OTFPOTD 8/03/09 - What Might Have Been Edition
by Eyebrows on Aug 3, 2009 9:10 AM PDT
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PrintHoly crap - has everyone seen Baker's blog today? For those who love rosterbation, this is an insane story:
I'm told the Red Sox apparently approached the Mariners and first tried to do a Hernandez trade with Seattle exclusively. Boston wanted Hernandez and gave the Mariners a list of eight prospects, from which Seattle would be allowed to pick any five.
They included:
RHP Clay Buchholz
RHP Daniel Bard
RHP Justin Masterson
LHP Nick Hagadone
RHP Michael Bowden
LHP Felix Doubront
OF Josh Reddick
SS Yamaico NavarroSeattle turned that down. But that was just the warm-up act to the blockbuster proposal that followed.
It has since come out that Epstein and Towers were discussing a trade that would send home run slugger Adrian Gonzalez to Boston. But wait. Apparently, Epstein wants Hernandez more than anybody, even Gonzalez.
So, the three teams start discussing a possible three-way deal with Seattle that would send Gonzalez to the Mariners, along with Buchholz and a couple of other Red Sox prospects.
The Red Sox would get Hernandez.
And the Padres would get Brandon Morrow, Phillippe Aumont and Carlos Triunfel from Seattle, along with a couple of other top Boston prospects.
I mean, holy crap what a huge trade that would have been. I know Felix is amazing and some around here would never trade him, but that is quite a haul. Would you have taken either deal?
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There is a large part of me that doesn't think Felix will be a Mariner in 2012
please prove me wrong, GMZ. Nothing would make me happier
This one was fine for a while. I looked at it several times and chuckled softly to myself.
“Oh, Eyebrows.” I said. Then I looked at it again and got an instant and piercing headache behind both eyes. You win again.
by royalcurve on Aug 3, 2009 10:35 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
If I were going to trade Felix, I'd want to be absolutely certain he wasn't open to signing an extension
And if I were going to trade him, neither of those moves makes a whole lot of sense. Boston’s prospects are overrated (like we need more relievers), and Gonzalez is also a free agent after 2011, which solves our problems how?
I'd rather know a little about a lot than a lot about a little
I'm not sure Gonzo makes a good centerpiece, considering he's a FA the same time Felix is.
The prospects would have to be really good.
Let's trade Baker.
Racer X. You have to love those amarillo hops.
p.s. fuck you angels
p.p.s. why does geoff baker hate felix
He has seemed to be on the trade Felix kick for a while.
Also, he’s tone almost suggests that he was disappointed that this deal did not go down.
Racer X. You have to love those amarillo hops.
p.s. fuck you angels
p.p.s. why does geoff baker hate felix
I don't think he wants to trade Felix
He’s just been raising the question of what it would take for them to trade him. I think any good GM would at least consider it, and it’s an interesting question to ponder.
angels fan in seattle
Sometimes it seems he more interested in landing the big story.
A creative proposal, to say the least. And one that obviously would have blown away anything else at the July 31 deadline. Would have been the talk of future deadlines for years to come.
Also from a July 30th story.
Believe me, I’d like nothing more than to see this year’s Mariners go to the post-season. It’s good for business. Fun for us to cover. Creates all kinds of interest nationally in the stories we write. So, let’s just get that part straight.
Racer X. You have to love those amarillo hops.
p.s. fuck you angels
p.p.s. why does geoff baker hate felix
I guess I should should been more specific, he seems to want to land the big story for his personal gain not to give us latests
Racer X. You have to love those amarillo hops.
p.s. fuck you angels
p.p.s. why does geoff baker hate felix
You're reading him wrong
He was only advocating trading Felix if an extension was out of the question and the team wasn’t contending.
De Gutibus non disputandum est
by Bearskin Rugburn on Aug 3, 2009 1:02 PM PDT up reply actions
I was going to say the exact same thing.
Racer X. You have to love those amarillo hops.
p.s. fuck you angels
p.p.s. why does geoff baker hate felix
Nothing at all. I was thinking my own mother.
Racer X. You have to love those amarillo hops.
p.s. fuck you angels
p.p.s. why does geoff baker hate felix
I'm sure she's a lovely woman,
but she’s no All-Star ace pitcher!
"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."
by Fearless Frog on Aug 4, 2009 12:01 PM PDT up reply actions
0000 Jesus Christ
Try not to take me too seriously
by calim on Aug 3, 2009 10:31 AM PDT up reply actions 4 recs
Why would you want a baby?
angels fan in seattle
by Eyebrows on Aug 3, 2009 10:33 AM PDT up reply actions 9 recs
I hear he wins comeback player of the year
but only plays for a half season after that.
angels fan in seattle
by Eyebrows on Aug 3, 2009 10:35 AM PDT up reply actions 10 recs
Isn't it worth it to trade Felix for a half season of an infinity win player?
by seattlebruin on Aug 3, 2009 10:40 AM PDT up reply actions
Oh, sure
Mortgage the future.
angels fan in seattle
by Eyebrows on Aug 3, 2009 10:51 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Bigtime prospect
This kid was like Harper and Strasburg put together. But, um, no religion or something.
Try not to take me too seriously
It was pretty obvious
Most careers really fizzle out after the player dies.
Try not to take me too seriously
by calim on Aug 3, 2009 10:38 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I like to think of my Jesus as Baby Jesus.
Wherever I go, that's where I am.
by Rich Langford on Aug 5, 2009 11:51 AM PDT up reply actions
Anyone else just buy Seahawks! tickets?
by Kirsten Schlewitz on Aug 3, 2009 10:09 AM PDT reply actions
Does this mean that Sorry NOLA no longer applies in 2009?
by seattlebruin on Aug 3, 2009 11:48 AM PDT up reply actions
Nobody was really ever sorry.
angels fan in seattle
by Eyebrows on Aug 3, 2009 11:48 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Season tickets! WOO!!!
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 3, 2009 11:15 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Hmm, might've been a good idea for me to buy some and then flip them on Stubhub.
2009 Safeco Field Record: 5-0 ; Overall Safeco Field Record: 9-4
because before stubhub nobody ever scalped tickets ever
(I agree with you actually but it’s not just an online problem)
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
Not yet, but I'm going to a practice on Saturday.
"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."
by Fearless Frog on Aug 4, 2009 12:03 PM PDT up reply actions
ALL RIGHT
WHO VOTED TO TRADE HIM
Try not to take me too seriously
IT'S LYNCHIN' TIME
Try not to take me too seriously
I've said it before and I'll say it again
I would trade Felix in a heartbeat if the price were right. Neither of the packages above were particularly close.
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
I did, but only because I fear we aren't going to extend him
And I want something for that glorious hunk of man-flesh.
by Robert Lintott on Aug 3, 2009 11:04 AM PDT up reply actions
Felix trade
As far as I’m concerned, as slight as our World Series chances are over the next several years, those chances would only further diminish if Felix were traded to Boston. If I’m Z, I’m focusing on extending him this offseason. Failing that, I consider moving him next July for a similar package to what Boston offered this time around.
Every year I purchase Seahawks tickets, curse the prices, and tell myself that I’m never buying tickets again.
I like how they raised prices 15% a year after they went 4-12 and in a bad economy
Yet even me who is making nearly minimum wage, grumbles about it for 15 seconds then buys them and flip my shit while running around like Charlie in a god damn chocolate factory
by Robert on Aug 3, 2009 12:07 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
This is why they can/will always raise prices
not faulting you for doing it, I do it myself with the M’s, but still. The model works because the consumer makes it work.
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
Yeah, I don't understand that
There has to be a piece missing. Why would we even consider trading Felix for Gonzalez AND giving up three quality prospects?
Try not to take me too seriously
I guess we'd maybe replace our prospects with Bostonites?
Still seems fishy.
Try not to take me too seriously
That's what I'm assuming.
That we’d get the five Boston prospects as well.
The trade would have been Felix and prospects
For Gonzalez, Buchholz and other unnamed Red Sox prospects.
angels fan in seattle
Not worth the prospect package we give up
by Graham MacAree on Aug 3, 2009 10:34 AM PDT up reply actions
Epstein just thought Bill was still GM
Of course he’ll do this deal!
Try not to take me too seriously
My bottom line
Felix is fun to watch, and a good reason to be a Mariner fan. Any trade that we would make with Felix would have to be Bedard-trade level ridiculous and would have to bring me someone new to get excited about.
And not excited like “Branyan’s coming up” excited. Excited in the same way that so many other fans are about Griffey pinch hitting in the 9th with a potential game-winning situation.
Batting .357/.571/.500 in 6 games for PSSBL Rocky Diablos 2009
by Two Rs and Two Ls on Aug 3, 2009 10:35 AM PDT reply actions
For what it's worth ...
this morning during his KJR interview, Zduriencik implies that it never got to quite that level of specifics re: Felix, which might just be GM subterfuge … or not. He does say that he didn’t expect to get any offer that would make it worth moving Felix—
That makes some sense...
I can’t imagine why Z would even consider trading Felix for either of those packages, so his saying that it never got to that point makes sense to me. There might be players or packages which would be worth a Felix trade, but it sure as heck ain’t either of the ones listed above.
Fuck the Angels! And the Yankees and Red Sox while we're at it.
Eh, I'd rather roll the rosterbation into an offtop than give it its own outlet.
But that’s just me.
angels fan in seattle
Besides, you generally need a good topic to kick off an offtop.
And I’m too lazy to try to hunt for something.
angels fan in seattle
Thanks to an assist by RC, I present to you:
angels fan in seattle
by Eyebrows on Aug 3, 2009 11:06 AM PDT reply actions 7 recs
Holy hell! That is scary!
Awaiting the day I catch a Russell Branyan foul ball. I will make love to it.
Preserved In All His Greatness - R.I.P. The Reignman 1989 to 1997
Oh my. Ohhhhhhhh my.
I owe you a beer and an avuncular pat on the head for this.
Impressive.
You are making up for a lack of quantity of internet you have found on this Monday with the quality of internet you have found. This is indeed good.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 3, 2009 11:59 AM PDT up reply actions
Oh my God
That looks disturbingly like a chick my friends tried to get me to fuck. God’s Holy trousers…. :(
I'd trade Felix...
…for Bucholz + Lester + Pedroia. Now, I know Epstein wouldn’t, but hey, that’d at least perk my ears a bit…
This signature space for rent.
I would milk a few more blue chip prospects out of it.
Felix is pretty damn valuable, and I do not think Buchholz or Pedroia would be special if they were on any non Boston/New York team.
2009 Safeco Field Record: 5-0 ; Overall Safeco Field Record: 9-4
Why would you willingly trade for Dustin Pedroia
by Graham MacAree on Aug 3, 2009 11:24 AM PDT up reply actions
Yea, I do not think he is that good.
He reminds me of a scrappy, Bloomquist type of player. I am really glad that I haven’t had to use the words scrappy or Bloomquist this season before now.
