April 2014
Pitchers do seem to be the strength of it...
Posted by Gordon Gross on 04/30/14
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The hitters are a weird group, and I don't like the college bats for our selection AT ALL. The arms, OTOH, are good from both the prep and college ranks - and nobody knows how they slot out. They're all of a piece, and many of them have TOR potential. That's good for us, and more likely a selection to boot. They are laid out in order of my current preference (as the previous hitters were).
Pitchers:
Brady Aiken, HS LHP - Yes. I rarely get excited about HS arms but very much yes. I don't expect him to be there at #6, but if he was I would draft him over everyone. He's James Paxton minus... Read More
Starting with the hitters
Posted by Gordon Gross on 04/30/14
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After all the talk about Jack as GM in the shouts, and since it's May Eve, I figured it's about time to start some draft conversations, even though the Ms are still clinging to some sort of respectability after a month of baseball. They're throwing off my timing with their performances this last week.
Back to the Draft. First off, there's no slam-dunk #1 guy. If I was drafting #1, that might annoy me. Since we're drafting 6th the good news is that there is really good talent scattered throughout the top-10, but most of it is pitching talent.
This draft looks a bit like 2006. All of... Read More
From A to Zunino
Posted by Spectator on 04/29/14
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Phase II of "Operation Revive Hibernating Mariners Offense" is: stop Almonte, Miller and Zunino from being out machines. Maybe Zunino's Reversed Single Non-out will turn the tide.
Chris Young survived on weak contact, but it was enough.
Ty Kelly is bombs away in Sacramento.
Deeeeej finally returns from his muscle strain, and immediately homers.
And Jabari Henry is getting so hot he might not be "the other Jabari" anymore.
Full article here.
Home page here.
Nippon Pro Baseball, dept.
Posted by jemanji on 04/29/14
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I ain't gonna lie. It had been a day or three since we watched a baseball game with any notable interest going.
So here Mike Zunino stepped up to the plate, and started bouncing up and down, jackhammering himself deeper and deeper into the dirt the mud. Like how long has he been doing that?!
Two pitches later, on an 0-2 count (!), he got a changeup that was off the plate, away, and below the knees -- and he calmly reached out and lined it into right field for a base hit.
........
If you just joined us, here is a discussion of the Japanese concept, "Keeping Weight Underside." When you'... Read More
Using Your Noodle, dept.
Posted by jemanji on 04/29/14
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8 Comments
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Well, maybe one or two of the base hits did go to center field. And it's kinda cheap of Dr. D to count the (1B-side) bunt hit that Almonte grovelled, he'll grant you.
But of the M's 15 hits Tuesday, only one was pulled that we noticed, that being Zunino's soft liner to Ichiro. (But 75% of Zunino's hits were the other way, so you can't even talk about that one.)
Some where, some way, that is a franchise record, gentlemen. You could massage the stats in some way or other, and show that April 30th was the greatest Derek Jeter Imitation Act the franchise ever performed. Maybe it was... Read More
Cut-down swings have been around for a while now, dude
Posted by jemanji on 04/29/14
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Most MLB(TM) hitters have a "pepper" swing. With two strikes, or against Aroldis Chapman, or if they're lefty and a LOOGY comes in ... They slow the bat down and just drag it through the zone, ENSURING (choke) contact.
Bill James thinks that this should happen much, much more than it does - "Batspeed is overrated. Just get a big heavy bat and drag it through the zone." The more you look, the more you agree with him. You've seen Robinson Cano's slow-batspeed doubles into the corner on curve balls? You watched Ichiro tennis-volley pitches into left field?
With two strikes, or against a... Read More
The strange tale of the trading relationship
Posted by Spectator on 04/29/14
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Betrayal, reconciliation, scandal, pine tar, Ichiro, the Pencil ...
it's all here.
Mariner-Yankee article here.
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Also, Monday's internet action and minor-league games in the Squalls + Rewind here.
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Home page here.
… and the Mariners sit up in bed, wiping away a cold sweat
Posted by jemanji on 04/28/14
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Ba-da-BOOM ba-da-BING, Kyle Seager hits five homers in one weekend. His OPS+ is 128, rollin-on-the-florrr-laffin and he is the #6 third baseman in all of baseball by WAR.
It reminds you of 1993, when Scott Erickson lost 19 games, had a 5.19 ERA, "helped" the Twins to 91 losses ... and then went in and fought like a rabid weasel for a huge raise in arbitration. Shellshocked, the Twins' GM staggered out of the arb hearing mumbling, "Some of our guys had a lot better year than I remember them having."
But guess what. Seager's five HR's came in:
a 5-3 win, Thursday, that snapped an 8-game... Read More
Coming into his own?
Posted by jemanji on 04/28/14
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The Blazers have got a fun team to watch. In 2013, my son and I went down to the Rose Garden ... er, Moda Center ... the night that Kobe Bryant played 48 minutes and scored 47 points against the Blazers, trying to single-handedly shove the Lakers into the postseason. Thing is, Damian Lillard went for 38 himself and pushed Kobe into blowing his Achilles.
"He was out there cooking with gasoline" said Kobe, glorifying Lillard, and thereby glorifying himself, since he'd beaten Lillard. "Lillard came out and just started torching us. I figured I would try to keep up the pace. it was like a... Read More
Putting the finishing touches on social justice
Posted by jemanji on 04/28/14
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Here there be sports/political commentary. If that's not your cup of tea, there are handy-dandy clickthrough buttons scattered at strategic points around your monitor. Drive home safely.
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Eliyahu Rips is a gentle and well-reasoned man, very Jewish, and a world-class mathemetician. In 1994, he published Equidistant Letter Sequences In the Book of Genesis, using state-of-the-art statistical methods to assert that the Torah had 3-dimensional "coding" in it.
This is not an issue for which Dr. D is very sympathetic. But Rips said something, after the firestorm... Read More
Kyle Seager & the Silver Bullet Band
Posted by Spectator on 04/28/14
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So far, so great for Seager after the Epic 11-Pitch At-Bat Home Run
Cano is kind of a slow starter, but not this slow.
Maurer is still promising despite not quite having it.
Iwakuma comes back, but isn't overpowering; while Erasmo yields more dingers in Stockton.
Baby Daddy Montero is out-slugging Kivlehan and Blash.
Full article here.
And the Game 23 Rewind here.
Home page here.
No sheriff, just varmints and tumbleweeds
Posted by Gordon Gross on 04/28/14
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Justin Smoak.
