I was away today, but it’s always wonderful when the baseball season begins anew. Looks like Colon is pitching a good game, although his strikeouts aren’t very high. Real opening day tomorrow! (I don’t know why it’s not a national holiday!)
Posted by David Pinto at 10:02 pm | Baseball | Permalink | Comments Off
March 30, 2002
Cecilia Tam, who is the
Cecilia Tam, who is the author of Why I Like Baseball, writes with her opinion on small vs. large market teams:
Hmm, one point, though — I don’t think it will work if the small teams refuse to play the big teams. That wouldn’t give them any leverage at all. The big eight to twelve teams [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 2:20 pm | Baseball | Permalink | Comments Off
March 29, 2002
Here’s a good background article
Here’s a good background article on Hank Blalock. One thing I’d like to comment on:
The Rangers understand it’s a gamble to push a 21-year-old player into the big leagues after no more than a half-season at Double A. But in a lineup filled with potential Hall of Famers, Blalock only has to hold his [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:58 pm | Baseball | Permalink | Comments Off
March 29, 2002
Joe Sheehan of the Baseball
Joe Sheehan of the Baseball Prospectus gives a good summary of Selig’s cyber town meeting. I don’t disagree with anything in the article. Bud is bad for baseball. Selig has been there for every work stoppage. If in 1972, he had said, “Let’s avoid war. Let’s take the players in [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:28 pm | Baseball | Permalink | Comments Off
March 29, 2002
There’s a scoop at ESPN.com
There’s a scoop at ESPN.com on Sweeney’s new contract. Has to be one of the most complicated contracts I’ve ever seen. Fifty-five million over five years, but the Royals have to win by 2004. If they don’t have a .500 record in either of those years, Sweeney can become a free agent. [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 8:28 pm | Baseball | Permalink | Comments Off
March 29, 2002
This article by Pat Daugherty
This article by Pat Daugherty is pretty negative, but there was something that caught my eye:
If baseball owners had any guts, they’d cancel the season and do what they could to break the union. They’d sacrifice six months to remake a flawed system.
Barring that, the little teams should refuse to play the big teams. Until [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 12:07 pm | Baseball | Permalink | Comments Off
March 29, 2002
Gordon Edes has a piece
Gordon Edes has a piece about leadoff men this morning, in which he discusses how the position has changed for the worse. He quotes Frank Robinson in the piece.
”Everybody swings from the end of the bat with two strikes,” he said. ”Nobody shortens up. Nobody sits back a little bit and be less aggressive. [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:24 am | Baseball | Permalink | Comments Off
March 28, 2002
Mo Vaughn seems to be
Mo Vaughn seems to be rubbing off on Mike Piazza. He waited on the bench after he was plunked by the Dodger’s Mota, then went after Mota.
Looks to me more and more like the Mets are going to implode quickly if they get off to a bad start.
Posted by David Pinto at 8:44 pm | Baseball | Permalink | Comments Off
March 28, 2002
After I read Rob Neyer’s
After I read Rob Neyer’s column today, I felt bad for criticizing the Yankees over Soriano leading off. At least the Yankees have a number of excellent on-base average players that it really doesn’t matter where Soriano bats. The Dodgers, on the other hand, have nothing but Shawn Green. From Rob’s column:
But [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 8:06 pm | Baseball | Permalink | Comments Off
March 27, 2002
Click here to read a
Click here to read a good interview with the Cubs hitting coach, Jeff Petland. He seems to have grasped one of the truths of the game that should be obvious but often isn’t:
Q. Everybody thinks a team wins with pitching, but the offense has to do more than it did last season, doesn’t it?
A. [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:06 pm | Baseball | Permalink | Comments Off
March 27, 2002
From a reader: “I see
From a reader:
“I see Jose Canseco was released by the Expos. That has to hurt. You have to
be pretty bad to be released by the Expos”
Which is worse: being release from Expos or the Devil Rays?