2009 Safeco Field Record: 5-0 ; Overall Safeco Field Record: 9-4
Seriously, where would Pedroia play?
Left field? Third?
by seattlebruin on Aug 3, 2009 11:28 AM PDT up reply actions
Second base on the Mariners is already spoken for
by seattlebruin on Aug 3, 2009 11:30 AM PDT up reply actions
Eff you, Woodward has HOF written all over him
by seattlebruin on Aug 3, 2009 11:32 AM PDT up reply actions
Tui could probably play a mean 2nd base.
2009 Safeco Field Record: 5-0 ; Overall Safeco Field Record: 9-4
Actually he's been around since 2005, touted as the 2nd baseman of the future.
He even made the All-Star game in 2006, but after his brother died in an accident, his numbers tanked in 2007. 2008 saw a re-emergence of Jose Lopez, but little did that help as the Mariners were out of contention by the month of May. In 2009, Jose Lopez has returned to slumping, and having another sibling die did not help. Alas, Jose Lopez remains the starting 2nd baseman, as he shows flashes of brilliance and the power that he once and could again possess.
2009 Safeco Field Record: 5-0 ; Overall Safeco Field Record: 9-4
by Fin on Aug 3, 2009 11:37 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Who isn't on the team anymore.
You’d think a Mariners fan like yourself would realize that.
angels fan in seattle
Aw, I see the potential confusion my friend.
But no, Jose Vidro was a different player. A 2nd baseman back in his prime with the Montreal Expos. Was traded for a couple of no name prospects before the 2007 season to fill the void at DH. He brought to the table switch-handedness, an ability to hit balls and not strike out. What he didn’t bring was any other skill required to be an adequate ball player. He lucked out in 2007, having a hollow batting average, while in 2008, that house of cards finally feel. Vidro was deemed “done”, and despite batting fourth as protection for Raul Ibanez, he was finally Designated for Assignment in August 2008.
2009 Safeco Field Record: 5-0 ; Overall Safeco Field Record: 9-4
by Fin on Aug 3, 2009 11:41 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Are you sayin' he was some kinda homo-sexual?
because you better have some proof to go along with that, mister
He brought to the table switch-handedness, an ability to hit balls
by seattlebruin on Aug 3, 2009 11:42 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Jose Vidro wasn't a switch hitter.
You’re just confused by his opposite-handed twin brother, Pepe.
angels fan in seattle
O yes, a very important detail that I overlooked.
In that trade with the Nationals, there were 4 players involved in the deal, with twins Jose and Pepe coming over the Mariners. In 2007, Jose was given much praise and glory, as the Mariners were in contention for much of the season, but a year later, was a scapegoat for the organizational issues the Mariners were facing. The only time Pepe had any recognition was during the pre-season commercials, where both twins Jose and Pepe Vidro stood side by side.
2009 Safeco Field Record: 5-0 ; Overall Safeco Field Record: 9-4
by Fin on Aug 3, 2009 11:46 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
bullshit
In 2009, Jose Lopez has returned to slumping, and having another sibling die did not help.
by seattlebruin on Aug 3, 2009 11:38 AM PDT up reply actions
Perhaps I am being a bit harsh there.
2009 Safeco Field Record: 5-0 ; Overall Safeco Field Record: 9-4
Ok, so he has had a little re-emergence of late.
2009 Safeco Field Record: 5-0 ; Overall Safeco Field Record: 9-4
Either way, it's roughly league average
by seattlebruin on Aug 3, 2009 12:01 PM PDT up reply actions
Well according the the wOBA that's calculated correctly he is .006 below league average.
by Aaron Campeau on Aug 3, 2009 12:07 PM PDT up reply actions
I believe StatCorner and FanGraphs use different league averages because of the way they calculate wOBA
by seattlebruin on Aug 3, 2009 12:20 PM PDT up reply actions
Fangraphs has him at .325 vs .328 league average
StatCorner has him at .330 vs .341 league average
apparently I read the wrong line last time.
by seattlebruin on Aug 3, 2009 12:28 PM PDT up reply actions
I would assume he would replace Loafie at 2nd.
2009 Safeco Field Record: 5-0 ; Overall Safeco Field Record: 9-4
Perhaps...
…because Dave Cameron seems to think he’s got more trade value than Ian Kinsler, Nick Markakis, and Cole Hamels.
And because I’m not a big fan of our second baseman…
This signature space for rent.
by PositivePaul on Aug 3, 2009 11:30 AM PDT up reply actions
Fangraphs will always overrate Dustin Pedroia until they properly account for the fact that Boston has a park factor of 120 for doubles
by Graham MacAree on Aug 3, 2009 11:47 AM PDT up reply actions
That's really strange that they use park factors when adding up the batting values into total WAR for a player, while they don't adjust wOBA for park factors.
Although I can get park-adjusted wOBA on Statcorner, correct?
TRUTH.
Pedroia will hit about 2 HR a year at Safeco (more on the road, but still)
You think Loafie hits too many sissy home runs? Look at Pedoira:
http://www.hittrackeronline.com/detail.php?id=2009_2478&type=hitter
http://www.hittrackeronline.com/detail.php?id=2009_2478&type=hitter
TRUTH.
I would never trade Felix.
He has Hall of Fame potential. Like banner in the rafters with his number on it potential. He is so good, I would never even consider it. He is my favorite Mariner.
2009 Safeco Field Record: 5-0 ; Overall Safeco Field Record: 9-4
This does presuppose that he would seriously consider staying once he hits free agency
which is by no means a certainty.
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
Z needs to sign that extension as soon as possible.
And the team needs to start winning. It seems like Felix is more comfortable, now that he has a best friend in Gutierrez and his own personal catcher. I wouldn’t be surprised if Z could persuade him to stick around after the team really starts winning in the next couple of seasons.
2009 Safeco Field Record: 5-0 ; Overall Safeco Field Record: 9-4
The player has all the power though
Z can only offer an extension. Felix has to be willing to sign it. Which as you say is probably entirely dependent on the team playing consistent winning baseball.
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
Seriously, how could you not loathe our ®ivals even more after this?
2009 Safeco Field Record: 5-0 ; Overall Safeco Field Record: 9-4
Bahahahaha.
Who else used to watch The Little Price?
Click to enlarge.
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 3, 2009 11:35 AM PDT reply actions
Watch the Little Price?
I did read The Little Prince for the first time ever this year, though. Today’s XKCD made me sad.
Whoops.
I meant “The Little Prince”. The TV show was on Nickelodeon, and I used to love it as a kid.
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 3, 2009 2:36 PM PDT up reply actions
I had no idea there was a show!
I need to find this immediately.
.
Did you mean: brett favre getting fucked in his thick ass
by Aaron Campeau on Aug 3, 2009 12:02 PM PDT up reply actions
It scares me that Boston so badly wants Felix. They so rarely give up top talent to acquire top talent.
Not unless they got another Hanley in there somewhere. I mean, 3 Hanleys.
by Kenny Knows Sports on Aug 3, 2009 12:07 PM PDT reply actions
In case anybody was wondering,
The reason why I took so long to respond to the Felix question is because I was to busy digging up the childhood dogs of the yes voters and giving them anal clamidia
by Robert on Aug 3, 2009 12:10 PM PDT reply actions 6 recs
He also has a pet spider
Racer X. You have to love those amarillo hops.
p.s. fuck you angels
p.p.s. why does geoff baker hate felix
So what you're saying is you'd trade Felix for Pedroia, Ellsbury and Papelbon, right?
angels fan in seattle
Yeah a lot of guys find their control once they hit 30.
by Poochie on Aug 3, 2009 12:19 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
My friend is Erasmo-obsessed. But is their not a lot of faith in his numbers?
by Kenny Knows Sports on Aug 3, 2009 12:26 PM PDT up reply actions
I figured the juicing part is a joke, I'm just saying there seem to be a lot of questions about how real his dominant numbers are.
by Kenny Knows Sports on Aug 3, 2009 12:53 PM PDT up reply actions
He projects as 13-14 K/BB guy in the majors, though I worry about the HBPs
at his current command, I project him to bean approximately 46,500 batter per season in the majors.
by seattlebruin on Aug 3, 2009 12:54 PM PDT up reply actions
I love that they're using that shopped picture of the MLB Erasmo Ramirez in a Mariner uniform on FSN broadcasts
Has nobody ever taken a picture of this kid?
by Graham MacAree on Aug 3, 2009 12:26 PM PDT up reply actions
Gomez found a pic of him a while back.
I think this is supposed to be him
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 3, 2009 12:33 PM PDT up reply actions
That's uh...
That’s not at all what I expected him to look like.
Not at all.
The Scourge of the VSL is rather baby-faced.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 3, 2009 12:35 PM PDT up reply actions
25.67 K/BB. Good god.
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 3, 2009 12:32 PM PDT up reply actions
And the G/F ratio of 3.79:1
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 3, 2009 12:32 PM PDT up reply actions
He's hitting a lot of guys which makes me wonder about control
Why hasn’t he been promoted yet?
by Graham MacAree on Aug 3, 2009 12:36 PM PDT up reply actions
I have no idea.
The old visa rules don’t apply anymore, but generally speaking, I’ve only seen one pitcher ever promoted from the VSL mid-season, and that was Cesar Jimenez. Ramirez, right now, is outdoing even that.
The VSL season ends on Saturday, and I’m pretty sure they promoted Jimenez after the season. We may see Ramirez in the states in the coming weeks. I wouldn’t give great odds on it, but it could happen.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 3, 2009 12:43 PM PDT up reply actions
His numbers were fine last year
How come he went for another go around? Also, you don’t happen to know what exactly he’s throwing, do you?
by Graham MacAree on Aug 3, 2009 12:45 PM PDT up reply actions
There aren't many players, especially pitchers, that come up after one year.
Usually players have to have one or two outstanding things that they do in order to get promoted immediately. Efrain Nunez came up because he could hit, Asdrubal Cabrera and Oswaldo Navarro could both field at an elite level, and J.C. Ramirez had a plus fastball and the makings of a good slider. It’s not necessarily a bad sign to see a pitcher in there for a second year though. Pineda spent two years in the DSL and then was immediately in the Midwest League, dominating as though he’d been well-practiced in it.
Erasmo is probably more like Pineda than the other Ramirez. His FB doesn’t have plus heat on it, but he commands it well and he throws a variety of them, two-seams, sinking, cutting I think. I’m guessing he has a working change-up too from how he handles left-handers (23/0 K/BB in 17.0 IP). I’ve never heard a full SR on him, just bits and pieces here and there, how he was one of the better players available out of Nicaragua when they got him, how they expected him to add velocity as he grew, stuff like that.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 3, 2009 1:05 PM PDT up reply actions
I hope he comes up for the tail end of the season
If he gets put in Everett it’d be fun to go to a game and check him out. What’s the talent like in the VSL?
by Graham MacAree on Aug 3, 2009 1:11 PM PDT up reply actions
YES
I keep trying to tell myself that the stats are meaningless, but they won’t let me. I mean, ~ 4:1 GBs? And no walks? I was hoping they’d push him a while ago, and every time he goes more than 5 days w/o pitching, I keep scanning the scores in Arizona or Pulaski.