Just the name sends a shiver through our collective souls at this point. Not for what he can do, but because of how much he’s failed to do with all the promise he had. Justin Smoak was supposed to be Mark Teixeira. Failing that, he was CERTAINLY supposed to be a positive force in the lineup.
Justin Smoak, 2000 plate appearances in, is a .240-hitting glove player who can draw a few walks, but doesn’t have a ton of pop and certainly can’t power your lineup as a MOTO hitter.
And he came out in the best collection of first-base talent in a long time. SEVEN first basemen went in... Read More
More encouraging than when we did the hitters, for sure
Posted by Spectator on 04/26/14
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Digging into the pitching stats.
Felix is top-10 in almost everything (duh)
The team has a better ERA than it "ought to" -- not that it's gotten them any wins
Elias and Young don't light up our board, but Maurer did in his very small slice of data
Rodney's been better than he seems
Wilhelmsen has been just as bad as he seems -- or worse
Leone is already fifth on the team in IP
Full article here.
Home page here.
Scotch is a depressant, you know. May I recommend P90X and tinfoil
Posted by jemanji on 04/26/14
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"Sho, Dr. Detecto. We're down to cheap scotch and gueshing. All we know is, we like this kid but he's feelin the heat. I don't suppose that Mayne Frayme of yours has any answers for us at leadoff?"
:: sniff ::
"No, really. We've got all thish money and we don't got no wins ..." :: runs fingers through towers of gold coins, toppling them ::
:: Dr D draws heavy sigh ::
Saber doesn't say much about pencils and lineups. You stick 20 RBI up here, you lose 20 runs down there. The whole "leadoff guy, number two hitter," the whole "Cleanup guy is paid to hit home runs" thing is busted.
That... Read More
John Dewan's "defensive runs saved"
Posted by jemanji on 04/26/14
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Subscribers to Bill James Online have daily access to John Dewan's defensive runs saved. By permission, we'll run those for Apr. 26, 2014, so's y'all can see what yer missin':
Can you read that okay? Well, here is last year's final chart:
The 2013 Mariners had, more or less, the league's THREE worst outfield defenders, all lined up beside each other. That's not unlike an NFL team putting three 209-lb. defensive linemen adjacent to one another; it creates a certain appeal as to a rather obvious offensive attack.
As SSI pointed out at the time, the OF numbers were unnecessary... Read More
Doubling up & doubling down
Posted by Spectator on 04/26/14
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Cano doubles need to be routine, not events
Smoak doubles and then doubles up
While The Pencil doubles down
Montero loves fatherhood so far, and we could get used to it
Full article here.
Home page here.
If you're losing more than 50% of the time … WHY?
Posted by jemanji on 04/26/14
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11 Comments
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Have you ever played Rock-Paper-Scissors with a good AI algorithm? Like this one? It's an enlightening, and scary, experience.
The first time through, your chances are absolutely even. But as time goes on, the AI will start cataloguing trends about your preferences that are completely opaque to you.
By iteration 80, the computer will be saying things like "I notice you don't like to repeat Scissors after losing with Scissors, if your most recent win was with Paper." Even after iteration 20 it is already smirking at you:
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I/O: Jason Churchill with the heat charts on Brad Miller... Read More
Gillespie, Blash, Dutton, etc.
Posted by Spectator on 04/25/14
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News, notes and navigation + minors
More Cole Gillespie, Abe Almonte and "the pencil"
Jabari Blash starting to get noticed ... as he should
Dutton Q-and-A has some insight
Montero vs. Montero in Vegas
Rare dinger from Jamal Austin
Full article here.
Home page here.
"Clip ole lieges" time. No org loyalties here
Posted by jemanji on 04/24/14
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3 Comments
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Q. How does his swing look?
A. Siiighhh... I don't say that the below is the end of the M's problems. But what else we got to talk about, but Cole Gillespie?
:: draws heavy breath ::
The swing is a real highlight, as is Stefen Romero's for that matter. Gillespie has a model swing ... not that the minors aren't well-stocked with journeymen who have polished their swings until they glittered.
Hand-eye coordination is one thing, bat speed another thing, leverage a third thing, path the ball a fourth thing, knowing anything about hitting (which Dr. D doesn't) another thing. But Gillespie... Read More
Don't blink …
Posted by jemanji on 04/24/14
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Q. Whud he do wrong in the minors?
A. He didn't do anything wrong.
He had a big college career at Oregon State, and he rose through the minors 1 level per year, always hitting .300/.400/.500. Give or take.
He got a few looks in the bigs, hit kinda mediocre. He's just a guy who never showed the "specialness" that pushes you past a Dustin Ackley or a Justin Smoak.
In AAA, for example, he has spent 6 years raking to the tune of .292/.388/.483. Nice OBP! But like Spectator says, you've got the John Jaso rule to think about: if your power isn't scary, don't plan on all the walks... Read More
if he's really so big and tough, that is
Posted by jemanji on 04/24/14
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Rick shoutz,
rick82: Yesterday Almonte worked hard to get to the 3-2 count, and right on cue struck out. Interesting how well he hits the first and second pitch, but after that, has so much trouble hitting anything. You'd think a 3-2 pitch would be hittable, because no one would want to put him on base. But he can't hit it. In 16 full count at bats this year, Almonte has struck out in 9 of them, and has not drawn A SINGLE WALK. That to me is real strange. Anyone else here think that's strange?
Rick "Hawkeye" 82 groks the pattern that Almonte if only the pitcher can get him past Pitch #3 in... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 04/24/14
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MtGrizzly: Pineda kicked out a game for having pine tar on his neck.
Apparently, there is an awkward understanding between batters and pitchers: when it's cold, if the pitcher uses a little pine tar to keep from losing his grip on the ball, then the hitters will look the other way.
Baseball is 90% appearances, 10% substance ... case in point: when a manager goes out to argue with the umpires this April, "Everybody in the park knows that he is waiting for a signal from his dugout." Does the replay show the manager to be correct? Then he calls for the appeal.
Nothing in this picture looks... Read More
Just wondering ...
Posted by Spectator on 04/24/14
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Was he ready to bail on baseball and the Mariners?
You know you were.
What channel is rowing on anyway?
Full article here.
Home page here.
Turning point?
Posted by Spectator on 04/24/14
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Might Kyle Seager's Epic 11-Pitch At-Bat Home Run turn around the whole season?
