11/7: incognito gets support, celtics win, brock wants to smoke

[BigDDude]

i'm pretty sure they all don't look like that in oregon

To be sure. Most look a lot more like Mike Napoli. That is what you get for living somehwere where is rains 300 days a year...

 

[rokketmn]

sounds like a good time to me

"she asked me to puig on her face, so I did"

and I honestly don't know why women constantly ask me to do that

I like your interpretation better.

 

[BigDDude]

Teams have until 12/2 to decide on what to do with this bunch, as this is a likely list of guys who will be non-tendered, and allowed to become free agents. A.k.a, basically 2nd tier guys.

Position Players
Tony Abreu
Darwin Barney
Daric Barton
Mike Baxter
Drew Butera
Tyler Flowers
Sam Fuld
Mat Gamel
Chris Getz
Jesus Guzman
Brett Hayes
Paul Janish
Garrett Jones
Don Kelly
George Kottaras
Lou Marson
John Mayberry
Michael McKenry
Chris Nelson
Jayson Nix
Nolan Reimold
Adam Rosales
Justin Ruggiano
Scott Sizemore
Seth Smith
Travis Snider
Chris Stewart
Drew Stubbs


Pitchers
Scott Atchison
John Axford
Andrew Bailey
Daniel Bard
Mitchell Boggs
Phil Coke
Scott Elbert
Juan Gutierrez
Tommy Hanson
Frank Herrmann
Daniel Hudson
Kevin Jepsen
Cristhian Martinez
Luis Mendoza
Jose Mijares
Jeff Niemann
Felipe Paulino
Fernando Rodriguez
Esmil Rogers
Tony Sipp
Joe Thatcher
Josh Tomlin
Jonny Venters
Jerome Williams
Blake Wood

 

[rokketmn]

Never mind the last name, Puig seems to think he has no need of fundamentals. Even the most talented players
DO need them![/QUOTE]



Agreed. However, I have now seen for many years guys in baseball, football, and basketball that have reached the pros simply on God given physical ability. And, they were so good coming up, nobody wanted to or did mess with them, or try to teach them things.

It is the reason why guys like David Eckstein stood out as players so much. They were pretty much nothing physically, but their baseball I.Q's are off the charts, hence their usefulness.

Blasphemy!!! Jeter invented fundamental baseball!!

Now say 10 Hail Jeters and wash your hands.

 

[CaptO]

i'm pretty sure they all don't look like that in oregon

I know one that doesnt.......

 

[BigDDude]

Blasphemy!!! Jeter invented fundamental baseball!!

Now say 10 Hail Jeters and wash your hands.

Would 2 fist pumps and 1 jump throw suffice?

 

[BigDDude]

Like pretty much all of them to date, it looks like the next new 30 for 30 will be worth a watch. It is called The Schedule Makers, and is about the husband and wife team that has made the MLB schedules for the past 20 years.

I figure it will be interesting to see all of what goes into getting this figured out each year.

 

