November 2015
hm, who does this remind me of
Posted by jemanji on 11/30/15
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7 Comments
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You know it's a dark day at the Think Tank when the Mariners are connected with an NPB player and ... Dr. D throws a tantrum, holds his breath until he turns blue, and passes out.
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YOU TELL ME
Okey doke. Here is a 4.5 runs per game corner outfielder (erf) who's there for defense. Except, John Dewan has him at -12 the last time he played right field and as a completely separate issue, the WAY he botched it was anti-Safeco. Aoki was neutral on shallow fly balls and medium fly balls, and got royally :- ) torched on everything over his head. Just like the 2015 Mariners.
He is a mediocre... Read More
Let us assume, for a moment, a Great. Many. Things.
Posted by jemanji on 11/30/15
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12 Comments
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Let's assume for a moment that Robinson Cano would be willing, at the very beginning of spring training, to shift over to 1B for no other reason than that it would benefit the Seattle Mariners more than it would him. Dr. D's mainframe gives this assumption a 25% chance of being accurate. That's generous on the Marinframe's part. Robinson Cano seems to be a good guy.
Let's assume that a second baseman would play a blinkin' mean first base. Especially compared to Mark Trumbo or Jesus Montero. And let's assume that having four (yes, 4) second basemen on the infield would give you a... Read More
We report. You decide.
Posted by jemanji on 11/30/15
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3 Comments
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Question comes up whether Nate Karns might be able to throw some ninja Coltrops under the soft sandals of our 2016 bullpen. Maybe Karns really is a 5-inning type, like Erik Bedard was?* Okay, you know how objective Dr. D can be when you push one of his hot buttons. Follows the exemplary "neutral point of view" post.
....
Dr. D's visceral reaction to the "Five and Dive" charge is to reach for his antiemetics. Five compazine tablets diving down the gullet, as in. "Five and Dive" sounds so sweeeet coming off the tongue that it is 90% true before you even begin discussing it. Problem-o is... Read More
Discoer more about player #13
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 11/28/15
2 Comments
She wears the #13 jersey for the Seattle Sun. Quanitra Hollingsworth plays center for the team. She was born on November 15, 1988 in Portsmouth, Virginia and is from Chesapeake, Virginai. Hollingsworth weighs 200 pounds and stands at 6’5. She has been a professional player for three years in the WNBA. She is of American-Turkish nationalities and obtained her Turkish citizenship in order to play basketball for the Turkey national basketball program, leaving her to miss WNBA commitments in both 2012 and 2014.
Hollingsworth attended Faith Academy of Excellence in Norfolk and Great Bridge High... Read More
Brush up on your facts
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 11/28/15
2 Comments
Siegfried Schmid might be 62 years old, but the German former hockey player has many good years of coaching left. In fact, the Seattle Sounders just announced that “Sigi,” as he is known, will remain the Sounders’ coach for next season after being the only coach the team has known in its history. After a rocky season and time out of the game due to health problems, he is surely ready for a stronger, more successful year ahead.
Schmid has been the first Head Coach for the Sounders since December 16, 2008 and has led the team to 11 major titles since. The achievements have won him Coach of the... Read More
Come one, come all
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 11/28/15
3 Comments
It is time for the next big event with the Seattle Thunderbirds: Star Wars Night! On Tuesday, December 15, may the force be with you. Join the T-Birds at the ShoWare Center from 5:00 to 10:00 PM two days before the big premiere of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens for the charity event of the season.
This year’s charity is the Forgotten Children’s Fund and the team will be collecting clothing and toys for local kids at the event. The Forgotten Children’s Fund serves children who are experiencing hardship due to economic loss, disabilities, illnesses or injuries and helps provide them... Read More
DiPoto-speak, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 11/28/15
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4 Comments
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MR MAGIC CLOSER
DiPoto sez, in the Times,
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“Obviously Carson Smith is on our roster and he had some small level experience pitching the ninth and had an outstanding year as a set-up man,” Dipoto said. “Joaquin Benoit has had closing experience in the past on two different occasions. He’s done an excellent job when asked to do that. He’s also been an excellent set-up man. Between the two, I feel like we do have options in house. But like I said, there is a lot of offseason left to go. It’s TBD as to who will pitch the ninth inning on opening day.”