We can only hope.
At least the goose-egg streak is gone for now.
Daniel Paolini finally homers at AA.
Kivlehan loves the desert, part 8
Full article here.
Home page here.
or perhaps, seppuku vs. bound beheading
Posted by Gordon Gross on 04/23/14
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In the old Samurai Bushido code, you would die with dishonor for catastrophic failure and betrayal of the code. You would be allowed an honorable suicide if the failure was yours but you upheld the code while doing so. Is Jack Zduriencik coming due for an Old Yeller moment? The shout box is venting a bit about this roster today, so why not go into some of the washouts of the last half-decade? This is what Zduriencik’s watch looks like so far.
- Complete inability to draft a splash player. Bavasi has gotten 20.5 WAR so far out of the first 5 rounds of the draft since 2011 (when the first... Read More
It's not a pretty picture
Posted by Spectator on 04/23/14
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We dig into the stats to see what's what.
Corey Hart is the only one in red numbers.
There are some mitigating circumstances.
Cano must stop being ordinary.
Miller and Zunino had plate skills two years ago, so maybe they'll find them again.
Smoak grades out pretty well actually.
Full article here.
Home page here.
We're issuing a Teal Alert on Abe Almonte
Posted by Spectator on 04/23/14
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Abe Almonte's stats are actually propped up by an above-average BABIP. Otherwise, he'd lead all of baseball in outs produced. Yet ... 20 times at the top of the lineup card.
Also:
A fond look back at the Golden Age of ... a week ago
e-RAM had his good stuff going, but he needs a margin of error bigger than "none"
Blash Splash!
Landazuri fans nine
D.J.'s Monday exit was due to a tight hamstring
Full article here.
Home page here.
PDP Fever -- Catch it!
Posted by Spectator on 04/22/14
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Kind of a different take on the state of affairs today.
Also:
Huge but rain-shortened night for Chris Taylor
An interesting face was on the opposing mound in Tacoma
Jackson has to play a full 18
Also a big night for Tyler Marlette
Article here.
Home page here.
Tomorrow's news today
Posted by jemanji on 04/21/14
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7 Comments
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There is discussion, in the Shout Box, about Jason Churchill's interesting article "What the M's Can Do Now." Extra-credit points to Jason for --- > going beyond griping, and offering solutions. Cliffs Notes as to Jason's analysis:
You do have to allow that the M's starting rotation has been wiped out by the DL
The lineup the M's are fielding is considerably more talented than it was 365 days ago
Trades aren't available in April, and there's no real help in Tacoma
McClendon needs to use his bullpen better (notably in promoting Farquhar)
McClendon needs to stop the teacher's-pet... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 04/21/14
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moethedog: Danger Will Robinson: Justin Smoak is on pace (and remember, he's supposedly "found it") for another .240-.320-.400 year. If so, he would have hit like that in '11, '13 and '14. OK, it's early....but we've seen his stuff, this stuff, for a while. He is on pace for 30 doubles and 16 homers, though. From the left side he is slugging .440, so let's hang on to that. He is back in Brendan Ryan-ville from the right side, however (.615 OPS). But he does have the net drill going for him. It's early, I know. Just sayin'.
During the 7-game losing streak, when the ballclub needs it... Read More
Unless maybe you should
Posted by Gordon Gross on 04/21/14
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GLS has a very level-headed shout for us after a disastrous road trip:
"I think it's important not to panic. It's a young team and with the Zduriencik "build from within with youth" plan, we're still at the point where we don't know yet which of the young players will develop into major league regulars. We have some certainty with the first wave - Ackley, Seager, Saunders, Montero, Smoak. I think we're at the point with those players that we know pretty well what they are now and what they're likely to become. There's still room for those players to surprise us, but we have more information... Read More
Maurer: up (and interesting); Barkeep: down (and away); Everyone else: same (unfortunately)
Posted by Spectator on 04/21/14
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Brandon Maurer with confidence and a new way of "triangulating" the hitter? It's interesting, and it was pretty cool for four innings.
Tom Wilhelmsen with no confidence and not interested in throwing strikes?
Missing: Cano's doubles. Reward.
Jordan Pries climbing solidly onto the radar.
Maurer article here.
Wilhelmsen article here.
Daily rewind here.
Home page here.
Elias meets the mean ...
Posted by Spectator on 04/20/14
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This article covers Saturday's games.
The mean is mean, and Elias reverts to it all in one night.
Offense doesn't like the heat in Miami.
Blash and Kivlehan show life despite no longballs.
Clinton gets crazy extra-inning win.
Full article here.
Home page here.
Funky Cold Transfer ...
Posted by Spectator on 04/18/14
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2 Comments
Seager gets the guy out and then gets him un-out.
Another young pitcher gets burned for a crucial homer. This time Medina.
Iwakuma slated to pitch for Tacoma on same day as Erasmo for Seattle -- probably not a conincidence.
Morbanwagon sighting!
And Kivlehan bashes the desert ... again!
Full article here.
Home page here.
He was never fired from any baseball job, at any level. Ever
Posted by jemanji on 04/18/14
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17 Comments
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Nobody cares in July Whether You Won a Game in March, Dept.
Okay, Earl was referring to spring training. A manager gets it from all directions, pressure to do this and to do that and to do the next thing ... only Earl seemed to realize, on March 21, that everybody was inside a dream, that the morning would come, and that everything would simply VANISH later on in the year. So he managed that way.
This is about twenty degrees off topic, but ... when you're inside a 7-of-9 losing streak, it can help to realize that after you wake up, the pain will vanish. (Of course, that's assuming you're... Read More
… quoth Aristotle
Posted by jemanji on 04/18/14
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Amusingly, James had an article up Thursday, asking how much it means (or not) when a team is winning by large margins and losing by small ones. Perhaps you've heard of such teams.
The answer might seem obvious -- just look at Pythag -- but, not so fast. We know that good teams win by large margins, but ... does winning by large margins, early, mean that you're a good team? A causes B, but does B cause A ... especially when you're talking about the first 15 games?
Bill set it up with his usual colorful prose:
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The 1975 Cincinnati Reds were known as the Big Red Machine, because they wore... Read More
Shredded ...
Posted by Spectator on 04/17/14
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Where does the rotation go from here? Untested guy from AA or retread off the scrap heap? Plus I name my "dark horse" candidate.
Offense shows up ... for one inning. But it was a good one.
No Choi Joy for quite awhile.