[BigDDude]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Major League Baseball's chief scientist stepped into the replay expansion laboratory Wednesday night, and Joe Torre liked what he saw.
"It looked like it went off smoothly," said Torre, MLB's executive vice president of baseball operations, of the first two trial games to test the process and technology of the proposed replay system, which will be run from MLB Advanced Media's studios in New York. "The Commissioner [Bud Selig] has wanted this for a couple of years, but we certainly didn't want to go knee-jerk on it.
"We wanted to make sure to do something that wasn't going to affect the rhythm of the game. [Tuesday] night looked good," Torre said of expanded replay's debut game.
Wednesday night's encore game, between the visiting Salt River Rafters and the Scottsdale Scorpions, looked more complex. Though all four calls challenged in the Tuesday game were upheld, the first two on Wednesday -- and three of seven total -- were overturned upon review.
Kyle Kubitza also emerged as a replay magnet. The Scottsdale third baseman, an Atlanta prospect, was involved in four of the challenged plays.
Replay's value as a tool was vividly demonstrated in the bottom of the fifth of the Scorpions' 7-4 Arizona Fall League victory at Scottsdale Stadium.
With men on first and second, Scottsdale's Alen Hanson drilled a ball to left-center on which center fielder Kenny Wilson made a fabulous diving catch. As the runners put on the brakes and reversed course, Wilson rolled over and sprang up for a throw -- but dropped the ball on the exchange into his bare hand.
A challenge was issued -- not by the hitter's manager but by Salt River skipper Mike Shildt. He contended that Kubitza, who was running from second and had rounded third, did not retouch the third-base bag on his way back to second. With the base umpires' eyes on the outfield, plate ump Sean Barber was too far away with the wrong angle for a proper view.
Enter the replay official: Kubitza was called out for an inning-ending double play.
A situation in the bottom of the second also introduced a wrinkle that could validate the biggest concern about replays: Slowing the pace of games. When Kubitza led off with a triple, it triggered two challenges by Shildt -- one at a time.
Shildt challenged third-base umpire Trip Gibson's call that Kubitza beat the tag, then returned to his third-base dugout to await the verdict. When that came upholding the call, Shildt came back out to challenge that Kubitza had missed second base on his way to third. That, too, was upheld.
You can do that. In fact, you have to do that, since replay rules permit challenging only one aspect of a play at a time. In a good-old fashioned argument, the manager does not have to make two separate visits to make points; it's all-you-can-beef.
So, did someone say "Work in progress?"
"What we're doing here is very important," Torre said. "It gives you some sense of how it's going to work. We are forcing the issue here, because we want to look at how the technology works. There's still a lot of housekeeping we've got to do. Hopefully, in the next month or so, we'll have it all."
The way the issue is being forced in the AFL lab is by not limiting the number of challenges. Everything but balls and strikes is fair game here. By contrast, in the Show, reviewable plays will be limited and clearly defined.
"We will have a list of plays that will not be reviewable -- like stuff that affects the placement of runners," said Torre, acknowledging MLB umpires had a big voice in coming up with that list. "They have a great deal of input. It's their livelihood."
Torre revealed that the previously reported quota of challenges -- one within the first six innings, two thereafter -- is not a sure thing. MLB may want to protect managers against their own impetuousness.
"If a manager loses his challenges," Torre said, "we don't want a game to be decided on a play that can't be challenged."
It sounds like, then, that consideration is being given to having any questionable play automatically reviewed after a defined point late in a game -- as the National Football League does in the final two minutes of each half.
That would be the only thing baseball's replay system could possibly have in common with football or with the other sport that has used liberal replays for years, basketball.
"Baseball is not like other sports. Basketball and football have boundaries, they're limited in what can happen to affect a game," Torre said. "We don't really have that. A lot of fans think, 'What's so tough about this? You look at a picture and you change a call.' But there are so many different things that can happen, especially in the course of a season. There's a lot of aspects we have to be aware of and figure out how to handle it.
"We always have people waking up in the morning and thinking, 'What happens if this happens?'"
Torre is confident they'll get it right -- and get the public's approval.
"I think this will satisfy the public that we're addressing the wishes of those who think replay should be part of our game," Torre said. "We can't ignore the technology that's out there."

 

[BigDDude]

Yankees pitchers Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte, who both retired at the end of the 2013 season, will be honored with the Joe DiMaggio Toast of the Town Award by the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
The two Yankees greats will be a celebrated at the chapter's annual dinner on Jan. 25.
Tim McCarver, who retired from the broadcast booth at the conclusion of this year's World Series, also will be honored with the William J. Slocum and Jack Lang Long and Meritorious Service Award.
Others to be honored include Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (Babe Ruth Award for postseason MVP) and Boston Strong and the Red Sox (Arthur and Milton Richman You Gotta Have Heart Award).

 

[rokketmn]

Teams have until 12/2 to decide on what to do with this bunch, as this is a likely list of guys who will be non-tendered, and allowed to become free agents. A.k.a, basically 2nd tier guys.

Position Players
Tony Abreu
Darwin Barney
Daric Barton
Mike Baxter
Drew Butera
Tyler Flowers
Sam Fuld
Mat Gamel
Chris Getz
Jesus Guzman
Brett Hayes
Paul Janish
Garrett Jones
Don Kelly
George Kottaras
Lou Marson
John Mayberry
Michael McKenry
Chris Nelson
Jayson Nix
Nolan Reimold
Adam Rosales
Justin Ruggiano
Scott Sizemore
Seth Smith
Travis Snider
Chris Stewart
Drew Stubbs


Pitchers
Scott Atchison
John Axford
Andrew Bailey
Daniel Bard
Mitchell Boggs
Phil Coke
Scott Elbert
Juan Gutierrez
Tommy Hanson
Frank Herrmann
Daniel Hudson
Kevin Jepsen
Cristhian Martinez
Luis Mendoza
Jose Mijares
Jeff Niemann
Felipe Paulino
Fernando Rodriguez
Esmil Rogers
Tony Sipp
Joe Thatcher
Josh Tomlin
Jonny Venters
Jerome Williams
Blake Wood

Some interesting names here.

Garret Jones - if the Pirates re-sign Morneau or get another 1B, he is gone
Drew Stubbs -power, speed, defense...and K's
John Mayberry -good 4th OF/backup 1B
Nolan Reimold - if he could stay healthy?
Justin Ruggiano -solid 4th OF if on a good team
Scott Sizemore -
Seth Smith
Mat Gamel

John Axford -power arm in cardinal bullpen is redundant and not nearly as good
Andrew Bailey -Sox let him go at expected cost of $4.5mm
Daniel Bard - I think the Cubs stick with him
Tommy Hanson - Angels ned pitching and they have the money
Daniel Hudson - I think Arizona tenders him, and I may have even read that they planned to do so
Jeff Niemann -Tampa needs depth if they trade Price for prospects
Jonny Venters -I think Atlanta tenders him

 

[rokketmn]

Would 2 fist pumps and 1 jump throw suffice?

forgot about the fist pumps. He DID invent that.