Again, this FO seems to be close to the opposite of the Bavasi regime when it comes to mid-season promotions.
So do I.
The timing works for me, so I’d love to catch game or two of him in Everett.
The VSL level of talent is always quite difficult to judge because in a lot of cases you’re projecting on body type or skills that haven’t often seen formal competition. The best of the talent gets skimmed off every year for the states and because there’s a four-year term limit, you end up with long-time holdovers who kill the league on sheer experience when they might not amount to that much in that states. That’s not always the case though, Valbuena and Balentien both spent three or more years in the league for example.
I don’t see any names that jump off the page for me because, obviously, those guys are probably in the states or in a Dominican complex, but for fun, Erasmo Ramirez is:
Leading in ERA (0.55 to 1.49 for the next guy)
Leading in IP (82.0 to 68.1)
Leading in Ks (77 to 72, but in 19 more innings)
I’d consider throwing him into the Clinton rotation to start the season.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 3, 2009 1:48 PM PDT up reply actions
I really wish you could sort by GB/FB...
I just don’t have a sense of the league average. Whatever it is, he’s gotta be several std. devs from the median.
The old org pushed Pineda who had worse stats and who was younger to the MWL; let’s hope Ramirez’ ridiculous year overcomes the cautiousness of the org next year (that is, go to the MWL, forget the NWL/AZL).
Ooooookay.....
Get his feet wet in AAA like they did with Paredes and Bibens-Dirkx!
Come to me, Erasmo.
(by the way, it’s really annoying that there’s some AAA vet/AAAA pitcher named Erasmo Ramirez).
Like I mentioned above
On M’s broadcasts he keeps being brought up and the picture they use of him is of the other Erasmo Ramirez shopped into an M’s uniform.
by Graham MacAree on Aug 3, 2009 2:41 PM PDT up reply actions
Seriously? I've missed that
I’ve seen his name in some of those ‘building to the future’ deals, but they just showed the banner bank logo.
Stats in summer leagues are nigh meaningless.
I would have picked Henry Perez over Pineda that year, I think, and Henry Perez is still in the DSL. Walter Suriel had better stats than Pineda and look at how he’s done in the States. Players are promoted on ability more often than stats. That’s why Eddy Fernandez took so long to get here, and subsequently sucked because he was exploiting something that more experienced hitters are more adept at handling.
and for the record, there aren’t a whole lot of home runs in the league and it skews noticeably towards groundballs. I think the standard in the MLB is something like 1.02 G/F (someone correct me on that), but in the VSL it seems closer to 1.50.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 3, 2009 2:28 PM PDT up reply actions
I think we've all made our requisite 'VSL stats are meaningless' caveats in this subthread
And it’s not like Ramirez throws 81. And the league average GB rate could be 2.0 and Ramirez’s numbers would still be impressive. Just looking at the list, there’s no one in Ramirez’ league, save perhaps Yoervis Medina, who’s still waaaay behind. Yosber Monzon is in Medina territory, but I’m really just mentioning him for his name.
Yes, I believe so.
So, to be entirely clear, VSL stats are meaningless, culled from highly erratic competition, and even normalizing them, Erasmo Ramirez is still really awesome.
I’m thinking for the intro in next week’s minor league wrap I’m just going to blather on about the VSL for a while since they’ll be done playing by then.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 3, 2009 2:54 PM PDT up reply actions
Even if, say, the VSL was equivalent to a good high school league
And Erasmo Ramirez was a 19 year old senior, that’s a first round draft pick right there.
by Graham MacAree on Aug 3, 2009 2:59 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah know, with most teams I would consider a trade of Felix for the right package.
But not to Boston. No. No. No.
FUCK THE ANGELS! FUCK THE ANGELS! FUCK THE ANGELS!
Random Thoughts on Asymmetric Park Factors
Safeco Field is a pitcher’s park. It represses singles, doubles, and triples across the board and increases strikeouts. It also lowers HR/fly ball rate, but only for right handed hitters due to the short fence in right field and the prevailing wind in the stadium. In short, it treats left handed and right handed bats differently (i.e. asymmetrically) in terms of power, and that’s a pretty big deal.
But you already knew all that, so why bring it up?
Well, I was just thinking that since managers tend to stack the lineup with opposite handed batters. When a rightie is on the hill, lefties! When a lefty is up, righties! Granted, most teams don’t have the roster flexibility to have this as a huge effect, but it’s there. Following that, it’s pretty clear that left-handed pitchers in Safeco Field will probably face more right-handed batters than usual, and vice versa for right-handers, which means that LHP’s expected HR/fly will be a good amount lower than their non-sinister compatriots.
Left handed pitchers therefore are inherently more valuable in Safeco Field, because in terms of production it doesn’t really matter if you exploit some aspect of the park others can’t. You produce or save runs against the overall environment that you’re in, so it’s not fair to knock, say, Branyan’s value down because he has an easier time hitting HR in Safeco than does Adrian Beltre.
What all this does mean, though, is that there is an inherent flaw in evaluating the talent of players in Safeco Field. Using blanket park factors means that lefthanders will always be overrated, and righties underrated. I don’t know where I’m going with this so I’ll stop now. Just something to muse upon.
Well has there been any thought/research done on this topic to develop park factors, say by field (LF/CF/RF)
which would help get a truer understanding of park factors?
I’d also think that Safeco is a fairly unique case, though Petco’s RF might also come to mind.
by seattlebruin on Aug 3, 2009 12:38 PM PDT up reply actions
Here's a followup to that:
Why not change your park to fit your team? Sure, it would be hard to make adjustments from year to year to perfectly balance it out, but doesn’t it make sense to at least adjust it to your long-term guys? If the Rays are willing to sign Longoria to such a long deal, why not tailor the park to him a little as well? This makes even more sense to me if you are someone like the Yankees who just splashed out hundreds of millions in guaranteed contracts on 3 players in an offseason.
I think the main counterargument to this is that you just want to accumulate as many championship-caliber players as possible, especially since you still play half of your games in parks that are different (and thus harder to tailor a team towards) than your own.
Perfect example of why that is a bad idea is Griffey.
We tailored Safeco to him then he bailed and we had zero lefty power hitters to take advantage.
Years ago I remember you posting here and again that you were going to develop LH/RH park factors
but were too busy with schoolwork. Have you revisited your plans at all since then? Not all parks are going to be as grossly asymmetrical as Safeco or Yankee Stadium for example, but i suspect many will be.
De Gutibus non disputandum est
by Bearskin Rugburn on Aug 4, 2009 4:19 PM PDT up reply actions
It was very helpful that they included the phonetic pronunciation of the police spokesman
just in case you were talking about this at the bar and couldn’t figure it out on your own, I guess?
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
I am a huge Felix fan, but if we were offered five of those prospects, I'd do the deal.
I am assuming that Felix isn’t really interested in re-signing, otherwise GMZ would have done that deal by now.
I was at Shea for the Felix-Slam!
Personal M's record: 5-4.
Eh, I dunno about that
GMZ wasn’t hired until the offseason and had a shit load to do before the season. Once Felix got on a roll he probably figured it best to just let him be, no reason to interrupt him with contract talks. if nothing is done this coming off season then yeah, we’re probably fucked,
I don't think the Felix stock will drop any time soon.
Maybe Jack Z is seeing if Tampa and other teams with great farm systems are going to get interested too now and pull off the greatest stockpile of prospects ever assembled. There was no reason to start thinking about a Felix trade in the middle of this season, the majority of fans would go apeshit I think if he ever was dealt in the middle of the year. During the winter meetings though, who knows.
by Kenny Knows Sports on Aug 3, 2009 1:47 PM PDT up reply actions
There isn't a surefire star in that group. Interesting that Boston didn't include any of their better position
prospects. Young, unproven arms are too volatile. I wouldn’t make that deal
Well I think it's safe to say that this would have finally brought down SBN had it gone through
get that extenzion going, Z.
De Gutibus non disputandum est
by Bearskin Rugburn on Aug 3, 2009 1:11 PM PDT reply actions
What's funny is that the first four of the "prospects" listed are actually older than Felix.
And the youngest one is only ~2 years younger.
by I Lick Squirrels on Aug 3, 2009 1:40 PM PDT reply actions
If they trade Felix for anything short of 5 of the following 8 players I wll cry
Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols clone
Albert Pujols clone 2
Albert Pujols clone 3
Albert Pujols clone 4
Albert Pujols clone 5
Albert Pujols clone 6
Albert Pujols clone 7
Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Wyomingroutes.org & Washingtonhighways.org
He should have tried thinking about something else.
by royalcurve on Aug 3, 2009 2:12 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Steve? Don't come yet.
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 3, 2009 2:43 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, he should be more like Clement.
angels fan in seattle
by Eyebrows on Aug 3, 2009 2:13 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Cracked.com is so incredible.
Good link. Thanks.
Three things I took away from that article.
Booo on the Hobbit w/o Jackson, Shamalamadingdong is not only an ass, he’s a retarded one idea wonder monkey ass, and now I know why Lost took a turn to craptastic land.
Shame on you!
I’ll pretend you never said that comment about the great Lost.
The Hobbit will get made with Del Toro at the helm and Jackson producing.
The dispute is between New Line and the Tolkien heirs over who get’s the profits; there’s too much money at stake on either side for the project to be canceled out-right.
And thank God Del Toro is directing. I’ll never understand the reverence Jackson commands.
He did a wonderous job with the first three.
They have some flaws, but it’s the biggest, most ambitious undertaking in the history of movie-making, and overall he hit it out of the park.
We'll just have to disagree about this.
The Helm’s Deep scene was perfect, and the locations were fantastic, but on the whole I thought it was an over-acted, cheesy, gooey mess. The CGI was so painful.
And King Kong? WTF?
Ruh rohs.
Jeff has been posting on FML again:
Today, I was handling corrosive chemicals when I accidentally spilled a beaker of Hydrochloric Acid on myself. I had to strip naked and use the emergency shower with my boss and my hot coworker watching. The worst part was when I realized my coworker was laughing at the size of my penis. FML
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 3, 2009 2:45 PM PDT reply actions
I'd guess the burned skin would be worse than a little chublaughing.
Also, what kind of coworker stands around and laughs at someone in the chem shower? I call BS.
Dave Cameron wrote about the Angels' offense
at FanGraphs, and he caught himself a prize comment:
Who would think that someone like Dave who is considered to be something of an authority on baseball, and spent so much time analyzing a bad team like the Mariners, would be incapable of what makes a good team like the Angels succesfull.