Landazuri does make a strong case ... for an untested guy from AA.
Plus Blash Splash! ... and Kivle-splash! ... and Tank Splash!
Full article here.
Home page here.
Rodney Danger ...
Posted by Spectator on 04/17/14
And everything was going along so nicely ...
Rodney's streaky save-situation history
Victor Sanchez: "forearm tightness" leads to DL
Sharkie sinking in the desert so far
Full article here.
Home page here.
… of the Mariner experience, that is
Posted by jemanji on 04/16/14
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8 Comments
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He has his strengths and weaknesses. You see, he's ... [long, uncomfortable pause]. ... ... a Mariner. Post-Piniella.
Quickly, Dr. D!
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STRENGTH: Felix misses another 17 bats.
After four games, his wiffff rate is over 16%. To put that into proportion, 12% is the theoretical maximum, like a .370 batting average is the theoretical maximum. (Well, I'm taking a bit of poetic license on this point. But that's okay with me.)
Can he sustain it? Analyzing his strike zone stats doesn't tell you anything, because they're all good:
He throws an insane number of 1st-pitch strikes...
...... Read More
How Much to Ignore “Helium”?
Posted by Spectator on 04/16/14
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2 Comments
News item: Sonny Gray stifles the Mariners for the A’s.
News item: George Springer just called up by the Astros after 37 homers in AA/AAA in 2013.
News item: Anthony Rendon has 1.008 OPS in 14 games for Washington.
What do they have in common?
All were taken in the 2011 draft.
All were under consideration for a top-5 pick prior to the 2011 college season.
All had their stock drop between February and June.
All could have been taken by the Mariners at No. 2, when Danny Hultzen got the nod.
Rendon went at No. 6 to the Nats; Springer at No. 11 to the ‘Stros; Gray at No. 18 to Oakland.
Add in... Read More
New consensus shuffles the order
Posted by Spectator on 04/16/14
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1 Comments
It’s been over a month since we visited the issue of the No. 6 pick in the 2014 draft, and it seems that things have changed.
After a year or more of saying N.C. State LHP Carlos Rodon was the consensus No. 1 pick, Baseball America has now shuffled the deck in favor of high school pitchers Brady Aiken of California and Tyler Kolek of Texas.
Aiken was No. 9 last fall when BA did a full rundown, but now he’s all the way at the top, with Kolek moving from No. 3 to No. 2.
Their development combined with Rodon struggling to maintain the mid-90s velocity he showed in prior years, and also having... Read More
same dude, different year. How many more years does he get?
Posted by Gordon Gross on 04/16/14
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14 Comments
To piggy-back my irritation at Smoak's ABs last night onto Doc’s great post of collected thoughts here…
Justin Smoak let go another SICKENING!! procession of center-cut 89 MPH fastballs today. You watch the game for 40 years and you still can't begin to comprehend it... Smoak tenses his muscles so epically as he gathers himself to launch the bat. Then, getting the 89 MPH pitch bisecting the plate and 8 inches above the knees, he reacts precisely like Jay Buhner did when he got a Pedro Martinez overhand curve ball. "Ahhhh, man. That pitch is so sick. Maybe I'll get 'im tomorrow."
So.... Read More
MRIs outnumber runs?
Posted by Spectator on 04/16/14
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The complete starting pitcher casualty list!
No XBH for two of the last three games. Ouch.
Nick Franklin homers, then prepares to depart.
Gilliespie possibly forcing Beaver-for-Beaver swap?
Full article here.
Home page here.
1. A lively dance for 2 people. 2. A foolish or useless act or thing.
Posted by jemanji on 04/15/14
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6 Comments
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I heard it, I heard it, I heard it in the .... "Box"
Gordon Gross: For anybody who's curious, Sickels is getting around to the Ms minor league prospect discussion now. I may or may not have been over there running my mouth. No comment.http://www.minorleagueball.com/2014/4/13/5610674/seattle-mariners-prelim...
Now that Jason Churchill has like a full-time radio gig, what is stopping the Seattle DJ's from getting Gordon on there? Until somebody is paying Gordon what he's worth, we-all can do what we do best. Wallow in his minors wit and wisdom for free.
Scanning down just enough so that we... Read More
Dr. D swaps out the illicit image
Posted by jemanji on 04/15/14
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8 Comments
JDDub wants to know what Mo' Dawg, Lonnie and I remember about Jim Palmer. Funny, says today's youngster, that a starting pitcher would be respected based on 5 strikeouts per game...
Like Matty sez, don't forget that the game featured many fewer K's then. And true, Palmer often benefitted from great defenses. But Palmer was in the league's top 10 for strikeouts on 7 occasions, was often in the top 10 for fewest HR per game (sometimes 0.5 to 0.6, all year), was consistently top 10 in WHIP. I remember him as a Mike Mussina-, David Cone-, CC Sabathia-level pitcher who was very popular and... Read More
Unintended Saunders breaks the slump
Posted by Spectator on 04/15/14
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3 Comments
"Unintended consequences" Saunders helps bust the slump.
Zuumball!
Roenis Elias: 3 games, 3 XBH allowed.
Tacoma bats stay hot, including our man Ji-Man.
Gaby Guerrero likes the desert.
Full article here.
Home page here.
And this year, Dr. D actually does need the lineup card
Posted by jemanji on 04/14/14
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19 Comments
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PROPS to the M's 7-and-5 start. Granted, Oakland proved to everyone's satisfaction that we are not yet the Pride of MLB(TM). The Mariners are good, or at least they have been. Oakland, by contrast, is championship-worth. Or at least they have been.
While the Seahawks ascended from (1) their four-win seasons and (2) the NFC Championshp, they hit some staircase landings along the way. Just possibly, the Seattle Mariners are not destined to advance from "91 losses" to "Seahawk dominant" in one month.
But if we're talking about April 2014 being a staircase landing:
The Pythagorean record... Read More
You think Jeter is admired for NO reason? Think again
Posted by jemanji on 04/14/14
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5 Comments
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Prologue
In 1996, Greg Maddux lost the sixth and final game of the World Series. Jeter, and Boggs, and Bernie Williams had taken his best pitches the other way, had stacked up a double handful of singles, and they beat him 3-2.
He said something very odd. "It's hard to get people out," said Mad Dog, "If all they want is a single."