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As you know, the Mainframe is equipped... Read More
If they can make the playoffs that is
Posted by jschario on 11/27/15
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Thanksgiving is a time to stuff yourself silly and fall asleep watching football. With the Seahawks not playing on Thanksgiving this year we are able to catch up on other teams in the league, which is always nice.
This year’s lineup was especially informative as two potential playoff foes were playing, the Packers and Panthers. Granted we have already played both teams, but this week we get to see how the teams have either progressed, or regressed.
In the Packers’ case, there has been clear regression. They’ve lost four of their last five, and their offense has all of a sudden lost their... Read More
Find out how to get involved
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 11/27/15
2 Comments
The Seattle Thunderbirds are well-known for their support of local charity work. One of the team’s favorite charities is none other than the Ronald McDonald House Charities, a very special organization that helps families with babies or young children in the hospital stay close to their families.
Parents with children who have rare diseases or babies born very prematurely often have to travel to hospitals hundreds or even thousands of miles from home, and the RMH gives them a home away from home. Families have access to a computer, a library of books and games, breast milk pumping machines,... Read More
Get deep discounts just in time for the holidays
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 11/27/15
2 Comments
You have heard of door busters all weekend and you have seen the crowds rushing from store to store to get their deals. Now you can get your hands on the Storm Busters at the Seattle Storm merchandise shop just in time for the holidays. From Friday, November 27 to Sunday, November 29, you can get your favorite Seattle Storm gear for 40% off the regular price as part of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend sale known as the Storm Busters sale. The best part of the deal is that you do not even have to leave the house (let alone get dressed) to take part in the sale.
With such a deep... Read More
The details on #20
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 11/27/15
2 Comments
He is a defender for the Seattle Sounders. Zach Scott wears the #20 uniform. He was born on July 2, 1980 in Wailuku, Hawaii. Scott is 5’11 and weighs 175 pounds. He grew up in Haiku, Hawaii and went to Maui High School, making the All State team during his senior year. Scott started his youth career playing for the Gonzaga Bulldogs from 1998 to 2001.
Although Scott started his senior career playing for the Seattle Sounders from 2002 to 2008, he was not always just a Sounder. He made 154 appearances with Seattle, scoring eight goals, but he also played for the Cleveland Force indoor team in... Read More
Glove first or bat first?
Posted by jemanji on 11/27/15
Posted to blog
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Wily Mo Pena sat down! :: crowd goes wild ::
In case you just joined us, Wily Mo laid out the standard recipe for gaining followers off the sports rumor grapevine:
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for what it's worth, the origin of the MLB daily dish story appears to be this tweet from marlins beat writer clark spencer:
https://twitter.com/clarkspencer/status/669354792477589504
"And two pitchers the #Marlins could be looking at are LH Roenis Elias and RH Nate Karns, per sources. "
note the "could" there, which has become an "are" in the dish tweet
to me this looks like the usual winter talking, e.g.
1) reports... Read More
A 5-2 loss broke their six-game streak
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 11/26/15
3 Comments
Although we were celebrating another six-game winning streak just last week, it was broken on Wednesday night. When the Seattle Thunderbirds took on the Kelowna Rockets at the Prospera Place in Kelowna, British Columbia, they lost with a score of 5-2 in favor of the Rockets.
At first, it looked like things were going to go the Thunderbirds’ way. The Birds were on top 15-7, outshooting the Rockets in the first period. Then Lind, assisted by Linaker and Merkley, scored the first goal of the night for the Rockets. The Birds tied the game up with the second goal of the night when Neuls scored,... Read More
Meet one of the Storm's newer players
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 11/26/15
3 Comments
On June 8, 2015, she joined the Seattle Storm from the waivers list. Markeisha Gatling wears the #9 jersey for the team. She was born on July 14, 1992 and attended high school at Athens Drive in Raleigh, North Carolina. She stands at 6’5 and weighs 255 pounds. Gatling plays center and was selected as the 10th overall pick during the 2014 WNBA Draft. When the Chicago Sky waived her on June 4, 2015 in order to it didn’t take long for Seattle to pick her up for the Storm.
The Sky had selected Gatling as a replacement for Sylvia Fowles, who required arthroscopic surgery last year and also helped... Read More
Find out more about the goalkeeper
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 11/26/15
3 Comments
He is a goalkeeper for the Seattle Sounders. He also wears the #1 uniform, which has to be cool. Troy Perkins was born on July 29, 1981 in Springfield, Ohio. He weighs 190 pounds and stands at 6’2.
