For you Yankees fans, Alex Belth has the first two parts of a four part roundtable discussion about the Yankees up at Bronx Banter. Here’s part one.
Posted by David Pinto at 9:52 pm | Team Evaluation | Permalink | 1 Comment
February 29, 2004
Panning for Gold
According to this article by Danny Knobler, a member of the Tigers has not won a gold glove award since Gary Pettis in 1989. With the addition of I-Rod and Vina, Knobler thinks that streak might be over. The pitching coach thinks the better defense will help his staff:
With or without an award, [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 4:23 pm | Defense | Permalink | No Comments
February 29, 2004
Tribe Pitching
Here’s a look at how the Indians pitching staff is shaping up. They are planning on carrying 12 pitchers. It wasn’t that long ago that pitching staff went north with 10 pitchers, and trimmed it down to 9 after April. Those days, the big question was whether to carry a third catcher. [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 4:02 pm | Pitchers | Permalink | 2 Comments
February 29, 2004
He’s Trying Not to Be Seen
The White Sox are using an interesting strategy this spring. They are only using Shingo Takatsu against NL hitters:
With a funky, sidearm delivery, Takatsu has been baffling White Sox hitters during batting practice and his off-speed pitches have been particularly nasty.
“I don’t want to pitch him against any American League team down here unless [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 8:49 am | Pitchers | Permalink | 6 Comments
February 28, 2004
Flocking to the Park
Another example that signing big free agents helps the ball club at the gate:
In the week following Feb. 7, when tickets went on sale, the Orioles sold 1,200 new season ticket packages. That adds up to about 60,000 tickets and already puts the club near the amount sold for all of last season. In the [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 2:08 pm | Management | Permalink | 4 Comments
February 28, 2004
Highlights
I went to the Harvard-Yale basketball game in New Haven last night. Yale has a really good team and Harvard doesn’t. The Crimson hung in for the first 10 minutes, then Yale’s superior bench blew Harvard away. I did get a clip of a good play by the Crimson, however.
Posted by David Pinto at 11:01 am | Other | Permalink | 1 Comment
February 27, 2004
Good Wood
Rooftop Report tells me that the Cubs have signed Kerry Wood to a new three-year contract. Congratulations to Kerry, and the Cubs fans have to be happy that Wood won’t be testing the free agent waters any time soon.
Posted by David Pinto at 2:30 pm | Pitchers | Permalink | 1 Comment
February 27, 2004
Graphing Pitchers
Eric McErlain points me to this post by my favorite Canandian blogger, Colby Cosh. In the post, Colby creates a 2-D projection of the K/Inn, BB/Inn and HR/Inn of each ERA qualifying pitcher from 2003. Basically, if you are in the upper left corner of the graph, you’re very good.
Some observations:
Kevin Brown is located [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 2:25 pm | Statistics | Permalink | 12 Comments
February 27, 2004
Baseball Business
There are lots of great posts over at Doug’s Business of Baseball Blog. Start here and keep scrolling.
To comment on a couple of Doug’s posts, I find it interesting that in the article on the Minnesota stadium proposal, the extended tax isn’t a new tax. The tax was going to disappear. As [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 2:07 pm | Management | Permalink | 1 Comment
February 27, 2004
Phoenix Rising
It’s amazing how a big cut in pay can get the competitive jucies flowing again:
Roberto Alomar spent more time than usual getting in shape over the winter, and arrived at spring training intent on a big comeback season with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
It will be his 17th season in the majors.
“I think I put on seven [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:01 am | Players | Permalink | 3 Comments
February 26, 2004
Tore the Cover Off the Ball
The Bartman Ball is no more. They blew it up real good. The ball blew apart, leaving nothing but the cord in a pile at the bottom of the blast chamber. I must admit, it was pretty cool. I liked the way the ball jumped off it’s holder for a second, [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 8:50 pm | Other | Permalink | 3 Comments
February 26, 2004
Bernie’s Right Side
Bernie Williams is having an appendectomy. Torre doubts he’ll be back in time for opening day. I actually find this a bit surprising, since appendectomies are pretty non-invasive these days. However, the person most likely to benefit from this is Travis Lee. I would think with Bernie out of the picture, [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 3:23 pm | Illnesses | Permalink | 3 Comments
February 26, 2004
For All It’s Worth
Brian over at Rock’em Schnockem thinks that Steve Bartman isn’t making enough of his foul ball fame.
Bartman — When they blow up your ball today, you should be pushing that button. Imagine the feeling! We can’t all make oodles of money AND exorcise our past at the same time. Sure, I could go back to [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 2:44 pm | Mechandising | Permalink | No Comments
February 26, 2004
Lewis in SI
Jon Weisman at Dodger Thoughts is encouraging people to read Michael Lewis’s follow up to Moneyball in the latest Sports Illustrated.
Posted by David Pinto at 11:10 am | Authors | Permalink | 3 Comments
February 26, 2004
Burning Leather
Athletics Nation wants a ball desctruction moment of its own.