As the M's go into Texas after a horrible, painful weekend that could make you swear off baseball ... Robinson Cano is faced with a return-of-service. Derek Jeter does have 5 World Series rings, you realize. He did get them as a result of carrying the flag,... Read More
Plus two days of daily rewinds
Posted by Spectator on 04/14/14
Posted to blog
News, notes and navigation regarding:
Swing through Texas and Florida
No "Hernandez vs. Fernandez" this week (maybe they'll start the All-Star Game?)
Beavan over Taijuan
Noesi as super-secret mole (so secret he doesn't even know)
Plus the weekend games:
Kazmir keeps bats frozen (but power in the minors)
Gray gets bats frozen in first place
Squalls here.
Sunday games here.
Saturday games here.
Home page here.
Ah, what's one game
Posted by jemanji on 04/12/14
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7 Comments
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Q. So Taijuan threw 5 IP, fanned 10, and now he's not starting? What if he'd fanned 10 in the last Arizona game - would they have held him out then?
A. The Mariners explain this as wanting him to "get into the rotation and stay there."
Read: they want him to win his first game, and get on a roll, like Paxton did. They doubt he can do it, on the road, against Texas.
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Q. "In 4 months, we'll be glad the Mariners did this." How true is that statement, on a scale of 1-10?
A. Oh... maybe a 3.
Lloyd McClendon quite obviously led the charge to give Taijuan a soft landing, at least judging... Read More
Cold water below, if they don't tighten their strike zones
Posted by jemanji on 04/12/14
Posted to blog
5 Comments
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SSI is, as you know, a data-rich environment. Dig the sophistication of this chart:
Batter
OPS+
Zunino
135
Miller
102
Both rookies have contributed importantly to the first half-dozen Mariner victories. Zunino, for example, has XBH in 3 of the M's 9 games, and the Mariners won all of these games. Yes, we'll continue to track this "garbage" Zunino RBI stat until it blurs into oblivion. Getting triples and homers out of your worst hitter ... It's kind of like saying you were 7-and-2 in weekend series every time your #5 starter threw a "Mega Quality Start."
The M's have gotten a... Read More
Pharaoh personally delivers the Tomb Service
Posted by jemanji on 04/12/14
Posted to blog
2 Comments
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Q. Wow. 19 swings and misses, by the Oakland A's, no less. Must have followed SSI's prescription?
A. Nah. He wasn't using the fastball up.
Reminds us (in pale imitation) of Bill James getting hired by the Boston Red Sox, and the saberdweebs asking him whether he was going to get Nomar to draw some walks and become an intelligent hitter.
"I'm not going to Boston to teach Nomar Garciaparra how to hit," Bill said acidly.
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Q. What happened, then?
A. Felix' heater was as vicious as we've ever seen it, but in Michael Pineda style, Randy Johnson style. Jered Weaver style. Not in the... Read More
Two games in, Felix has used a Pedro pitch mix - and snagged 12 K per game
Posted by jemanji on 04/11/14
Posted to blog
6 Comments
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Rats and Bar-Press Training
First time that Dr. D sat down in an undergrad class at the UW, there were 749 other Psych 101 frosh next to him, seated in the same hall. The prof fired up our undergrad careers by telling us a tale of rats, cages, and bars that released food pellets.
"There are two ways to teach a rat the basic bar press," the prof said. He described a tedious process of rewarding the rat for progressively more correct behaviors. "The other way is, you put the rat in there, go get lunch, and when you come back, the rat knows how to bar-press."
......
First time that Dr. D... Read More
As alliterative as Abe Almonte ...
Posted by Spectator on 04/11/14
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5 Comments
A breakdown of Lloyd's lineups through the first eight games.
I had not focused on how he's usually starting Morrison or Romero depending on pitcher, and then subbing in Saunders for the last 2-3 innings regardless.
Is that a novel approach, or has anyone seen that kind of three-way division of labor before?
Article here.
Home page here.
Navigating the logjam?
Posted by Spectator on 04/11/14
Posted to blog
Looking ahead to when the current crew will get exhorbitantly expensive.
Walker, Paxton, Miller, Zunino and the gang all hit arbitration together.
Plus the Daily Prospect-palooza featuring Brandon Maurer and D.J.'s sixth error in six games.
Article here.
Home page here.
And by "no offense" we mean "no offense"
Posted by Spectator on 04/10/14
Posted to blog
Lots of moving parts:
Taijuan Walker makes a big move back toward Seattle.
James Paxton the opposite.
Roenis Elias couldn't quite stay within the narrow margin of error he was handed.
Nick Franklin is mashing for Tacoma on those rare days when they play.
Edwin Diaz auditioning for "next Taijuan."
Article here.
Home page here.
Thass' baseball
Posted by jemanji on 04/09/14
Posted to blog
14 Comments
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"What the deuce got into Don tonight?" - Fred Gladding
"Four greenies." - Jack Billingham, "Ball Four"
I mighta mixed the names up ... the above was an exchange in the 1969 Astros' clubhouse after their ace, Don Wilson, recovered from a terrible pre-game bullpen session to fire a three-hit shutout. "Greenies," for those who just joined us, were the illicit "speed" supplements of the day.
.........
The F/X gave 97.7 MPH as Garrett Richards' average fastball velocity. To make matters worse, he was cutting the ball so hard that it was finishing to the glove side of center. Hey, man, you... Read More
Desperately Seeking Called Third Strikes
Posted by jemanji on 04/09/14
Posted to blog
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Richards' Arsenal
Garrett Richards uses the same "Blunt Force Trauma" repertoire as does Michael Pineda:
75% fastballs at 95 MPH average velocity
25% sliders at 86 MPH
Recently, he's begun mixing in the occasional 75 MPH variation on the slider. But it's still a Pineda toolbox. Here is a video in which you can get a feel for his game.
What has made Pineda's game special is the fact that he not only throws 94-97 MPH, but also throws the ball into a teacup -- Curt Schilling velocity with Greg Maddux control. Such would not be the case with Richards, but then again "Nuclear Holocaust" is... Read More
The Mariners rediscover right-handed power (all at once)
Posted by Spectator on 04/09/14
Posted to blog
1 Comments
Time travel to early summer 2013.
The best healthy right-handed hitters on the Mariner roster, I suppose, were mostly-used-up and soon-to-be-shipped-out Michael Morse and Jason Bay. Franklin Gutierrez was in his usual perpetual limbo.
Mike Zunino had been rushed to the majors, and wasn’t hitting a lick.
