MPH, also mixes in promising slider; can dominate
late innings when his command is working; stuff good enough to be more
than just a LOOGY. ETA late 2017.
and Heath Hembree still kicking it around in the Sox bullpen. If not the Tribe in the WS, the Sox.
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2016/12/29/14119404/boston-red-sox-top-20-prospects-for-2017
Sounds like Jays gonna get it done with Bautista…
https://twitter.com/jonmorosi/status/814571477848756224
Giants among USA ballplayers…
https://twitter.com/jonmorosi/status/814604045600124928
USA LOADED
Thanks. That’s a loaded lineup. The one conflict that jumps out is Hosmer and Goldschmidt. Aren’t both 1st-basemen only?
Get rid of interleague play–and the DH at the same time.
Amen!
Steak anyone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub8OaUtiNB8
Inside Brian Wilson’s F-d up head is pure brilliance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDZgl7H-coQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj0Xq8qnWs8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dyI36DEY9c
The relationship of WAR to ranking in the Baseball America listing for 704 players over a 10 year period who matriculated eventually to MLB. The WAR metric was accumulated over the duration of their careers. This sort of says, beyond the first 10-20 ranking positions, the odds drop.
https://i.imgur.com/qHDoHtl.png
Hmmm… I’m studying this very carefully …
Hey! I think I found a little pig!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f8b6ff85d360235dfaf3cffcd47f01869fa9eeb70847855eab9c557f5071ee11.png
The point. It’s a crapshoot. Confiscate porky’s dice!
who’s the stud that was ranked about 41st and had the highest WAR?
how sparse do the dots get in a theoretical 100-200? 200-300?
What would a density function within parameters 10-20 WAR look like? 20-30?
The dots show me that even with a high ranking it is dicey to predict who will make it, much less be a star. It reaffirms my bias—-see the new Michael Lewis Book, “The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds– that prospects are usually very much over valued, and if the opportunity exists to get a solid proven performer to win now, by all means trade the prospects.
The real one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmxZ94SLdac
Very cool!
If any of the TWG’s wish to take a tour up here and lend a hand in a temporary fashion that is – we are overwhelmed with various arrivals possibly ‘unseen’ historically.
Carrie Fisher and mom Debbie Reynolds – Dr. James Jude, George S. Irving who ‘played opposite Debbie Reynolds – George Michael, Alan Thicke, Zsa Zsa Gabor and her ‘son’ Oliver Prinz von Anhalt and now BYU retired football legend LaVell Edwards.
* There is some disturbing news though. Billy Martin who had been going solo in The Big Purg – one ‘floor’ down now has some company. It seems that three members or recurring guest of the Howard Stern Show did not have their credentials in order thus as of now Billy has been joined by Crackhead Bob – Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf and Joey Boots. Apparently Howard has retained infamous San Francisco lawyer Tony Serra, however Serra is currently busy representing Derick Almena, leader of the art collective at the Ghost Ship warehouse that burned down. Stay tuned because Billy is not happy with the uninvited trio.
Good Night Allen
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/730f462fd06f55ab368df8f39d3dac9febf1d3d79684380a0ea21e65ed06645e.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_aYibUx1B8
Derek Law hanging out with the Globetrotters: https://instagram.com/p/BOne8QsAp2d/
Law is getting married this weekend. Tyler Beede and his fiancée are en route (seen on Tweeter).
My wife, then fiancee, was flying from CA back to Japan. When she arrived she told me she was sitting with a basketball team. Said lots of people were taking pictures with them. I figured it was a college team or something. Asked her if she knew the name of the team, she said the Harlem Globes, or something. Needless to say, she didn’t have any photos, but said that the guys next to her were nice.
Haha, how cool!
The next should be “Why the unbalanced closers need to go”
Tough job, and it seemed to create demons for B Weezy and Santi.
Melancon is the right man for the job.
Have you seen his scouting reports?
Mental Stabilty=80
Composure on mound=70
Gets job done=80
George Michael Unplugged on MTV2 right now …recorded in 1996 in London. Amazing voice…..
Buyer’s market may keep Bobby Evans active in free agent market. Austin Jackson and Desmond Jennings stand out as RHH options with CF playability. Chris Ianetta is a name on the backup catcher front. In Brown they trust?
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/12/10-bounceback-hitter-candidates-still-available-in-free-agency.html
I was reading that Colby Rasmus’s market is crickets.
These are known as “Jerusalem crickets”, and we get them around here. They can bite, but I never hold them to find out if they will. Same goes for tarantulas.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5179/5443499125_797fddf55d.jpg
Ick. That’s one ugly ass cricket. Nature isn’t always beautiful!