The Angels are one of the best teams skilled in the fundamentals of baseball, resulting in fewer errors per game and not allowing the opposing team extra bases or extra outs. This is a mantra of manager Mike Scioscia, possibly the best strategist in the game. He knows how to get the most out of players and use them to the best advantage even if they are not always the best players. His aggressive base running philosophy works, he requires runners to go to from first to third on a hit, and all his players can lay down a bunt when called for. These are just some of the requirements needed to even play for Mike Scioscia. The most important thing for Mike is maintaining depth at every position. Qualified players that can come in and play at a high level and produce when another goes down with an injury. Depth is why the Angels are doing consistently well right now in spite of players like Hunter and Guerrero on the DL. It is still Los Angeles Angels style baseball, manufacturing runs and strong baseball fundamentals, but when everybody is hitting, it puts the results in overdrive.
angels fan in seattle
I hate the fact that baseball blogs are popular now
by Graham MacAree on Aug 3, 2009 3:04 PM PDT up reply actions
get worse and...problem solved!
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 3, 2009 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions
But then only the bad people would stay
by Graham MacAree on Aug 3, 2009 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions
I suppose there is that
you could try posting less. oh wait.
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 3, 2009 3:11 PM PDT up reply actions
But I will give grudging credit
for the fact that the commenter did not once use the words “spreadsheet”, “basement”, “real game”, or “stat geek”. Doesn’t make the substance of his comment any better, but still, compared to the crap that Dave gets hurled at him this is somewhat rational.
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 3, 2009 3:06 PM PDT up reply actions
Well written Eyebrows!
Here I thought you only used images.
by Sec 108 on Aug 3, 2009 3:08 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
OH NO YOU DI'INT
angels fan in seattle
by Eyebrows on Aug 3, 2009 3:11 PM PDT up reply actions 5 recs
Odd how this is in the same tempo as the song currently playing on my iPhone...
All the more surreal…
This signature space for rent.
That is seriously eerily mesmorizing...
It’s a live song, and I’m not joking – the audience clapping at the exact same tempo as this.
This signature space for rent.
Oh, Glory, I just imagined this with Busey Heads.
by msb on Aug 3, 2009 3:43 PM PDT up reply actions
I only steal. I do not create.
At least not yet. And that is something you should be grateful for.
angels fan in seattle
I have work to do!
I could probably make the gif, but that’s at least an hour’s work for someone with my minimal skill level.
angels fan in seattle
Like the Dark Lord Sauron.
In the Return of the King (book), Frodo says: “No, [orcs] eat and drink, Sam. The Shadow that bred them can only mock, it cannot make: not real new things of its own.”
AGGRESSIVE BASERUNNING WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
WITHOUT HUSTLE YOU CAN’T EVER MANUFACTURE A RUN
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 3, 2009 3:12 PM PDT up reply actions
At this point he's reached "I can't win" status I think
I’m just glad he doesn’t give up in the face of overwhelming asshattery.
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 3, 2009 3:21 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm sure he will eventually, and that will be a dark day.
I was at Shea for the Felix-Slam!
Personal M's record: 5-4.
by EnglishMariner on Aug 3, 2009 3:45 PM PDT up reply actions
Oh, how delightful is DRaysBay!
http://www.draysbay.com/2009/7/31/970856/tampa-bay-rays-2009-mlb-trade#19022235
You shouldn’t drink and comment you know.
by Marc Normandin on Jul 31, 2009 12:10 PM PDT to parent up reply reply
Marc, I have a crush on you.
Would you like to pretend to be a horse and cyber?
by Suttree on Jul 31, 2009 12:11 PM PDT to parent up reply reply actions actions 2 recs
THIS IS WHY WELL KNOWN WRITERS DON’T COMMENT HERE.
by R.J. Anderson on Jul 31, 2009 12:14 PM PDT to parent up reply reply actions actions 0 recs
BUT THE LULZ
Swav or Die (>’-‘)> <(’-‘)> <(’-’<)
For the lulz
by SRQman on Jul 31, 2009 12:14 PM PDT to parent up reply reply
by Decatur on Aug 3, 2009 3:29 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
I like what he does as is
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 4, 2009 3:53 PM PDT up reply actions
Hey, I see it now!
It looks like a koala. I’m with ac
by Kirsten Schlewitz on Aug 5, 2009 8:58 AM PDT up reply actions
I feel really sorry for R,J, because he's awesome but _somehow_ the smart Rays franchise has fans on a par with the Rangers and Angels in the retard stakes.
I was at Shea for the Felix-Slam!
Personal M's record: 5-4.
by EnglishMariner on Aug 3, 2009 3:48 PM PDT up reply actions
WE'RE NUMBER ONE! WE'RE NUMBER ONE!
angels fan in seattle
by Eyebrows on Aug 3, 2009 3:53 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
The thought of deviants discussing sexual fetishes or even describing them is completely revolting
Luckily this joint is straight class across the board
Anyone in here need a ticket to the meetup?
I don’t feel like making a fresh post.
And sb, I mean legitimate needs, not the needs of someone who just wants to attend but was too silly to get a flight up.
by Kirsten Schlewitz on Aug 3, 2009 4:55 PM PDT reply actions
Ha.
As if I have much choice in this one. No, I’ll be there
by Kirsten Schlewitz on Aug 3, 2009 6:08 PM PDT up reply actions
If you still have an extra ticket I would love to have it.
This goes for anyone else as well.
Same here.
Didn’t realize I was going to be back from the East Coast in time when tickets were originally being sold. Added bonus: rlintott will text me his own pithy comments and I can be his voice since he can’t make it out from DC.
by pmc47 on Aug 3, 2009 6:20 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Someone get this man a ticket
His promise of pith is true!
by Robert Lintott on Aug 4, 2009 7:18 AM PDT up reply actions
I go both ways on this.
I don’t really the Giants but I like going to the ball park. I just enjoy going and not really care about the out come. Though my first Dodgers Giants game I thought I was going to get in a fight with some LA fan because I had on a Giants hat.
When it comes to M’s game I try to go to everyone here in Oakland. And I kind fall in to the category of fan
According to you, every single person at a stadium is a repulsive belligerent drunkMy wife and I got seat about 6 rows up from the visitors dugout and I screamed at Yuni telling him I was going to stick his fucking fat ass back on a raft to Cuba. People gave me strange looks.
Racer X. You have to love those amarillo hops.
p.s. fuck you angels
p.p.s. why does geoff baker hate felix
Speaking of,
do you, or anyone else for that matter, have recommendations for bars near the Coliseum? I’m moving to SF at the beginning of next month in time for the series the first weekend of September, but don’t start my job down there until the next week. Having never been to the Bay area, I’m trying to see if there’s anything near the stadium that is worth checking out other than going to the airport to get the hell out of Oakland.
Edison Volquez has reconstructive elbow surgery, expected to miss 12 months.
Link. How much do we blame Dusty Baker for this?
In more cheery news, Bedard "could be ready to pitch Sunday," August 9th.
From the Seattle Times.
(Yeah, yeah, it’s Bedard and all, but still good news).
102 pitches/appearance for Volquez
He had one non-start appearance so it’s probably closer to 110 per start.
---
http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com
http://www.rightfieldbleachers.com
Wow.
How does that compare to Felix though? He seems to throw a lot of pitches as well.
2009 Safeco Field Record: 5-0 ; Overall Safeco Field Record: 9-4
by Fin on Aug 3, 2009 6:10 PM PDT up reply actions
Pretty similar.
But Felix has been pitching 30 games a year for 4 years now.
---
http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com
http://www.rightfieldbleachers.com
Is Felix the most seasoned 23-year-old ever?
Signed when he was 16, called up at 19, 126 career starts, 818.2 innings. Maybe there are guys who started in the majors slightly sooner, but most of them didn’t start playing for a major league organization at 16. Some guys can say that, but most of them can’t say they hardly missed any games from 19-23. I’m surprised, even though it’s early in his career, that Felix is mentioned as often (from the articles I’ve read on the subject) in the “Who could get to 300 wins debate?”
by Kenny Knows Sports on Aug 3, 2009 6:35 PM PDT up reply actions
Having Zduriencik as a GM certainly won't hurt his chances of getting 300 wins.
Nolan Ryan started off young, 17 I believe. There are some regulars here that know more about baseball players off the top of their heads that could probably name a better comparison.
Question for everyone:
Had GMZ made the pulled the trigger on the “better” of the two Felix offers, would the Ms blog-o-sphere ever love him again?
Illegible
That's a positive.
I think this is by far and away the best GM we have ever had. Hands down.
Which sucks, because my “I love Woody Woodward” shirt has so much dust on it.
Illegible
If he trades Felix, he -will- have a damn good reason
And the return will be fuck-me amazing. I’d be hurt, but I’d understand eventually
by Graham MacAree on Aug 3, 2009 9:43 PM PDT up reply actions
I think we'd interpret the deal in a positive light, ie. that Felix had no intention of re-signing here.
I don’t know. I’d be in my basement crying into a mug of Scotch, so I wouldn’t be your point man for trade analysis.
51, I know.
Also, I meant to say I “can’t believe” he’s not mentioned more often.
by Kenny Knows Sports on Aug 4, 2009 8:43 AM PDT up reply actions
Tillman having a pretty rough game so far against Detroit
69 pitches/39 strikes, 4 IP, 4 ER, 2 K, 2 BB, 5 H, 4 GB, 6 FB
---
http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com
http://www.rightfieldbleachers.com
HE'S A BUST HAHAHAHAHA WE TOTALLY RIPPED THEM OFF ON THE BEDARD TRADE.
You got slurved!
The M's are why the suicide rates are so high in the PNW and Japan.
Speaking of prospects.
I was checking out the BA’s all time top 100 lists and noticed the M’s had a LOT of guys on those lists that never did squat. One of them got up to about #3 on the top 100 list, he was a right handed pitcher, this was about 1992, and I never heard of him. Sorry, I don’t remember the name or where I got to that list, but I assume easily half of you know who I’m talking about.
What happened to that guy?
by Kenny Knows Sports on Aug 3, 2009 6:09 PM PDT reply actions
Roger Salkeid?
He was supposed to be the next Roger Clemens or something, but he got hurt.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 3, 2009 6:15 PM PDT up reply actions
*Salkeld
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 3, 2009 6:17 PM PDT up reply actions
Thanks a lot Jay. That was really bugging me and I really wanted to know what happened.
by Kenny Knows Sports on Aug 3, 2009 6:20 PM PDT up reply actions
Salkeld is a perfect example of why a pitcher should shut things down when his arm hurts.
In spring training he knew he had a shot at making the rotation and decided to pitch through massive discomfort because he did not want to miss his shot at the bigs. He ended up blowing his arm out, had reconstructive surgery but was never the same.
How many times we've heard that exact story.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 4, 2009 9:44 AM PDT up reply actions
More rosterbation.