The A’s need to track down Jeremy Giambi’s shoes. You know the ones that kept him upright in 2001 when he represented the tying run of that Barry Zito gem. The ones that likely cost the A’s a possible World Series championship that season.
I’m convinced now [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 11:07 am | Fan Rant | Permalink | 2 Comments
February 26, 2004
No Guarantee
Three out of four columnists at Baseball Outsider think Piniella’s guarantee that the DRays won’t finish in last place won’t work out.
Posted by David Pinto at 10:47 am | Uncategorized | Permalink | 3 Comments
February 26, 2004
I’d Like to Thank the Academy…
Baseball Musings has won the Primey for Best Baseball Website – Weblog. Thanks to all my readers, old and new, who make this blog such a pleasure to write.
Posted by David Pinto at 10:24 am | Blogs | Permalink | 10 Comments
February 26, 2004
Drafting
The Bench Coach links to an interview with Paul DePodesta on Baseball America, and comes away with the impression that DePodesta will be more flexible in drafting high school players than the Oakland A’s were. I found something very interesting in the article also (Emphasis added):
Whether Los Angeles outdrafted Oakland in the last two [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:07 am | Management | Permalink | 4 Comments
February 26, 2004
First Impressions
Vladimir Guerrero made a good impression on the Angels and batting practice balls yesterday in the Angels first full workout.
Showing no sign of the back injury that limited him to 112 games with Montreal last season, Guerrero was swinging the bat smoothly and mostly making solid contact Wednesday as he joined his new teammates for [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:02 am | Sluggers | Permalink | No Comments
February 26, 2004
Believing in Tampa
David Bloom has moved his Devil Rays blog to YaGottaBelieve. Stop by and check out this post on Carl Crawford looking to improve his OBA in 2004.
Posted by David Pinto at 8:26 am | Blogs | Permalink | No Comments
February 26, 2004
Metz Tickets
Dave Metz of Talking Baseball has a much more complete look at why ticket prices are going up. (Here was my brief take on the subject.)
Posted by David Pinto at 8:17 am | Management | Permalink | No Comments
February 25, 2004
The Other Zim
The Rangers have everyone in camp, including Jeff Zimmerman:
Still, one of the highlights for Showalter was watching Zimmerman throw batting practice.
Zimmerman, who missed the past two seasons because of a right elbow injury that required reconstructive surgery, threw for eight minutes to Brian Jordan, Brad Fullmer, Laynce Nix and Ken Huckaby.
“We’re happy to get to [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:08 pm | Pitchers | Permalink | 1 Comment
February 25, 2004
Dynamic Duo
Rich Lederer and Alex Belth team up to give you a rather long history of Bernie Williams and Derek Jeter over at Bronx Banter. One paragraph reminded me of something:
Jeter is a major star, a sex symbol. Williams looks like a bookworm and is a family man. Jeter is Spiderman and Bernie is Peter [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 2:24 pm | Players | Permalink | 5 Comments
February 25, 2004
Going, Going, Doh!
Fungo Pundit has all the information you need on the destruction of the Bartman Ball. Looks like NBC will be covering it full force. I guess they have to find something for Bob Costas to do.
Posted by David Pinto at 8:52 am | Other | Permalink | No Comments
February 25, 2004
Reds to Honor Stenson
The Cincinnati Reds will honor slain outfield Dernell Stenson on Opening Day.
Posted by David Pinto at 8:35 am | Crime | Permalink | 1 Comment
February 24, 2004
Wagging his Finger
Billy Wagner hurt his finger. It doesn’t look serious, but will keep him on the sideline for one week.
Posted by David Pinto at 8:57 pm | Injuries | Permalink | 2 Comments
February 24, 2004
Goldman on Giambi
Steve Goldman offers an excellent essay on Jason Giambi’s contributions to the Yankees over at Bronx Banter.
Posted by David Pinto at 10:40 am | Players | Permalink | 4 Comments
February 24, 2004
Ticket Prices
Juan Vilafane makes, I believe, a flawed argument in his comment to this post on baseball economics:
I’m a yankee fan, but what there doing is ridiculous. when does the roof come in to play? higher team salaries mean higher ticket prices. Higher ticket prices mean less and less middle and poor people being able to [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:06 am | Management | Permalink | 17 Comments
February 24, 2004
Sabermetrics vs. Psychology
The other day I referred to an article about the Orioles use of psychological tests to help them select players. In the article, they talk about Arthur Rhodes:
Meanwhile, Flanagan had become the Orioles’ pitching coach. In 1995, while struggling to find a role for talented, inconsistent Arthur Rhodes, he sought from Ritterpusch’s advice. He [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 8:46 am | Uncategorized | Permalink | 4 Comments
February 23, 2004
Bonds In Camp
I’ve seen a couple of stories about Bonds reporting to camp, but none tell me what I want to know; does he look thinner?
Update: Once again, I’ve written something that has been misconstrued. I meant this as a smart-alec comment. All winter long I’ve been reading and hearing about how these ballplayers are [...]
Posted by David Pinto at 6:07 pm | Players | Permalink | 17 Comments
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