Looks kinda like Adrian Gonzalez
I say Justin Turner. Heck, any Dodger past, present and future.
They ALL look like creepy bugs that need to be squashed.
Now that you mention it…
There was the Lubbock Crickets of the old Texas-Louisiana League : )
That was Buddy Holly’s band. He was from Lubbock.
You are correct in that, sir.
That is some impressive MiLB and music history knowledge by both of you!
There’s also the Amarillo Dillas.
I love Buddy Holly’s music and have watched the 1970s movie with Gary Busey many, many times–I own the DVD.
“Yes sir, I like Elvis just fine but I’m not Elvis, I’m Buddy Holly”.
Great film. Busey’s best performance.
He was excellent in “The Texas Wheelers” which only lasted 3 weeks on network tv!
I came home the other day and we had one in the living room. Cat probably brought it in from the garage. Wife was scared to death, would not go near it. Gnarly thing was a bit damaged from the cat but still living so I freed him in the yard. I always heard they were known as potato bugs.
Yeah, that`s a potato bug. Bug ugly.
I did not know about this animal, and am creeped out. Wiki page shows it is about 3x longer than a quarter’s diameter. It does not mention ‘potato bug’ but says they feed on tubers and root plants. The Navajo call it ‘big red-skull’.
Found one in the bottom of our swimming pool after the last big storm. Fished it out and was looking at it up close when the breeze made its antenna start moving. Scared the hell out of me! LOL
Ever find a Baby Ruth down there?
Jennings is intriguing to me.
Intriguing name because he used to be a very capable outfielder. Recent results give pause, but maybe a guarantee <5mil could be had.
I disagree. Division should matter and unbalanced is better.
Pitchers and catchers report in…46 days!
Barry Bonds hit chart 2001-2007. Any more questions?
https://twitter.com/darenw/status/814515892402999296/photo/1
Its gotta be the shoes…
How does the hit chart handle ground ball hits? I’d like to see Pence’s, the whole area between the plate and the mound would be solid from all his swinging bunts.
Only 3 times he did not get the ball past the pitchers mound and only 8 times he did not get the ball off the infield grass and 30 times he did not get the ball to the outfield. That is called squaring the ball up almost every time.
The Morse and Ruggiano signings sadly mean that 2x World Champion Gregor Blanco has none chance if returning in 2017.
Just Rugs could threaten my Tiburon! Morse is PH/1B/DH only.
Surprising stat. Top six players in baseball history with combined career extra base hits and stolen bases:
Bonds, Henderson, Molitor, Cobb, Honus Wagner and……Jimmy Rollins. That just changed my HOF thinking about Rollins
I was surprised to see Molitor on that list too.
Awesome stat of the day!
Hi Greek, thanks for your piece and interesting to read. I have one thought re: the problem of an odd number of teams in each league. Another solution (besides expansion) would be simply to send the Brewers back over to the junior circuit where they belong! 🙂
I’d vote for Astros. After being a NL West rival for the Giants, there is no way I will ever get used to seeing them in the AL.
I thought it was interesting that when the Astros joined the AL West the fortunes of the A’s improved. For a few years. Until the GM decimated the team.
Good point as well. I just didn’t like it that Bud Selig, who was commissioner, got to move his own team to the National League for no good reason other than he wanted to
I would think it’s probably time to add a couple of teams. I don’t know about Vancouver but Montreal already showed it did not want to support an MLB team. How about Portland Or New Orleans or San Antonio or Memphis or….
The Twins are reportedly collecting final offers so they can decide whether to trade Dozier or keep him and not have this drag on. Apparently the Dodgers want a 1 for 1 swap (DeLeon for Dozier), and that’s the sticking point. Yeah, that doesn’t sound like enough. DeLeon is already 24 and last year had an unsuccessful couple of appearances with the Dodgers. His strikeouts to innings ratio is excellent, but the other thing that’s notable from his stats is that he’s never pitched more than 114 innings in a season and in 2016, only pitched around 90 (16 starts in AAA). Contrast that to Ty Blach, who’s been over 160 innings in each of the last two seasons in AAA.
DeLeon is the #34 prospect on MLB.com. I wouldn’t think that would be enough for a slugger in his prime who runs the bases well and plays the position at least competently.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/12/brian-dozier-trade-rumors-final-offer-twins.html
Just saw that too. Also read something yesterday that re-iterated my previous point about the Dodgers arrogance with regard to wanting other team’s players…without giving up any of their significant minor leaguers.
Your points about DeLeon’s durability and “sips of coffee” in the majors are probably something the Twins see too.