My query into Salkeld led me to this 2005 article from Larry Stone, right before the M’s were about to make the 3rd pick in the draft. He brings up taking Salkeld ahead of Frank Thomas, and Jose Cruz Jr in front of Roy Halladay, Kerry Wood, Carlos Beltran and others. And then we know what happened in the 2005 draft.
by Kenny Knows Sports on Aug 3, 2009 6:29 PM PDT reply actions
Most retrospective draft analysis is really, really, really stupid
Clement was not a bad pick and never has been. He just didn’t work out very well.
by Graham MacAree on Aug 3, 2009 6:30 PM PDT up reply actions
Most is, but Michael Garciaparra over David Wright is still fucking dumb.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 3, 2009 6:31 PM PDT up reply actions
Sure, but picking on reasonable picks after the fact isn't right
It’s not like there was a clear #3 in that draft.
by Graham MacAree on Aug 3, 2009 6:40 PM PDT up reply actions
In 1995, Cruz went after Darin Erstad and Ben Davis, so it's not like the M's were alone in passing on some excellent talents.
Would ANY team have taken Roy Halladay over Kerry Wood? Wasn’t Kerry Wood just one of the most phenomenal pitching talents ever? Nothing you can do about it.
by Kenny Knows Sports on Aug 3, 2009 6:43 PM PDT up reply actions
Just wanted to link the article since I mentioned Salkeld and were talking about rosterbation.
No use crying over spilled milk, MLB is the hardest draft in sports to project talent. You can’t blame organizations for mistakes but you can definitely praise ones that consistently make great decisions. The only thing painful for me to watch in the draft is small market teams drafting signable players over better ones. Obviously, the Mariners didn’t do that.
by Kenny Knows Sports on Aug 3, 2009 6:37 PM PDT up reply actions
Blame orgs for mistakes that are obvious at the time
by Graham MacAree on Aug 3, 2009 6:42 PM PDT up reply actions
I think many people were scratching their heads over Matt Bush, Van Benschoten, and Luke Hochevar.
At least, from my recollection, which could be wrong on one of those names, those orgs knew they weren’t taking the best talent available.
The MLB draft is fucked, and it needs to be fixed, for situations like signability.
But no, the M’s drafts of 1989, 1995, and 2005 are not examples of this.
by Kenny Knows Sports on Aug 3, 2009 7:02 PM PDT up reply actions
That's right - Matt Bush? Go ahead and laugh.
Hochevar is perhaps tougher, though I allow myself to snicker at the Royals for all manner of things, and this pick just sort of fits in. They assumed it was ‘safe’ – and I just don’t know that ‘safe’ picks (for pitchers) are as safe as clubs think they are.
As for the Pirates pick that was sort of odd, I think you may mean Bryan Bullington, who went #1 overall ahead of BJ Upton.
My favourite part of that pick is the praise they got for doing it from Michael Lewis
by Graham MacAree on Aug 3, 2009 9:45 PM PDT up reply actions
I know.....
I’m sure there are some parts of the 2002 draft coverage that Lewis would love to have back.
Of all people, Bob Stelton is on-air tonight on 710
He’s against the whole ‘trade Felix’ piece, because if you trade a Felix you have to get back proven major league talent, who can help you now, not prospects, and Adrian Gozalez is a good power hitter but that is all.
He's so insightful.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 3, 2009 6:44 PM PDT up reply actions
And Adrian Gonzalez struggles at home, he's not going to be helped at Safeco.
Major league-ready talent in exchange for Felix should fall along the lines of Matt Wieters or Evan Longoria, not Adrian Gonzalez.
by Kenny Knows Sports on Aug 3, 2009 6:51 PM PDT up reply actions
Safeco is heavily favours left handed power hitters
by Graham MacAree on Aug 3, 2009 6:52 PM PDT up reply actions
My bad, I thought Petco dimensions were similar.
by Kenny Knows Sports on Aug 3, 2009 6:55 PM PDT up reply actions
Dimensions aren't the only important factor
Prevailing wind direction is huge
by Graham MacAree on Aug 3, 2009 8:54 PM PDT up reply actions
Hey eMusic people!
So that big catalog upgrade they keep hyping over there? It added a ton of smaller labels/bands in addition to the majors that folks’ve been clamoring for. In fact, they finally got around to adding Chinese’s debut album ‘The Conquest of Tomorrow, Today,’ which is what the kids refer to (I think, I’m not 100% on this) as a ‘hot hit.’ You can check it out here. Or, you know, go see them. I think they’re local.
What new stuff are YOU listening to, LL user?
The newest thing I've been listening to is POS - Never Better
Looking forward a lot to the new Sigh and new midnightPumpkin albums coming out later this year though. I’m sure both of those will get many spins on my DAP hdd.
That eMusic thing came with a big downside though
My plan got downgraded to 37 tracks/month. I was ok with that, since the promise was “All classical albums over 12 tracks will now only cost 12 tracks.” Well, that’s been a boldfaced lie. Numerous classical albums over 12 tracks still charge per track, and numerous albums with fewer than 12 tracks now charge a full 12.
For instance, I wanted Glass’ Einstein on the Beach (writing my thesis on a new John Adams opera, so I thought other minimalist opera would be good to have); the album only has 14 tracks, but it would cost me 48 credits. I haven’t used eMusic for too much else, but the new catalog REALLY dicks over classical music people, and it didn’t add much of any value. Just as a buyer beware to anyone looking.
by Robert Lintott on Aug 4, 2009 7:25 AM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, I know. I was a bit blindsided by the shift down to 37. I had been at 65.
Wait, why would a 14 track album cost you 48?
Because it encompasses 4 CDs
It’s a long-ass opera. And I understand the “12 credits per CD” thing, but they actually need to do that across the board, not some half-ass implementation.
by Robert Lintott on Aug 4, 2009 9:04 AM PDT up reply actions
Nope.
50/month will run you $20.79/month.
I was in the 50/month for ~$15, and it’s not a “nonstandard plan” of 37/month.
by Robert Lintott on Aug 4, 2009 5:35 PM PDT up reply actions
Turns out a Chinese album was left in my car.
Coincidence? Or subliminal messaging?
by Kirsten Schlewitz on Aug 4, 2009 8:17 AM PDT up reply actions
Theo Epstein
Has turned into the Scott Boras of general managerism.
Both are awful…and the first offer is better than the 2nd. What a gay ‘upgrade’ offer.
If Felix lands on the Yankees or Red Sox in FA or trade, I will quit watching baseball.
Yeah, a trade to Boston starts with Buchholz, Tazawa, and Anderson, and 3 more from that list.
A 3-way would be like AGon, Buccholz, Tazawa, 2 more from the list… And not giving up anything outside of Felix.
Any UFC fans out there?
I’ve watched bits and pieces of UFC over the past couple of years but never really got into it. But when Brock Lesnar went over to UFC, it peaked my interest as a wrestling fan. So I’ve been watching a bunch of fights on Spike lately and I’m really starting to get into it.
So as a relatively new UFC fan, tell me, what should I know? Who should I root for?
I’m thinking of rooting for this guy because of his amazing beard:
FUCK THE ANGELS! FUCK THE ANGELS! FUCK THE ANGELS!
Yeah.
Ive been a fan for over a decade now, thanks to…Ken Shamrock. After Shamrock, Carlos Newton and Evan Tanner stole my interest…and then I saw GSP’s debut, and my God did I pick a good current fighter because he has really turned into a badass.
Kimbo was a joke at first, but now I feel sorta bad for him…so im hoping he wins the Ultimate Fighter show. I just wish he would either shave one boob or let them both be hairy.
So related to the TV crews story on the front page, any beat writers that anyone really likes?
I’m subscribing to the Sunday Washington Post out here, and Chico Harlan is doing an amazing job covering the Nationals. It’s very tongue-in-cheek and constantly making fun of the crappy team. For instance:
This season, on 16 occasions, rain has interfered with the daily undertakings of the Washington Nationals — a grim misfortune, if only because the Nationals generally require no assistance when it comes to botching plans. Tough as losing can be, it’s worse to wait and lose.
Or:
After the loss, Washington’s seventh in nine games under Riggleman, the manager gave his players a brief tongue-lashing that stressed several points: They were still being paid for their efforts, and fans, well-deserving of sympathy on this night, were still paying for tickets
Digging through his archives is great. I suppose it’s what the guy has to do to stay sane.
I hadn't even read today's yet. Nice find.
But yeah, Chico is great. Hands down one of my favorite beat writers around.
by Robert Lintott on Aug 4, 2009 9:06 AM PDT up reply actions
I am in a reflective mood and two of the things that I think are great about LL are:
a) The no politics and no religion rule. Every single American message board/blog I visit is blighted by the war-without-end surrounding these issues. The fact that we have fun here and the community has not yet fractuered is in no small part to do with these rules IMO.
b) The active moderation which ensures that we don’t turn into a disaster zone like Fangraphs or USSM comments.
I was at Shea for the Felix-Slam!
Personal M's record: 5-4.
USSM comments have some Eternal September going on bad.
It’s not really their fault, I think, just a side-effect of popularity.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 4, 2009 9:51 AM PDT up reply actions
I feel so sorry for the shit that Derek and Dave get there, they are awesome and one day these idiots will drive them away.
I was at Shea for the Felix-Slam!
Personal M's record: 5-4.
by EnglishMariner on Aug 4, 2009 1:09 PM PDT up reply actions
I think they may just nuke the comments.
They’ve done it before, and they may need to do it again.
(Which might be problematic for LL).
Jack Wilson?
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 4, 2009 8:17 AM PDT up reply actions
Jack Wilson!
He used to love soccer, the headline of my Seattle Times tells me.
by Kirsten Schlewitz on Aug 4, 2009 8:18 AM PDT up reply actions
Before steroids fucked him up that is.
I was at Shea for the Felix-Slam!
Personal M's record: 5-4.
by EnglishMariner on Aug 4, 2009 8:51 AM PDT up reply actions
Ironical steroids, that is.
I was at Shea for the Felix-Slam!
Personal M's record: 5-4.
by EnglishMariner on Aug 4, 2009 8:51 AM PDT up reply actions
.
This has to be the best unintentional humor EVER. The Running Man? Check. Techno bridge? Check. Metal core? Check. Emo chorus? Check. Headbanging keyboardist? Check.
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 4, 2009 8:16 AM PDT reply actions
I'm still not sure what exactly is going on there
I’ve watched it a few times, and even threw it onto my Facebook about a month ago, but nobody could help give me insight. I have no clue if they are a parody band or if they are just out of their goddamned minds
I want to poop at your house - Thingray
by tootthekazoo on Aug 5, 2009 11:39 PM PDT up reply actions
I love the Interweb
where this: “The Mariners fear they will not be able to sign [Felix] long term and are starting to put out feelers.”
morphs into this:
“Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez(notes) is under contract till the end of 2011 but word is that the team is thinking about trading him this off-season, according to the Boston Globe.”
How about that Neftali Feliz?
That two-seamer is just insane. Oh, and a 100 mph four-seamer with good movement.
angels fan in seattle
Check out the Fangraphs piece on his debut as well.
What a trade.
Ichiro is such a lady.