Perkins grew up in Worthington, Ohio. During his youth career, Perkins played for the South Florida Bulls from 2000 to 2002. Then in 2003 he was a part of the Evansville Purple Aces. His senior career started in 2002 with the Cape Cod Crusaders, making 22 appearances. From there, he went on to play for DC United from 2004 to 2007. During those years, he made 77 appearances.
He remained for the team... Read More
Home sweet home
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 11/25/15
2 Comments
The ShoWare Center is where the T-Birds play their home games. They have a game coming up this Friday against Vancouver, and another on Saturday against Moose Jaw. Be sure to click the links if you still need to purchase tickets. But as you probably know, the ShoWare Center hosts a lot more than hockey games year-round.
If you’ve been following the history of the ShoWare since before its construction in 2009, you might know that it was originally going to be called the Kent Events Center. Some other sports teams who call the center home include the Tacoma Stars and Seattle Mist. Other sports... Read More
Get to know #32
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 11/25/15
2 Comments
She wears the #32 uniform for the Seattle Storm. Her name is Alysha Clark and she was the Sun Belt Player of the Year twice in a row in 2009 and 2010. Clark, a forward, was born on July 7, 1987. She was born in Denver, Colorado. Clark stands at 5’10 and weighs 167 pounds. She has been a pro player for three years. Clark was drafted by the San Antonio Silvers during the 2010 WNBA Draft as the 17th pick overall and now plays for the Sounders as a part of their starting lineup.
As a high school student at Mt. Juliet High School, Clark, of Israeli-American descent, demonstrated her hard work and... Read More
#16 is a multi-talented player
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 11/25/15
3 Comments
He’s a designated player for the Seattle Sounders. Nelson Valdez wears the number 16 uniform. He is a forward on the team. Valdez was born on November 28, 1983 in Caaguazú, Paraguay. The 31-year-old weighs 160 pounds and stands at 5’10.
Valdez was signed on to play for the Sounders as a designated player in August of 2015. His status was pending due to his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate. The Sounders have two other Designated Players: Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins.
Valdez was playing for the German side Eintracht Frankfurt at the time of the announcement. Since playing... Read More
you keep the Useful Pieces; Dr. D will keep the stars
Posted by jemanji on 11/25/15
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28 Comments
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... of course we are discussing a Golden Principle. Golden Principles are not absolutes. They are compass headings. Many times two or three Golden Principles are in play, and have to be weighed against each other.
It's a Golden Principle, in boxing, to protect your chin (the 'magic button' that concusses) and to go after his. But what if his hands are head-high, he's standing straight up, and his solar plexus is the opening? Then is the Golden Principle to take what he gives you?
What if you decide that you will take $1.25 on the dollar, but you are receiving only a 50-cent piece and... Read More
This week against Pittsburgh will tell us if they are playoff worthy
Posted by jschario on 11/24/15
Posted to blog
In addition to helping themselves with another dominating win over San Francisco, Seattle’s competitors for a playoff spot also decided to throw the Seahawks a bone. Philadelphia, Atlanta and Minnesota all took an L on Sunday, allowing the ‘Hawks to creep closer to one of the NFC Wild Card spots.
Granted Minnesota is still tied with the Packers for the NFC North lead, but with a loss the Seahawks are in better position to pull even when they travel to Minnesota in Week 13. That is of course if they can beat the Steelers at home this Sunday.
Speaking of this Sunday’s games, another game just... Read More
Slide vs. Rotation
Posted by moethedog on 11/24/15
19 Comments
I've been intrigued by the Korean/Japanese hitters lately, Son and Kim included.
I believe that I commented on their "pause/pose" at the top of their swing. They wait......which makes all the difference on their weight.
As I've thought about it (and I have), I've begun to think that the difference is really that of lateral vs. rotational movement.
The "modern" swing is the one we've seen in the Tom Emanski videos (which drive me batty). This is a rotational move, with bat speed generated by the hips exploding open. Lookie here, at our own Boomstick Baby:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=... Read More
Maybe this should go in the KK Presentiment article
Posted by jemanji on 11/24/15
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18 Comments
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ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY U.S.S. BAT571
First of all, if the Mariners worked any kind of deal involving Marcell Ozuna and Roenis Elias, it would be the greatest called shot in Seattle sports history, and possibly in the history of the Milky Way galaxy.