Once-promising Vinnie Catricala had been cut due to a free-fall so steep that it eventually caused him to leave baseball for the police academy. Stefen Romero wasn’t living up to his modest expectations. Jack Marder‘s free-fall was as steep as Vinnie’s, though he hasn’t yet traded bat for... Read More
Gotta have Hart
Posted by Spectator on 04/09/14
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2 Comments
Corey Hart can go a long way to address the Mariners' struggle vs. LH starters.
Justin Smoak adding consistency from the right side, also.
James Paxton was more efficient before having to exit.
Kivlehan stars, Guerrero and Littlewood keep hitting.
Article here.
Home page here.
STOP DA FIGHT
Posted by jemanji on 04/08/14
Posted to blog
4 Comments
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Angels' corner tossed in the towel about two 4-run innings ago, I think ...
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Bottom Line
Paxton goes to 5-0, 1.75 in his first six MLB starts. Maybe Gordon can draw us up a list of SP's who were 5-0 and 6-0 after six starts?
He's got 34 strikeouts and 9 walks, with 4 homers allowed, in 36.0 IP. A nice symmetrical TTO line of 8.5 / 2.25 / 1.0 ... the two starting pitchers with the most similar TTO's to that, over the period 2011-13, are CC Sabathaa and David Price. Like we sez, Paxton has deviated from script. He has been pitching more like the virtuoso's than the napalm divebombers... Read More
Everybody chippin' in
Posted by jemanji on 04/08/14
Posted to blog
5 Comments
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Almonte goes 0-fer with 3 K's ... but UP with a bullet
We know you're contrarian, Dr. D. But this is a bit much even for you ... no, really. SSI is this far from buying in to Abraham Almonte. Maybe Lloyd McClendon really does see things, here and there, that we don't?
Start with a little table here. The O-Swing % tells us that Miller has swung at 40% of all pitches not in the strike zone, and I'll bet you can figure the rest out, even if you don't care much a about sabermetrics:
Player
O-Swing %
Z-Swing %
Swing %
Swing Strike %
Brad Miller, 2014
40
65
53
14
MLB Average
29
64
46
9
In... Read More
Highly Variant Weirdness & Chihuahuas
Posted by Spectator on 04/07/14
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1 Comments
Off-day analysis:
Logan lists comparable pitchers for Dominic Leone, but I narrow it down to two.
Fangraphs' "weird trick" for finding the best hitting prospects.
Mariners on the cusp of ... semi-contention.
Chihuahuas beat up on Rainiers.
Article here.
Home page here.
Musical chairs for #5 SP ? Ramirez, Young, Roenis respectively ...
Posted by jemanji on 04/07/14
Posted to blog
14 Comments
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Last time at-bat, Dr. D gave you his own barometer on "makeup." An athlete with good makeup --- > is one who responds to things going wrong by --- > getting more competitive. As Al Pacino told Keano Reeves, "Under pressure, some focus. Others fold."
Felix Hernandez has pitched in a whale of a lot of 1-0 and 2-1 deficits. He reliably goes into Nasty Mode.
Shall I tell you what I find beautiful about your species, sez Starman? You are at your best when things are worst. Felix is automatic this way. Keeping my own definition of "makeup in mind, the anti-bully personality ...... Read More
But Young takes to the bullpen; Victor is on course in AA debut
Posted by Spectator on 04/07/14
Posted to blog
The "not a No. 2 starter" version of e-RAM returns.
Young throws 21 high fastballs in 22 pitches.
Victor Sanchez is strong in his AA debut, but struggling Stephen Pryor coughs up the lead.
Article here.
Home page here.
Tonight, Dr. D likes Chris Young in the 5 slot … check back next week
Posted by jemanji on 04/06/14
Posted to blog
12 Comments
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Howzit gow'n, 'migos :- )
The day-night surgical doubleheader was called after 5 IP in the first game, so had less impact on my blogging OBP than expected. Though woozy, we've got a quiet coupla hours here and are in the mood to ... gulp ... blog for fun, rather than for blood. Apologies ahead of time for the appalling lack of quality the next several days. Just pretend this isn't SSI.
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Q. The A's kinda had the better of that series. Maybe the M's just looked good against the Angels?
A. I got no idea where Billy Beane gets all these pitchers, do you?
In 2013, Sonny Gray had 9.4... Read More
Felix looks like Cy, Chris is just Young
Posted by Spectator on 04/06/14
Posted to blog
Felix is Cy high this week in every category, but the season is Young.
Speaking of Young, Chris missed his shot due to Oakland's soggy sod, and his number may not come up again.
Also Prospect-palooza.
Article here.
Home page here.
Oakland Soggy but Desert Storm
Posted by Spectator on 04/05/14
Posted to blog
Excessive moisture in Oakland costs Chris Young his first start.
So Happy Felix Day!
Meanwhile, in the desert, there was no soggy ground to prevent "Walker, Seattle Mariner" from fanning seven in his first trip to the mound in a real game in 2014.
Also in the world of minors, Nick Franklin and D.J. Peterson went deep.
Article here.
Home page here.
Early adopter of Dominant Dominic
Posted by Spectator on 04/04/14
Posted to blog
Dominant Dominic ... a mediocre starter at Clemson until he started to teach himself a cutter by waching YouTube.
Full story here.
Home page here.
The conventional wisdom vs. the Spectometer
Posted by Spectator on 04/04/14
Posted to blog
Jeff requested a list of our personal favorites coming up the organizational ladder, and in so doing I decided to compare my list to the "consensus" list.
Part 1 looks at the differences in the ratings.
Part 2 looks at the guys they left out.
Home page here.
But is the price right?
Posted by Gordon Gross on 04/04/14
Posted to blog
7 Comments
One of the fun parts about promoting all your players from the farm is that eventually you have to figure out what they're worth, and whether to pay them. We still don't know who Ackley and Smoak are at the plate, so it's hard to come up with contract terms for them that would satisfy both parties. But do we think we know who Kyle Seager is?
After today, the upper parameters for any sort of Seager extension seem to be in place. The Indians signed Jason Kipnis this morning for 6 years and $52.5 million. Quick, tell me which of the below players is Kipnis and which is Seager:
Player A: 1500... Read More
Punctuated by a Blash Splash into the mustard [?]
Posted by Spectator on 04/04/14
Posted to blog
Seattle was not the only team providing extra baseball to the fans.
Roenis Elias goes right in to the danger zone -- but gets away with it.