That’s a tough one. Probably the Devil Rays. Canseco can argue that he can still hit, and [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:59 pm | Baseball | Permalink | Comments Off
March 27, 2002
I’m trying to make up
I’m trying to make up my mind about the Cubs/Marlins deal, but I don’t know enough (or anything) about the minor leaguers involved. If anyone has info, please let me know.
Alfonseca doesn’t strike out many for a closer. I read he has a great fastball, but it looks to me like he K’s [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:48 pm | Baseball | Permalink | Comments Off
March 27, 2002
I see Jose Canseco was
I see Jose Canseco was released by the Expos. That has to hurt. You have to be pretty bad to be released by the Expos.
I wonder if Jose will be voted into the Hall if the gets to 500 HR. It would certainly be a remarkable feat given the way he’s thrown [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 7:46 pm | Baseball | Permalink | Comments Off
March 27, 2002
If you are looking for
If you are looking for Troy Pericval’s response to Mo Vaughn, click here. Percival doesn’t need to swear to make his point. Most leaders don’t. Of course, I wonder if Disney allows its players to swear?
Posted by David Pinto at 10:41 am | Baseball | Permalink | Comments Off
March 27, 2002
Check out the back page
Check out the back page of the April 1st New Yorker magazine. A very funny baseball cartoon.
Posted by David Pinto at 9:24 am | Baseball | Permalink | Comments Off
March 26, 2002
I noticed Davy Lopes talking
I noticed Davy Lopes talking about the Brewers being more selective in this article. Surprised me a bit, since Lopes was a player who was never that selective at the plate, and the Brewers were very much like that last year. Here’s the quote:
Entering play Tuesday, the Brewers led the National League with [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:29 pm | Baseball | Permalink | Comments Off
March 26, 2002
Here’s another article about Soriano
Here’s another article about Soriano leading off. I’m not sure I agree with this quote:
Torre remained non-committal about what his lineup will be Monday in Baltimore, although he has been both intrigued and upbeat about what he has seen in Soriano batting first and Johnson second. The detractors – and there are plenty inside [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 7:09 pm | Baseball | Permalink | Comments Off
March 26, 2002
Selig has pledged not to
Selig has pledged not to lock out the players this year. Read the article here. So if their is going to be a work stoppage, the players will have to strike. Looks like Selig is trying to make the players look like the bad guys again, instead of trying to build a [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 3:16 pm | Baseball | Permalink | Comments Off
March 26, 2002
This article on Rickey Henderson
This article on Rickey Henderson was sent to me by a friend, and it’s just hilarious. Very different from the Rickey is moody and hard to get along with articles that you usually find.
There are a number of interesting insights.
Rickey on steals: ”Guys stopped stealing when they couldn’t get paid for it. It wasn’t [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:03 am | Baseball | Permalink | Comments Off
March 25, 2002
I was looking at the
I was looking at the STATS, Inc. web site, and see that Win Shares won’t be available until April. It would have been fun March reading.
Posted by David Pinto at 8:36 pm | Baseball | Permalink | Comments Off
March 25, 2002
A really good article here
A really good article here by Tom Tippett of Diamond Mind Baseball. Tom has a really good baseball simulator, and has used it to see how this season may play out. I thought his Mets simulation was the most interesting. He has the Mets finishing 80-82, in fourth place in the NL [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 8:24 pm | Baseball | Permalink | Comments Off
March 25, 2002
A friend sent me this
A friend sent me this article today on Soriano leading off. What are we, back to the days of Horace Clarke? Soriano’s strength as a hitter is his power. He has a poor OBA and has only drawn 1 walk this spring through Sunday the 24th. Despite his ability to steal [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 4:31 pm | Baseball | Permalink | Comments Off
March 24, 2002
Hello and welcome to Baseball
Hello and welcome to Baseball Musings. My name is David Pinto, and for 10 years I was the lead researcher for ESPN’s Baseball Tonight. Last year, I hosted Baseball Tonight Online on ESPN.com. ESPN is not bringing the online version back this year, but I enjoyed talking baseball with fans. This [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 2:50 pm | Baseball | Permalink | Comments Off
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