Chris Rose and Kevin Millar play this game nightly on MLB Network, trying to call specific players to specific teams. They never do, but it's fun. If one of them were to call an obscure player-for-player -- and this ain't a super obvious Cano/Ellsbury swap here -- then we viewers would never hear the end of it. I defy you to link me to any... Read More
thass a high front side you got there, Nathan
Posted by jemanji on 11/24/15
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3 Comments
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Q. Why might Roenis Elias be the winning bid, when the Marlins apparently have a yelling crowd that is bidding on the courthouse steps?
A. Because Elias is really good.
Show me another young ML-ready starter with these things:
Quick fastball, loves to bust you IN with it
Curve ball that is sometimes one notch short of Erik Bedard's
Changeup that legitimately gets garbage swings from RH when it's on
[That makes 3, not 2, strikeout pitches. 3 is a lot more than 2]
Lefty
Has been in the majors and done very nicely (passed that filter AND is closer to his leap)
Club-controlled as far as the... Read More
Congratulations to the Super Eagles striker
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 11/23/15
3 Comments
It is an honor that any MLS player would be happy to have. And it is no surprise that he has won it yet again, for the second year in a row. Obafemi Martins was just voted the Seattle Sounders’ best player, even after missing two months of play due to an injury.
And his achievements are not only noticed by Seattle. After Martins left the international team in Nigeria for two years, Coach Sunday Oliseh called him back to help lead the team to victory again. In his 21 appearances during the season, he made six assists. He also was the third player in the league with .71 goals per game during... Read More
The Birds are on a roll again
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 11/23/15
2 Comments
And they’re back with another six-win streak! They were down from their last streak, courtesy of the Silvertips, but it sure didn’t take long for the T-Birds to bounce back as strong as ever. The Seattle Thunderbirds came through with a big win on Saturday night, beating the Portland Winterhawks in a solid 5-2 victory. The Birds set the tone for the whole game during the first period, outshooting the Hawks 14-10 and only moving forward from there with a total of two more goals during the second period and another two during the third.
Barzal scored the first goal of the night, assisted by... Read More
Newcomers among the top five
Posted by jschario on 11/23/15
Posted to blog
This year in the Spanish league has been unlike most. Sure Barcelona is on top, which is not unusual, with Atletico and Real Madrid rounding out the top three for La Liga’s automatic Champions League bids. After the weekend Atletico moved into second place, two points clear of their Madrid neighbors.
Though we see Villarreal, one season removed from playing in the second division, hanging around, as well as Celta Vigo and Eibar. Villarreal, although newly promoted, were fixtures in the top five of the league standings before being sent down, but Celta Vigo and Eibar are the real surprises.... Read More
we're rounnnndin' third, headin' for home...
Posted by jemanji on 11/23/15
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8 Comments
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Originally posted Nov. 13. M's sign Iannetta ::CROWD GOES WILD:: And how the deuce did we get him on a 1-year "bridge" deal?! Why would he go for that? Well, perhaps a .188 batting average cuts into your millions even in the age of sabermetrics?
This will be a mass-ly underrated DiPoto move.
Here's a Times link.
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For the 1983 season, 300-game winner Gaylerd Perry stopped by Seattle on his way out the baseball door. At the time the M's had a young (and lousy) shortstop named Spike Owen. Although the DH rule had been around for 10 years, Perry wanted to step into the batting cage for... Read More
point counterpoint, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 11/23/15
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9 Comments
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Anonymous, in the Shout Box, called our attention to the day's chatter. From Bleacher Report (quoting better sources than, um, Bleacher Report):
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Jim Bowden of ESPN, citing a source "directly involved in talks" between the Mariners and New York Yankees, reported there is "no truth" to any proposed deal involving Cano and Jacoby Ellsbury.
While the Yankees make sense from a roster perspective, the fact remains that if New York wanted Cano badly enough, then it never would've let him leave in the first place.
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According to John Harper of the New York Daily News, Cano is becoming... Read More
How I learned to slow down and hit .367, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 11/23/15
Posted to blog
5 Comments
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For all you brand-new readers ... welcome and two things you should know.
1. If you join the conversation, we'll be delighted. And we don't bite. :- ) You don't have to be as expert (in any topic) as Rick in order to chat with us. Also, you don't have to be as expert as my daughter. If you ask "why do they go to the base when they get four balls?" that will actually lead to a fascinating conversation.
So, 'ave at us mate.