Meet Ultiamte LOOGY Clay Rapada.
Opposing pitchers can't last five innings without ... Blash Splash!
Article here.
Home page here.
That'll be quite enough winnin' there, Seattle
Posted by jemanji on 04/03/14
Posted to blog
9 Comments
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Just quickly. Sorry bout dat.
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Q. How did Elias look, early on, when he was behind in the count so much?
A. Shaky from an ability standpoint. And we notice that his spring training K:BB ratio was horrible, and it was horrible again tonight.
That said, he wasn't shaky from a makeup standpoint, and Elias' raw stuff got him out of trouble again and again. He felt surprisingly non-worrisome when he was punching from the guard.
I'd say this is a distinctive plus of his, that he's more stable during a bad inning than many pitchers are.
He came inside to righties with that heater, he... Read More
And he sez …
Posted by jemanji on 04/03/14
Posted to blog
7 Comments
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Mo' Dawg gets a same day response from the Founding Father. Thass' what I'm TALKIN' about.
It's a whopping $3 per month for your own Personal Sabermetrics Trainer. Who can afford three bucks, anyway.
.....
Last year you published a very interesting article, pointing out that pitchers with outstanding 2- and 3-game debuts, had better-than-average careers as a group. Would you figure that James Paxton's start has put him at like the 90th percentile for 5-start debuts, or 98th percentile, or what? In his first 5 starts, all against contending teams, he's 4-0, 1.16, 30 strikeouts and 9... Read More
All baseball, all the time (while they're rollin')
Posted by jemanji on 04/03/14
Posted to blog
2 Comments
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Jesse Chavez vs. the Mariners
Sorry. Dr. D can't make any sense of Jesse Chavez. Looking at his Pitch F/X and his video reels, there is simply no other pitcher to compare him to. He's a platypus, and I have no idea whether it's a good platypus or a bad platypus. Let's tick off the contradictions on our fingers:
:: tick :: He has always been a natural, "max effort" reliever, like Hector Santiago, with some control problems like Santiago has. And he loses velocity in the rotation, from 94 to like 90. But he visually looks like the extra work is helping his command, and he had an... Read More
Baseball is about the strike zone, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 04/03/14
Posted to blog
6 Comments
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This was amazing to me, because it's been precisely my idea for a long time:
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Now that baseball has finally crossed the Rubicon and begun embracing replay technology, can automating ball-and-strike calls be far behind? The umpires, despite knowing they’re under close scrutiny, continue missing one-seventh of these calls, as attested by yesterday’s article (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/30/opinion/sunday/what-umpires-get-wrong....) and by anyone watching the center-field zoom cameras. It’s beyond aggravating, often infuriating! Do you believe this will ever happen? If it is ever attempted... Read More
Here there be political commentary
Posted by jemanji on 04/03/14
Posted to blog
26 Comments
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Uncompromising political / philosophical opinion follows. If you don't like it, move on. That's free advice. :- )
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Skimming around the blog-o-sphere, we see plenty of commenters demanding that we remember about "sample size" (sic). For example, the comments by djw and westside guy in this thread.
I mean, the only conclusion you can draw, looking at all the stats, is that the BABIP will get worse? You couldn't also draw the conclusion that James Paxton's fastball is one of the best left hand fastballs in the American League? You couldn't draw the conclusion... Read More
Over his head is good
Posted by Spectator on 04/03/14
Posted to blog
Looking at K-Pax from the "angle" of his release point, relative to velocity, and coming after seeing Erasmo Ramirez the night before.
On to Oakland.
Article here.
Home page here.
Angels 2 …
Posted by jemanji on 04/02/14
Posted to blog
11 Comments
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Q. What is a cut fastball, again?
A. An average fastball is 92 MPH, and sails armside -- for Paxton "armside" is away from a RH hitter, of course, which means "onto the barrel of his bat."
A slider is 84 MPH, or -8 MPH. It breaks gloveside, and it breaks down. It's really a hard curve ball. For Paxton "gloveside" is into a right hand hitter.
A cut fastball is 89 MPH, or -3 MPH. It breaks gloveside, like a slider, but (normally) does not break down. For Paxton, it breaks in on a RH hitter, and is (normally) used to create contact off the handle of the bat.
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Q. James Paxton throws a... Read More
… Mariners 8
Posted by jemanji on 04/02/14
Posted to blog
4 Comments
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Q. When's the last time the Mariners scored 8 runs, three games in a row? Much less the first three games?
A. I dunno. I'd like to know when was the last time they had any series that was so savage.
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Q. Was it BABIP luck?
A. As Dr. Grumpy says, if you're a man with a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. To a Fangraphs editor, bless his heart, every baseball game looks like:
Swinging strikes
Balls outside the zone
Ball in play --- > sheer luck takes over
Just for your own personal benefit, Dr. D recommends that you stow those cliche's like "a 40% line drive rate has to regress... Read More
Hottest Groks, dept.
Posted by jemanji on 04/02/14
Posted to blog
18 Comments
Q. Is there really such a thing as a team that "gets caught up in the excitement"?
A. Sabermetricians have tried to tell people in uniform certain things, and the players and managers have resisted believing those things.
But! The reverse is also true. Everybody in uniform will tell you that teams hit "Tipping Points," because they have been there when it happened. Lou Piniella saw it in 1990, and 1995, and 2001. Pat Gillick knows what it's all about. Billy Martin created a "Tipping Point" every single time he took over a new team, 6 consecutive times.
It can be elusive, like falling... Read More
Playin' with house money
Posted by jemanji on 04/02/14
Posted to blog
3 Comments
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I think that's Santiago's dad, celebrating the promotion of his sons to the major leagues.
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Q. Mojician sez: Who or what is an Hector Santiago?
A. Had to go find out me-self.
Santiago pitched some for the White Sox, even closing a little bit, was tried in the rotation, etc. Sort of a Charlie Furbush type, very live stuff, but you're not too sure what his best role is. He's not comfortable for the enemy batters, and he's not comfortable for your own manager. You hope to spot his role and get him going to unleash his talent.
He's of Puerto Rican descent, but pitches "Cuban style":... Read More
1.0 WAR per year with his legs alone?
Posted by jemanji on 04/02/14
Posted to blog
2 Comments
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Eureka!
Gordon was the first to point out the wonders of left-handed middle infielders. He gives us another great read this morning, Brad's Brawn, and it's a data-rich environment. I hope he posts on it once a month for the rest of Miller's life. I don't eat at Wendy's only once in my life, y'know?