 

[rokketmn]

Gotta love (or Hate) Scott Bor-ASS. Here are his assessments of his free agents:

Jacoby Ellsbury has "illustrated that he's a highly durable athlete," according to Boras. The agent explained that people running into Ellsbury, which caused his two major injuries, has nothing to do with his durability. Ellsbury is "a game-changer for a lot of franchises," as the importance of leadoff hitters has increased as power has declined. Boras says a player of Ellsbury's caliber is typically locked up by his team and does not reach free agency. I projected a seven-year, $150MM contract for Ellsbury in my recent free agent profile.
Shin-Soo Choo is a "premium defensive outfielder at the corners," says Boras, which is further proven by him being able to handle center field for a season with the Reds.
Seven or eight teams could "change the dynamic of the production of their infield" with shortstop Stephen Drew, in the opinion of Boras.
Kendrys Morales' metrics at first base are above average, Boras told Law, adding, "He clearly is a good first baseman." Boras feels that pundits don't appreciate the rarity of a switch-hitter with a middle of the order bat, in this case. Morales is "the only other one really than Cano who you can say has the ability to be a run producer in the middle of the lineup" in this free agent market, says Boras, an assessment with which the agents for Brian McCann, Mike Napoli, Carlos Beltran, Curtis Granderson, and Nelson Cruz might disagree.

I need Boras on my side when I negotiate a pay raise at work.

 

[$500 Million]

Yankees pitchers Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte, who both retired at the end of the 2013 season, will be honored with the Joe DiMaggio Toast of the Town Award by the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
The two Yankees greats will be a celebrated at the chapter's annual dinner on Jan. 25.
Tim McCarver, who retired from the broadcast booth at the conclusion of this year's World Series, also will be honored with the William J. Slocum and Jack Lang Long and Meritorious Service Award.
Others to be honored include Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (Babe Ruth Award for postseason MVP) and Boston Strong and the Red Sox (Arthur and Milton Richman You Gotta Have Heart Award).

Thank God they are finally honoring these two, I was beginning to worry they night feel neglected.

 

[BigDDude]

Gotta love (or Hate) Scott Bor-ASS. Here are his assessments of his free agents:

Jacoby Ellsbury has "illustrated that he's a highly durable athlete," according to Boras. The agent explained that people running into Ellsbury, which caused his two major injuries, has nothing to do with his durability. Ellsbury is "a game-changer for a lot of franchises," as the importance of leadoff hitters has increased as power has declined. Boras says a player of Ellsbury's caliber is typically locked up by his team and does not reach free agency. I projected a seven-year, $150MM contract for Ellsbury in my recent free agent profile.
Shin-Soo Choo is a "premium defensive outfielder at the corners," says Boras, which is further proven by him being able to handle center field for a season with the Reds.
Seven or eight teams could "change the dynamic of the production of their infield" with shortstop Stephen Drew, in the opinion of Boras.
Kendrys Morales' metrics at first base are above average, Boras told Law, adding, "He clearly is a good first baseman." Boras feels that pundits don't appreciate the rarity of a switch-hitter with a middle of the order bat, in this case. Morales is "the only other one really than Cano who you can say has the ability to be a run producer in the middle of the lineup" in this free agent market, says Boras, an assessment with which the agents for Brian McCann, Mike Napoli, Carlos Beltran, Curtis Granderson, and Nelson Cruz might disagree.

I need Boras on my side when I negotiate a pay raise at work.

A pretty lopsided love/hate at that. If you have him as an agent, then there is love. If not,....

 

[rokketmn]

When do the winter meetings start? Early December?

 

[rokketmn]

A pretty lopsided love/hate at that. If you have him as an agent, then there is love. If not,....

He actually makes a good point about Ellsbury. They are more freaky injuries that he has had. It is not like he's Jose Reyes.

 

[BigDDude]

When do the winter meetings start? Early December?

It will be from Dec 9-12 this year

 

[Brocktagon]

Thank God they are finally honoring these two, I was beginning to worry they night feel neglected.

I agree. Ortiz and mccarver are long overdue.

 

[Brocktagon]

Jacoby Ellsbury has "illustrated that he's a highly durable athlete," according to Boras. The agent explained that people running into Ellsbury, which caused his two major injuries, has nothing to do with his durability. Ellsbury is "a game-changer for a lot of franchises," as the importance of leadoff hitters has increased as power has declined. Boras says a player of Ellsbury's caliber is typically locked up by his team and does not reach free agency. I projected a seven-year, $150MM contract for Ellsbury in my recent free agent profile.

say goodbye to ellsbury. it's unfortunate that he wants too much money for what he's worth.

 

[BigDDude]

say goodbye to ellsbury. it's unfortunate that he wants too much money for what he's worth.

That seems to be step 1 in becoming a Boras client.