Yesterday as I was walking into that Starbucks I saw Ichiro and a friend sitting on the porch. They waved me over and we had a pleasant conversation. I still to this day get a little “Oh my gosh, that’s Ichiro” when I see him away from the ballpark. It is always neat to see him relaxed as he was. Chillin on the porch in his self designed private label jeans, pink tee shirt and trucker cap drinking a Frappucino with whipped cream.
angels fan in seattle
Ichiro must be one of the most recognisable baseball players in America, it must be hard for him to just go to Starbucks without getting mobbed.
I was at Shea for the Felix-Slam!
Personal M's record: 5-4.
by EnglishMariner on Aug 4, 2009 1:10 PM PDT up reply actions
"Adrian Beltre has been a massive disappointment in Seatlle"
all you need to know about Dave Mahler.
It's true, he has been a disappointment
instead of providing us $65M of value for his $65M contract, providing $750M of value for $65M would have been MUCH better
by seattlebruin on Aug 4, 2009 11:26 AM PDT up reply actions
We've all tried to tell you, but.... you don't NEED to listen to KJR.
Ever. You have free will!
Radios, TV's, and computers all have off buttons, after all.
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 4, 2009 1:32 PM PDT up reply actions
I can't switch stations on the walkman without listening.
and sometimes I get hurt.
by msb on Aug 4, 2009 2:05 PM PDT up reply actions
"Zduriencik knows they are still a few years away from competing, and won't spend that kind of money on Beltre"
“maybe you play Tuiasosopo, play the young guys, and you start to look for a diamond in the rough and find the next big stud at 3rd base”
Yeah, GMZ needs to look for a diamond in the rough to play third!
How about Jack Hannahan on the Mariners? He looks pretty decent!
God I hate talk radio
by seattlebruin on Aug 4, 2009 11:52 AM PDT up reply actions
Jack Hannahan was like 4 RAA in July
Over a season, that’s like a ~4 WAR player.
by seattlebruin on Aug 4, 2009 11:56 AM PDT up reply actions
Well, small sample size applies to Hannahan's performance
he’s not really a four-win player, far from it.
by seattlebruin on Aug 4, 2009 12:01 PM PDT up reply actions
If he can be our extra infielder next year and do an adequate defensive job,
then I will be so pumped. Having that bench guy be opposite handed from your starters is very valuable.
I'd really rather have an all-hit no glve guy in that scenario, though
I can’t imagine a whole lot of situation where I’d rather have Jack Hannahan up over any of our other infielders
by seattlebruin on Aug 4, 2009 12:18 PM PDT up reply actions
He's been worth 3.6 WAR in 257 games in his career - that makes him almost an average MLB player.
http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=3692&position=3B
Obviously, he’s 29 and probably won’t get much better, and a good deal of scouting is needed to make a judgment on his ceiling, but if he could somehow become a league average hitter (a big, big, big if), he’s a 3.5-4 WAR player over a full season with his defense over the next 2-3 years.
He's a huge asset, and I think he's very underrated.
---
http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com
http://www.rightfieldbleachers.com
Amazing.
As Thompson sees it, any reasonable employer would pounce on an applicant with her academic credentials, which include a 2.7 grade-point average and a solid attendance record.
Holy fuck a 2.7?!? DID YOU EVER SLEEP?!?!
She suggested that Monroe’s Office of Career Advancement shows preferential treatment to students with excellent grades. “They favor more toward students that got a 4.0. They help them more out with the job placement,” she said.
Unethical!!!!!!!!!!!!
2.7 GPA and solid attendance
She might as well say she’s considering a career in temping.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 4, 2009 2:47 PM PDT up reply actions
I had a 2.8 GPA and terrible attendance
and I’m doing just fine
You're right, I take that back.
GPA is not as predictive as most people would think it is, and it’s become more ridiculous since we’ve invested so much more in standardized testing.
I got my 2.7 GPA in high school. By all rights I should be getting my ass kicked right now.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 4, 2009 2:52 PM PDT up reply actions
To be fair, I graduated a top 25 undergrad engineering school with a degree that not many people have
and she has what appears to be an IT degree when that field isn’t really expanding
It's not an IT degree, it's an IT business administration degree
Difference
by Graham MacAree on Aug 4, 2009 2:55 PM PDT up reply actions
And a Bachelors at that.
Even the MBA has become a bit of a joke these days from what I’ve heard.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 4, 2009 2:59 PM PDT up reply actions
Seriously? That's kind of cool.
Hooray for the system!
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 4, 2009 2:58 PM PDT up reply actions
Holy shit. I think I did six: (2) english, (2) government, (2) economics.
I think those are probably about the easiest six, as well. I’m guessing you did math and science?
Both English ones, US and Euro History, then Calc, Physics, Chem, Enviro and CompSci
by Graham MacAree on Aug 4, 2009 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions
AP Scholars (with distinction!)
I always wonder how similar APs were to A levels in the UK. Any thoughts on the matter?
My proudest moment in high school was getting a 5 on an AP test when I was denied admittance to the AP class. Fucking teacher.
I think AP is easier.
The technical A-levels (maths, physics, etc.) are probably advanced freshmen level college classes in the states. APs are more like normal freshman classes. Not that I’ve ever sat an A level.
by Graham MacAree on Aug 4, 2009 11:35 PM PDT up reply actions
That sounds about right, but then I hear
that the maths A level has an “A” grade rate of damn near 50% and I can’t square that with ‘advanced freshman level classes." 45% of advanced freshman don’t get an A in college math.
I hear they have something like an A plus now, given that so many people got As.
However tough the individual tests are, I think it's hilarious
that Singapore mandates something like 8 for their high school students.
That happened to me
It was doubly sweet because I got denied admittance to AP Calc and ended up getting a D in the regular Calc class.
Your university is on par with Monroe College
by Kirsten Schlewitz on Aug 4, 2009 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions
Fuck, I'm wasting my money then.
Aside, I really do love Wikipedia, particularly when they do those silly things that eventually get edited away into oblivion. My favorite was a subcategory of things no one has ever tried to turn into gold, which included Sherilyn Fenn.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 4, 2009 3:20 PM PDT up reply actions
She seems perfectly delightful - I can't imagine why she hasn't been able to secure gainful employment.
Especially with that shiny GPA and “solid” attendance record.
I just love the fact that three months' unemployment has caused her enough "stress" to do this
I was unemployed for three months last year and I didn’t really feel like suing anybody. I just drank a lot.
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 4, 2009 2:27 PM PDT up reply actions
She also misspelled "tuition" in her complaint
I recently graduated with my Bachelors in April 2009. I am seeking a reinbursement of $70,000 from my tutision because the Office of Career Advancement Information Technology Couselors are not making sure their Monroe e-recruiting clients call the graduates that recently finished college for a interview to get a job placement.
I want to poop at your house - Thingray
by tootthekazoo on Aug 5, 2009 11:51 PM PDT up reply actions
I think the university might want to consider settling this quietly before more people
see that they graduated a retard.
Garbage in garbage out though
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 6, 2009 9:29 AM PDT up reply actions
She could be an officer in the military very easily I imagine.
Or enlist as an E-4, I believe they still pay up to $60,000 in tuition if you choose that option (prorated over the 4 year contract but you don’t find out about that until after you sign). She sounds like army material to me
Not really.
I don’t think it works backwards that way, for one thing, and secondly I know plenty of officers and mil vets around campus and they consistently have among the highest grades of anyone there. Not all of them are brilliant, but nearly all of them will bust ass and get the work done.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 6, 2009 9:48 AM PDT up reply actions
It does work backwards that way.
It’s called the college loan repayment program. Like Kermit said, you can opt for it when you join up.
That does make sense actually.
I’ve known a few guys who joined while they were still in college. Some of them had to take a year off or two for training and whatnot, but they were able to continue with the bills paid.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 6, 2009 9:59 AM PDT up reply actions
Yeah it's just a recruitment tool.
Same way they promise kids money for college. If you have a 4-year degree you can join as an E-4 and get help repaying your college loans.
Enlisting as an E-4 after securing a bachelors degree? It used to work exactly that way.
They were still doing that at the end of the 90’s. And yes there are fine ROTC officers
It was pretty unusual from my experience.
I only met one, a mechanical engineer who spent most of his time as a driver for a captain in a construction engineer unit. The captain had a degree in ceramics, as in art degree. Endlessly amusing situation.
Haha! that's awesome
We have quite a few that do that in the linguist field, usually 2-3 per platoon or so.
Same problem as I have in restaurants, where every other plate looks better than mine.
Your job sounds very interesting, and I bet the BEQ are pretty nice
Well in the regulary Army it's the barracks just like everyone else
But yeah with what I do now, the quarters are pretty nice. I’ve got a sweet 3 bedroom apartment right in the middle of downtown. All paid for by you guys, thanks taxpayers!
And wow this was late, my apologies.
As a side note, I do not like add once a point has been made and I recognize this was unnecessary. Purely unintentional.
Anybody downloading the mega Spinal Tap pack for Rock Band today?
I can’t wait to get home and rock out to Stonehenge and Heavy Duty.
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 4, 2009 3:04 PM PDT reply actions
They were atrocious on TDS last week.
At first, I thought it was some sort of spoof, but nope. Hopefully you get the classic versions.
They're re-recorded versions, but from what I've heard of them (Stonehenge, America, Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You), they're pretty true to the originals.
Though, Flower People and Sex Farm have been “reimagined”.
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 4, 2009 3:12 PM PDT up reply actions
Hmm. I think I've taken a class with the Mariner's hitting coach's son.
At least, I know he goes to the same university as me, and I know he looks familiar.
So im watching Baltimore-Detroit
Washburn vs. Matusz.
Washburn’s first 4 pitches: Ball, Laser Foul, Laser Foul, Double. Raburn is in center, Granderson is not playing. Reimold drills a pitch to deep center in the next at bat.
Very intrigued about Washburn starting without our field and our defense. Especially with Granderson sitting.
Ball bounces off Everett's glove for a single.
2-0. Washburn again gets a double play to avoid the game being blown open.
He has not looked impressive. And his command is off to boot. He tried to throw the dolphin and nearly threw it over Laird’s head.
Has Granderson been having an off year defensively, due to a string of injuries, or one lingering injury?
Reoccurring injury? Nagging injury? And I’m done.
I would think so.
I have no idea why he is sitting tonight, but I have been without the internet for the last 2-3 weeks, so if he is injured again…I didn’t know.
Washburn got a broke bat double play from Jones. Matusz looks alright thus far. I know he has great command and his changeup looks good. He is the other reason im watching this game right now.
Gaahhhhhh did not check "open in new window"
Posted link directly, my bad.
YES.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 4, 2009 5:25 PM PDT up reply actions
I especially liked the part...
where he implies that crackheads have regular access to Craigslist and continually look up items addressed to “Crackhead”
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 4, 2009 5:38 PM PDT up reply actions
DID HE DIED?
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 5, 2009 8:34 AM PDT up reply actions
Hey kid, kick the ball.
…
Just kick it. Kick the ball, kid.