He points out Miller's elite speed around the bases -- which is camouflaged by the fact that Miller doesn't steal many bases.
I'll cheerfully admit I hadn't noticed this about Miller, though I should have.
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2 Legit 2 Quit
The main value of a fast baserunner is NOT in his stolen bases; those... Read More
What SS power means, historically
Posted by Gordon Gross on 04/02/14
Posted to blog
4 Comments
Miller has 78 games under his belt now as a Major-League baller, and I'm not sure whether everyone really appreciates how impressive it has been. I mentioned some of it in the morning summary, but I thought we might wanna break it out and talk a little more about it.
Miller’s career line (78 games total): .266/.318/.434/.751, 11 2B, 6 3B, 10 HR, 54 K / 24 BB in 316 ABs, with 4 multi-HR games, 5/8 in steals.
Don’t want to make too much hay off of half a season, but unless Miller pulls a swan-dive like Ackley… We all think he looks pretty good for maintaining a line somewhat like this one,... Read More
Victor's vector points to Jackson; D.J.'s in the desert
Posted by Spectator on 04/02/14
Posted to blog
8 Comments
Minor league rosters for the full-season leagues have been announced.
Our man Ji-Man Choi will be in Tacoma with Nick Franklin and Jesus Montero.
Jabari Blash tore up AA Jackson at the end of last year, but he'll get a return trip, where he'll be joined by teen pitching phenom Victor Sanchez.
D.J. Peterson will start at High-A High Desert, though it might be a short tour. Yes, Tyler Smith is there too. And Tyler Pike joins Dylan Unsworth on the tricky mound.
Edwin Diaz will lead Low-A Clinton, along with The Tank Tyler O'Neill.
Full story here.
Home page here.
I ran out of time for the 5th...
Posted by Gordon Gross on 04/02/14
Posted to blog
2 Comments
Let's make this quick. :)
1)Erasmo's pitchcount and dogged composure. As Doc says in his recap, it’s not always gonna be pretty from Erasmo. He’s a young pitcher, and facing 3 HOFers in a row in the LAAA lineup isn’t exactly like mowing down the Astros. But E-Ram faced that Cerberus down and wrestled him over a cliff. And he did it despite 3 broken bat singles against him, a HR that he gave up on a good pitch, a called strike 3 that didn’t go his way, a fielding error... it was not smooth out there. Not everything went according to plan. But Erasmo threw 7 innings on 93 pitches despite an... Read More
Totally Brad, and Totally e-RAM
Posted by Spectator on 04/02/14
Posted to blog
2-0
More on e-RAM the Electric Supercharger.
Brad Miller -- Seager 2.0 but at shortstop.
etc.
Article here.
Homepage here.
What does it look like when you have Mariners in your nightmares?
Posted by jemanji on 04/01/14
Posted to blog
5 Comments
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Q. What is the usual "script" for Erasmo Ramirez?
A. He paints with the fastball and uses two "plus" offspeed pitches to draw swinging strike threes.
That sounds cliche, but the healthy Erasmo Ramirez walked a mere 1.83 batters per nine innings in 2012. He's got Rob-O-Tronic mechanics, simply Madduxian down the centerline, and his command (then) was truly elite.
He's one of a very few pitchers who can walk 2 men per game, and yet draw 7+ strikeouts (Doug Fister, Cliff Lee, Adam Wainwright, Hisashi Iwakuma, now David Price). In 2012, he scored an 11.3% swinging strike rate -- compare... Read More
Well, if we go 100-60 from here…
Posted by jemanji on 04/01/14
Posted to blog
2 Comments
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Q. How often does C.J. Wilson give up 6 earnies?
A. Last year, twice -- at Texas, on July 30, and at the Dodgers, on May 27. I don't notice that either game was on Opening Day* or against a lefty lineup.
The year before, three times -- at Texas, at Fenway (LOL!) and the Tampa Rays got him at home.
In 2011, Wilson didn't yield six earned runs all season, despite pitching the year in Texas. So, there you go -- it's a miniscule 5% of the time that Wilson coughs up 6+, and never under favorable circumstances.
The Mariners are no longer "favorable circumstances." QED.
;- )
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Q. Who else in... Read More
M's win with White, now take the Black pieces
Posted by jemanji on 04/01/14
Posted to blog
4 Comments
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Dr. D was quite taken aback Monday night, when the M's took over the game and the national TV color guy started whining about the lefty hitters.
SSI thinks that this was more than a throwaway comment. Like, when Peter Gammons called Brad "Logo" Miller the best player nobody has heard of, I think that was more than just a throwaway comment. Behind that comment is a "buzz" among the industry's scouts, that they are seeing something really special in Miller. (So is Dr. D. and so DID Gordon and Spec.)
Before Opening Day, we had done a 30,000-foot view courtesy of BaseballHQ, and warned y'... Read More
mm - mm - mm - MMAAAHHHH, dept.
Posted by jemanji on 04/01/14
Posted to blog
1 Comments
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Q. So is SSI tuning into the "Dude, Where's My Net" buddy comedy?
A. At SSI you get tomorrow's news today, babe. On Feb. 27, 2014, RockiesJeff and Dr. D advised you that the "net drill" was the bag of oranges to Justin Smoak's scurvy.
Not all major league hitters have scurvy. A bag of oranges wouldn't cure a Hawaiian native of heart disease. But it does cure people who are vitamin C deficient, and it has (almost certainly) cured what ails Justin Smoak.
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Q. His double and homer yesterday were directly due to the Net Drill, you sez. Show your work.
A. Without the net drill, Smoak's... Read More
Eeny, Meeny, Miney…
Posted by Gordon Gross on 04/01/14
Posted to blog
5 Comments
Fascinating Opening Day game. As we take our baby steps toward being the organization we dream of being and try to leave behind the last decade of wandering in the wilderness, I’m looking for signs that there really IS an oasis up ahead and it’s not just another mirage. We won our first game of the season, but we’ve done that in the previous 7 seasons too. What might make this different, might help us compete into June and beyond instead of calling the season dead half-way through May? To that end, here’s five things that cheered me greatly about the opener and about our chances to make... Read More
Dream Weavers ...
Posted by Spectator on 04/01/14
Posted to blog
1 Comments
Morning re-visiting of:
Felix
Bottom of the order
Halos throwing in towel
Barkeep
Article here.
Home page here.