The Giants…with Panik still on the team…aren’t out of it until Dozier is traded elsewhere. Stranger things have happened…
I am annoyed that “Stranger Things” hasn’t come out on DVD.com yet. So, in the meantime, we’re rewatching Game of Thrones.
Try West Wing, Friday Night Lights, and The Newsroom. All pretty entertaing and without gore…not that I don’t get that with viewing of Vikings, Walking Dead, and GOT.
Wonder if the Twins read Fangraphs…
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-twins-should-take-jose-de-leon-while-they-can/
Regardless of one’s opinion of DeLeon, the Twins may be looking at quantity and DeLeon (1 for 1) doesn’t meet that criteria.
That report sounded like a pretty mixed bag. They kept comparing him to Shields, which is not a bad thing, but Shields has been a durable workhorse and DeLeon so far has not. To me that’s the really problematic part of DeLeon’s resume–he’s 24, so he’s not a baby like Urias who has to be protected. He should be able to throw a couple of seasons of at least 140 innings in the minors before getting to the majors. Again, look at Blach’s numbers, above. And sure, quantity vs. quality, but quality doesn’t matter very much if it’s on the DL–and Blach did win the ERA title the year he was in the Cal League, so he hasn’t been a schmoe, either.
I suspect that the low innings on DeLeon is based on a belief that guys just don’t have a lot of pitches in their arm and that they are saving them for the bigs. It is an interesting experiment. I wish I had the time to look into how they have been treating top pitching prospects the last 3 -4 years. As much as I think the Giants have been keeping their young pitchers down, the Dodgers have been worse (better prospects and greater need). Probably evidence that my idea is bunk.
I believe DeLeon’s had injury issues–at least he did in 2016 (that’s why only 16 AAA starts).
Again, contrast with Ty Blach, who’s pitched four full years in the minors:
2013 (A+, San Jose): 130.1 (20 starts)
2014 (AA Richmond): 141 (25 starts)
2015 (AAA Sacramento): 165.1 (27 starts)
2016 (AAA Sacramento): 162.2 (26 starts–called up)
(SF): 20.1 (reg season + postseason)–2 starts
(I’d also note that Matt Cain hasn’t gone over 90 innings in a season since 2013.)
Really nice detailed piece on Derek Law’s rookie year and some analysis of his best pitches (curve/change) match up against the game’s best pitchers (hint: very well so far).
With the Giants’ team bullpen problems, I don’t know if there was enough appreciation for what a great year Law had. He was one of the top 15 relievers in the NL per Fangraphs, and that’s with starting the year in AAA and not really getting many opportunities for awhile. We’re lucky to have him for years to come–staying healthy is the main question.
http://www.scout.com/mlb/giants/story/1720857-giants-roy-born-on-mlb-s-proudest-day?s=243
It was very kind of you to leave out that this is more evidence that Bochy had the answer to his problems in house and he…well…you know.
New Post: http://fe0.84e.myftpupload.com/2016-giants-offseason-news/should-the-giants-sign-jose-bautista/
A baseball question (to meet Mr. Sarcastic’s expectations): what are the criteria used to compile the rankings of prospects?
http://www.jobulifestyle.com/jobu-figures
Elementary, my dear Watson.
Of course the serious answer is a really good baseball organization: you need good scouts to draft and sign or trade well, and good instructors especially in the minor leagues (but Wotus seems a genious) and good management of financial resources. And then the GM has to be very stoic when a high draft choice doesn’t pan out (Gary Brown), and enthusiastic when lesser know players do well. The best thing about Haak’s and SS22’s MyGuy competition is it has taught us all prospects are more or less impossible to predict from first principles.
The future is open in this brane of the multiverse. I can predict only that one day I will die and that the Doyers will remain a bunch of suckers.
Tools and skills, and look a new thread has formed.
Channelclemente posted something below with a splendid distribution chart for Baseball America prospect ratings versus WAR accumulation. It was implied that there was a linear relationship between the two. In truth this relationship is an inversely proportional relationship where your top tier prospects, the Grade A types like the Bryant’s, Seager’s, Lindor’s, and going back, the Posey and Bumgarner’s, are very much more likely to attain stardom than the group of prospects that represents the next tier. The chances of the next tier are proportionately lower and so forth, so that by the time you get to B- and C+ caliber prospects, the chances of success look very much like a crapshoot.
http://www.ajpa.co.uk/ajpa/Theory%20notes/pictures/inverse%20proportion.gif
y=1/x
lim for x➝∞ is 0
asymptotic !
Equilateral hyperbole referred to the axises.
That’s the distribution of probabilities at some nominal cutoff, of course, and not the fit to the data in the graphic.
but the true representation of the field, in my experience.
It depends on where the cut line is made in the sample set, but I get your drift. Good post.