KICK IT. KICK IT ALREADY!
angels fan in seattle
by Eyebrows on Aug 5, 2009 9:06 AM PDT reply actions 2 recs
Posnanski got promoted!
He’s now a senior writer for Sports Illustrated. Awesome news.
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
I know, that's really cool.
I’m like him, I have always viewed SI as kinda the pinnacle of the sports-journalist world, and the fact that one of my favorite writers is writing there regularly now is awesome.
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 5, 2009 9:39 AM PDT up reply actions
Saw a guy in a Stephon Marbury jersey walking along the highway today.
Kind of weird given I live in western Wisconsin…
Also, the medicine I got for my recurrent headaches says I can’t drink with it. FUCK!
---
http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com
http://www.rightfieldbleachers.com
I had drinks with a guy in a Chris Mullin jersey on Saturday.
Mint condition, purchased less than a month ago.
And that jersey probably came with directions that MANDATE drinking.
Was it a Pacers, GS Warriors or St. Johns jersey?
They're probably too shiny or something
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 5, 2009 3:30 PM PDT up reply actions
They are not uniforms or equipment, sez Drayer
“Lowe has a call out to the union regarding the helmet issue. “They don’t know what they are dealing with in the Mariner pen!”"
by msb on Aug 5, 2009 3:47 PM PDT up reply actions
Wonder if it is because the backpacks are out of sight during the game...
by msb on Aug 5, 2009 3:56 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah I imagine that's what it is.
I can see Selig ranting, “Those bullpens are not your fucking dorm room! You put up the helmets today, and next thing you know it’s Jonas Brothers posters and lava lamps”
angels fan in seattle
I wish we could go back to the days when relievers grew vegetable gardens in bullpens
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 5, 2009 4:02 PM PDT up reply actions
So a historic friendly, a 4-0 loss with a party atmosphere, eh?
No, not that 4-0 loss. This one. Qwest would look better with giant stone heads all around it.
But in all seriousness – WTF is up with those angry salmon-colored Barca away shirts? Do they work on road crews in the off season? Those things are horrible.
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
I would like to see this
A war dance failed to throw Chilean champions Colo Colo off their game
by Kirsten Schlewitz on Aug 6, 2009 8:56 AM PDT up reply actions
They were pretty gross.
And on top of the color, they didn’t have the players’ names on the back either. You figure it’s a friendly in a foreign country . . . you might want to let people know who you are. Particularly people like me who only really know of Messi and Henry.
After he scored the second goal, I was kicking myself.
Because before the game, I was talking about how excited I was to see him play. NOT TO THAT DEGREE, YOU ASSHOLE.
If you put a $20 on top of it you'd probably find your way in the door
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 6, 2009 9:18 AM PDT up reply actions
Impressive.
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 6, 2009 9:21 AM PDT up reply actions
He was so effortless last night it was unreal
I know it’s just a friendly, but still. Dude’s unbelievable. I’m hoping he becomes disenchanted with success, fame, and riches in late 2010 and signs as Portland’s cap-exempt player for 2011.
It should be noted here that I also hope to go home and find a box containing $100 million in cash on my porch.
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 6, 2009 9:17 AM PDT up reply actions
I hope I'm not stealing Eyebrows' thunder here
but this gif is too good:
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 6, 2009 8:56 AM PDT reply actions
I hate to tell you this dear, but I believe we've seen that one already.
Still – Picard and Chunk? Delicious!
D'oh!
Sorry.
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 6, 2009 9:20 AM PDT up reply actions
I'm trying to figure out what this is.
Is it a display of “Shucks, it’s alright”?
Or, is it some terrifying Cupid-bat?
by Robert Lintott on Aug 6, 2009 9:44 AM PDT up reply actions
Two fish bumpin' uglies?
Or a cross-eyed person?
Or two breasts with stretch marks and beads glued to the side?
Or two Kirbys (Kirbies?) doing a little dance with their backs to each other?
by Robert Lintott on Aug 6, 2009 10:58 AM PDT up reply actions
So...amazon.com has a release date for Mass Effect 2. January 30, 2010.
Is this just speculative on their part, or do they know something that nobody else does? This is the first firm release date I’ve seen.
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 6, 2009 9:20 AM PDT reply actions
That seems insanely early.
I had it pegged for Q4 2010.
They've been saying for a while that it would be Q1 2010 (or, fiscal Q4 2009 depending on how you want to look at it) which is January-March.
I’m just happy that it appears that they are going to be on the early side of their target window.
In talking with one of my friends who works at Darkhorse Comics (who is releasing the Liara T’Soni comics in January) he said that EA was trying to release the game more or less alongside the comic, and I believe the comic is slated to be released on January 10th.
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 6, 2009 9:27 AM PDT up reply actions
Is Dragon Age going to be that good?
I’m hearing mixed things about it. And it seems like the majority of the criticisms call it boring.
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 6, 2009 9:47 AM PDT up reply actions
Good point.
I haven’t played the Baldur’s Gate series, but KOTOR and Mass Effect have definitely made me a big fan of theirs.
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 6, 2009 10:07 AM PDT up reply actions
Is everyone in here because our other social mediums are dying?
by Kirsten Schlewitz on Aug 6, 2009 10:02 AM PDT reply actions
Are both twitter and facebook down elsewhere?
I just figured mine were retarded.
by Robert Lintott on Aug 6, 2009 10:03 AM PDT up reply actions
We're here because this is one big happy family, like it or not
by seattlebruin on Aug 6, 2009 10:16 AM PDT up reply actions
Huh.
I still can’t get it.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 6, 2009 10:39 AM PDT up reply actions
I can't either.
Odd that J, an author over there, can’t get in but an Angels fan can.
What news, Eyebrows? What news from USSM?
Is this the beginning of the end of comments at USSM?
There’s been talk recently, hmmmm.
I don't think so.
Because I should be logged in, and as an author I have some admin privileges, but it’s not showing me anything.
It might be down just for those who are already logged in… or something.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 6, 2009 11:27 AM PDT up reply actions
The owls are exactly what they seem.
hilarious.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 6, 2009 10:44 AM PDT up reply actions
ESPECIALLY Barn Owls
They’re clearly the comedians of the strigiformes.
Spotted Owls had their fifteen minutes in the 90s
and horned owls had an internet following for a while, but really, Barn Owls are where it’s always been at.
[and I think they’re technically Tytonidae]
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 6, 2009 11:34 AM PDT up reply actions
Ah.
Linnean taxonomy, all tripping me up, all not accounting for convergent and divergent evolution properly.
That’s fine. I like Strigiformes better.
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 6, 2009 1:17 PM PDT up reply actions
The one that starts on the right looks kind of like a retarded kiwi.
by Robert Lintott on Aug 6, 2009 11:00 AM PDT up reply actions
Dammit, why did I watch it again.
Poor little guy…
by Robert Lintott on Aug 6, 2009 11:07 AM PDT up reply actions
But he's so happy...
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 6, 2009 11:10 AM PDT up reply actions
I really hope that doesn't make me get "Walking on Sunshine" stuck in my head.
But yeah, the end was just…
"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/
by JY on Aug 6, 2009 11:35 AM PDT up reply actions
I'll just put this here.
http://www.lookoutlanding.com/2008/11/18/664244/otfpotd-11-18-02008-last-n#10108710
It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray
I'm down to ~11 hour days!
That gives me time to post, and even watch half an M’s game.
WOOOOOOOOOO, etc.
It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray
Screw Broberto I didn't realize that either!
by Kirsten Schlewitz on Aug 6, 2009 11:32 AM PDT up reply actions
Cartoons should not be tragic.
by Kirsten Schlewitz on Aug 6, 2009 11:33 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
But it wasn't getting in the way of her relationship.
I mean, they had a kid!
by Kirsten Schlewitz on Aug 6, 2009 11:43 AM PDT up reply actions
The discussion about Radio Flyer is hilarious.
I was always more sad for the dog than the kid. I’m always like that. Human dies in a movie? Who cares. Animal dies is a movie? SOB!
Poor Two Socks…
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 6, 2009 11:18 AM PDT up reply actions
Needs more Busey.
It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray
How about a link to the page.
Anti-hotlinking.
It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray
It's sort of telling about me, but every time you post a gif lately, I've been picturing it with Busey faces.
It’s been glorious.
It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray
Agreed.
If there was a TV channel that played that gif in a loop 24-7, I would watch it an embarrassing amount. Like an ‘Oops, I forgot to watch the M’s game again’ amount.
Bringin' it back!
angels fan in seattle
by Eyebrows on Aug 6, 2009 11:33 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
That is so creepy. Nightmares because of you.
by Robert Lintott on Aug 6, 2009 11:17 AM PDT up reply actions
I miss funny Jim Carrey with a passion.
It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray
Yes, absolutely.
He still is sometimes.
by Aaron Campeau on Aug 6, 2009 12:35 PM PDT up reply actions
He was brilliant on In Living Color
and then he fell victim to the all-too-common comedian problem of starting to play Jim Carrey instead of actually being Jim Carrey.
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
I thought that no topics were barred on LL except politics and fantasy sports.
Surely you can go into further detail in an attempt to jar my memory.
Good grief, Christopher Eccleston is in this?
Yeah, this is a major upgrade over Heroes and Doctor Who.
And Joseph Gordon-Levitt!
Way to cash in on your indie cred, dude.
by Aaron Campeau on Aug 6, 2009 12:26 PM PDT up reply actions
Where's my damn space elevator?
It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray
That is amazing.
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 6, 2009 2:17 PM PDT up reply actions
NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 6, 2009 2:17 PM PDT up reply actions
Well there goes a huge chunk of my adolescence
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 6, 2009 2:17 PM PDT up reply actions
Maid in Manhattan, duh
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 6, 2009 2:28 PM PDT up reply actions
This should spawn a discussion:
Favorite John Hughes movie.
I’ll start with mine: National Lampoon’s Vacation. But it’s followed closely by Uncle Buck and Ferris Bueller.
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 6, 2009 2:24 PM PDT up reply actions
Breakfast Club, and it's not particularly close
Followed closely by Sixteen Candles.
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 6, 2009 2:28 PM PDT up reply actions
I did indeed.
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 6, 2009 2:35 PM PDT up reply actions
THOSE AREN'T PILLOWS
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 6, 2009 2:36 PM PDT up reply actions
YES.
“’Cause I know Del Griffith…”
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 6, 2009 2:36 PM PDT up reply actions
One of the all-time great tirades.
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 6, 2009 2:54 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm slightly the wrong generation for him to have been a core of my growing up
and thinking about it, a lot of what I like about his films are the casting & performances …
by msb on Aug 6, 2009 2:37 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm going to have to go with Vacation.
Since the only other one I’ve seen in full is Uncle Buck.
I know, I know.
There are times when I think humanity should be destroyed.
“I had to Google search Twitter to find out what was going on, when normally my Twitter feed gives me all the breaking news I need,” said Alison Koski, a New York public-relations manager. She added she felt “completely lost” without Twitter.
FUCK THE ANGELS! FUCK THE ANGELS! FUCK THE ANGELS!
Jesus.
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 6, 2009 2:42 PM PDT up reply actions
I can't even think of anything snarky here because that's just pathetic.
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 6, 2009 2:44 PM PDT up reply actions
That was my thought when I read it earlier.
I couldn’t even work up the energy to post the story.
by msb on Aug 6, 2009 2:51 PM PDT up reply actions
I was happy while it was down because increasing the store's Twitter followers was my project for the day and it's really boring.
by Aaron Campeau on Aug 6, 2009 2:46 PM PDT up reply actions
Surely you could accomplish that with a comment here
by Graham MacAree on Aug 6, 2009 3:16 PM PDT up reply actions
It's almost like I don't actually care all that much.
by Aaron Campeau on Aug 6, 2009 3:17 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm considering having really long, contentious arguments about movies with @raincityvideo just to kill time.
by Aaron Campeau on Aug 6, 2009 3:23 PM PDT up reply actions
uh
We couldn’t find anyone named raincityvideo.
by Kirsten Schlewitz on Aug 6, 2009 3:37 PM PDT up reply actions
Apparently it is case sensitive which wow is that dumb.
by Aaron Campeau on Aug 6, 2009 3:47 PM PDT up reply actions
I cannot find it with capitalizations either
by Kirsten Schlewitz on Aug 6, 2009 4:04 PM PDT up reply actions
Ok, now it won't let me follow.
What the hell Twitter? I have a legitimate question for Rain City Video too.
by Kirsten Schlewitz on Aug 6, 2009 4:12 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm so happy I have a relative that works at Raytheon
because hopefully he can get me an employee discount on one of these mofos.
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
Speaking of twitter ....
CJ Wilson refers to Nefti Feliz as Mr Happy — “On a positive note the mr. Happy era has begun…feliz is fo real folks!”
and today: “whoever says that they left their heart in san francisco never had to play in the oakland coliseum.”
Sorry CJ, I kinda hate people that make Feliz/happy jokes.
MLB.com has done it every time Pedro Feliz comes up with a game-winning hit.
angels fan in seattle
I left a food baby in the Coliseum once.
by waldo rojas on Aug 6, 2009 3:02 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Oh lord please do not go into further detail if Eyebrows' fear is correct
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 6, 2009 3:06 PM PDT up reply actions
Nice quote but SF != Oakland
That’s like saying you went to Bellevue and then decided Seattle was the worst city in the world.
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 6, 2009 3:06 PM PDT up reply actions
It's more non-sequitury which makes it more awesome.
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 6, 2009 3:10 PM PDT up reply actions
I get that way when I'm tired.
Though this was unintentional, I’ll say it was subliminal and take the credit.
angels fan in seattle
In other news, it turns out baseball players
aren’t the only ones who use steroids!! I know, we’re all shocked by this stunning development.
Next you'll be telling me that professional cyclists use steroids too.
THIS IS TRULY THE DAY THE INNOCENCE DIED
Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.
by pdb on Aug 6, 2009 3:42 PM PDT up reply actions
I read the URL and wondered who Magic Lewis was.
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 6, 2009 4:01 PM PDT up reply actions
TRANSLATION PARTY!
Put in an English phrase. It translates it to Japanese, then back to English, then back to Japanese, on and on until it reaches equilibrium and no more changes are made.
He hit the fastball down the right-field line for a homerun
becomes
He is on the right and hit a fastball, running the following line under the house.
angels fan in seattle
I enetered this - eyebrows makes my eyes hurt and belly jiggle
It gave me this – Jiggle belly damage to his eyes and eyebrows
It also said I am deep, so clearly this program is broken.
by Sec 108 on Aug 6, 2009 4:12 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Guess what this is?
Rye bread, salami, mustard, it’s time for a great grandmother
angels fan in seattle
Awesome.
“I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, upon the slitted sheet I sit.”
becomes
“I, I, in front of the slit, the slit sheet seat slitted.”
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 6, 2009 4:34 PM PDT up reply actions
'Swung on and belted!'
‘Or numbness in your seat belt’
by Graham MacAree on Aug 6, 2009 4:47 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah I've noticed that it'll change a tense or subject back and forth and lock up.
They generally work better without punctuation, and without the question mark, your query goes through.
angels fan in seattle
Pmc47 took this to an even more zen level
by Robert Lintott on Aug 7, 2009 12:11 PM PDT up reply actions
But sometime's Ichiquotes are even too weird for it
Some of the intermediate steps are good though: “my face is a punch of its own” and “I have to punch your face in Cleveland, he was excited.”
I dunno, I think this is a delightful final product
“I was Cleveland RAWASERU irritation, I’ll cook.”
It’s as if he’s terribly frustrated by Cleveland, lets out a roar, and then says “fuck it” and decides to cook.
by Robert Lintott on Aug 8, 2009 6:00 PM PDT up reply actions
Playing a season of Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball as Seattle
---
http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com
http://www.rightfieldbleachers.com
This game was the reason I still kick myself for never asking my parents for a Genesis.
Plus is has Billy Swift on the cover! What?
Dude, Tony Gwynn was such a fucking BEAST in TP 2000.
Line drive homers every time.
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 7, 2009 1:42 PM PDT up reply actions
Microsoft Baseball 2001 was my first baseball game.
In hindsight, it sucked.
Only one strikeout with Randy?
What gives?
I will smash your face into a jelly.
by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Aug 7, 2009 9:25 AM PDT up reply actions
Mad Max Scherzer-Sabermetrician
“It took about a year of arguing with him for me to realize that actually is the correct way to think,” said Scherzer, referring to BABIP, a stat that can be used to gauge a pitcher’s luck or quality of the defense behind him.
As such, he values the pitching statistics that take fielding out of the equation and recently has become particularly interested in a stat called tERA, which assigns values to every batted ball based on trajectory, velocity and location. He also has taken time to examine his Pitch-f/x data, the information drawn from cameras that trace every pitch thrown in every big-league game.
For his first full season in the majors, Scherzer has set the goal of being at least a four-win pitcher. As in, four Wins Above Replacement Player (WARP), a stat that tries to express the difference between a player and an average fill-in type, such as a readily available Triple-A call-up. For context, Chicago’s Ted Lilly and St. Louis’ Adam Wainwright were roughly four-win pitchers last year.
FUCK THE ANGELS! FUCK THE ANGELS! FUCK THE ANGELS!
Rally Monekys don't even like the Angels
Proof was found during a YouTube death spiral. Here’s an old SportsCenter commercial.
Two careers possibly coming to an end today as the A's released Jason Giambi and the Red Sox DFA'd John Smoltz.
FUCK THE ANGELS! FUCK THE ANGELS! FUCK THE ANGELS!
HI, BILLY MAYS HERE!
DO YOU HAVE TROUBLE MEETING NEW PEOPLE? DO YOU FIND YOURSELF STUCK IN THE CORNER AT SOCIAL GATHERINGS, DESPERATELY WISHING FOR HUMAN CONTACT WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY HOPING NO ONE TALKS TO YOU? ARE CONSTANT ERECTIONS MAKING LIFE EMBARRASSING AND INCONVENIENT? HAVE I GOT A DEAL FOR YOU!
CARTELCO INTERNATIONAL, THE MAKERS OF EZ-NOD AND BIKER’S CHOICE, ARE PROUD TO INTRODUCE PARTY POWDER. MADE FROM ALL NATURAL, RAINFOREST SOURCED INGREDIENTS, PARTY POWDER IS GUARANTEED TO MAKE YOU THE LIFE OF THE PARTY!
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(CartelCo is not responsible for secondary damage to families, friendships, reputations or genitals due to the use of this product. May not be legal in all states. Introductory price is $14.99; thereafter each additional order of Party Powder is $99.99.)
TELL A FRIEND AND WE’LL INCLUDE THE HAND-TORCH 5000, CAPABLE OF PRODUCING FLAMES UP THE THREE FEET HIGH!
CALL TODAY!
by Aaron Campeau on Aug 7, 2009 2:33 PM PDT up reply actions 10 recs
SafeCo Field is next the next stadium on "Why your stadium sucks" on Deadspin
Submit your stories now!
So I bought my first pack of baseball cards in probably 6 years today.
I got TWO Mariners! Wooo! Unfortunately, those two were Carlos Vulva and Brandon Morrow. Goddammit.
In the attempt to make this NOT LLLJ, what are you biggest baseball card disappointments>
I saved up for ages and bought a Walter Payton rookie when I was 10 or so
And then some fucking loser stole it. Grrrrrr. Still sort of makes me mad. Oops, that’s football, isn’t it….
All my old cards are in the attic, and I have a feeling that I’ll be in for a big baseball card disappointment when I drag ’em out. Odds of them being covered in rat piss is fairly high.
Thinking that time capsules could be made pretty much any damn way you pleased
and dropping two baseball cards in the space between the planks in my porch thinking I could go get them ten years later. Clemens and Griffey rookie cards, as I recall.
I was a pretty damn stupid four-year-old.
I have none.
I only started getting baseball cards a few months ago, and without fail they are all fantastic. Particularly the Erik Bedard one with a bit of his uniform on it.
I've solicited help elsewhere
but can anyone recommend a good record player? I’ve got about $150 to spend. USB out isn’t required, but it would be nice.
This is why we can't have nice things.
Paramount’s "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" accomplished its mission Friday in posting the highest opening for an August non-sequel with a remarkable $22.3 million off 4,007 engagements.
FUCK THE ANGELS! FUCK THE ANGELS! FUCK THE ANGELS!
So who here want's (or has ever wanted) to kill your pet?
I went out to put recycling and garbage out. maybe five minutes. Knowing my goddamned dog is a puppy, I put my dinner plate on top of the refrigerator.
I get back from my chore, and my plate is on the ground (empty), and the bitch is licking her chops. This means she had to jump up onto the counter (easily 3 1/2 feet tall), then get to the frig. She’s a nine month-old retriever (THAT ALREADY WEIGHS 60 LBS AND GROWING). I’m going to sell her to a taxidermist. Tell me your story of hate for your pet. Make me feel better.
Illegible
See this is the kind of thing that makes me love me pet.
Ingenuity and stick-to-it-iveness are traits to be commended.
by Aaron Campeau on Aug 10, 2009 2:01 AM PDT up reply actions
My dad had a similar thing happen when we had a puppy growing up.
He made a nice bacon, egg, and toast breakfast and set it up on the table. He went to the bathroom and came back with the dog standing on the table (all four paws) and licking the last of the bacon grease off the plate. He said the look on the dog’s face was so priceless that he just laughed and made a second breakfast.
My dog has eaten a husband pillow, licked all the sugar coating off a bottle of advil which almost killed him, and has shredded so many dirty diapers I can’t even keep track of how many. Dogs are just like addicts – they know they are being bad, but they just can’t help themselves.
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