2. MoeDawg (Keith) brings the vaunted SSI "cross-training" element when he's talking about hitting, is 'cause he is a scratch golfer, and few things in sports are... Read More
Matt wanted to know: this guy? Or Ah-seop Son?
Posted by jemanji on 11/22/15
Posted to blog
5 Comments
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Q. We don't even know whether Kivlehan can help. How are we supposed to know whether a Korean star can help?
A. You play poker (for matchsticks, if you've got two brain cells to rub together), they have a saying: "Put your enemy on a hand." It's 7-Stud and he has two hole cards with a 6H and a 9H showing, but he bets low as if drawing you in? Assume him to have at least one card in the hold that's a heart or a 7 or 8. You're assuming a flush or a straight draw. Secondary assumption trip nines.
Now, THAT'S PROBABLY WRONG. But when he draws an 8C next, your thoughts are organized.
Dr... Read More
Barça wipes the floor with Madrid at their own stadium
Posted by jschario on 11/22/15
Posted to blog
Coming off a loss to Sevilla two weeks prior, many expected Real Madrid to come out on all cylinders in this edition of El Clásico. Especially after reports surfaced of several players approaching manager Rafa Benitez about changing the team’s tactics to something more attacking friendly.
Instead they had flashbacks to the infamous Manita game from the 2010-2011 season when Barcelona beat them 5-0. Barcelona defender Gerard Pique even mentioned post game that they were pushing for a fifth goal until the very end.
In the end the azulgranas didn’t log that fifth goal, settling for a 4-0 result... Read More
Not the easiest comp to match, eh hoser
Posted by jemanji on 11/22/15
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3 Comments
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There is a very good article at Fangraphs on The 2016 Free Agent Land Mines. It's well-reasoned and moderate compared to previous years, even friendly to dissent. But then, that will happen after you name Nelson Cruz a land mine at 3 x $45M. :- ) Huge credit for owning the prophecies, though. Chuck Knox used to laugh about predictions: "Nobody goes back to look at them later." ... it's a good read. Check it out.
It names Justin Upton as the #3 land mine out there, but does so without its heart really in it:
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Upton is a weird player, a former elite prospect who is simultaneously... Read More
Dr. D laying 3:1 that this dude is in there and rotation FA is done
Posted by jemanji on 11/22/15
Posted to blog
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... Karns holding his SP3 spot, that is, if not also over Zduriencik's twin 400mm cannons. Free agency being done in the rotation, we fear. Other than as a shell game for SP2.
Commander Bat has us sailing along at 30 knots an hour, keeping us all alert to interesting possibilities at the fringes of the roster. This comment from the Chen thread deserves extra consideration:
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Right now, if the Ms re-sign 'Kuma or sign Wei-Yin Chen as the #2, Karns is the #5 guy. The question is whether the Ms sign another experienced starter, as most pundits predict, or they look for another Montgomery -... Read More
If they're not careful, the Niners could sneak up on them.
Posted by jschario on 11/21/15
Posted to blog
Coming off a heartbreaking loss in Sunday night primetime, the Seahawks are looking to get their mojo back against a familiar punching bag, the San Francisco 49ers. Though they should be careful, as they could just as easily lose to their struggling foes at home if they’re not careful.
Defensive lapses
Until last week the consistent strength of this team was its defense. And this defensive unit definitely has the 49ers figured out, and no one should expect the Niners to suddenly draw up a perfect game plan to break this Seahawks D.
The only thing that will allow the 49ers offense to... Read More
Discuss tonight's game against the Winterhawks
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 11/21/15
4 Comments
The Seattle Thunderbirds are taking on the Portland Winterhawks tonight at 7:05 PST! The game will be at the ShoWare Center (address 625 W James St, Kent, WA 98032) and tickets are still available. Prices for tonight’s game run as low as $16 for regular price North Zone tickets and $60 for suite tickets. Regular price premium seats, South Zone seats and Lower End tickets all cost $24. Glass seats cost $30 while Club seats are $40.
The Winterhawks are coming off a three win streak, but the Birds just had a massive six win streak before they were beat by the Silvertips on October 24. This game... Read More
Fun facts about #5
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 11/21/15
1 Comments
This middle fielder comes to the Seattle Sounders from Bristol, England. He was born, however, in Melbourne, Australia. Andy Rose wears the #5 Sounders uniform. He is 25 years old, born on February 15, 1990. Rose weighs 170 pounds and stands at 6’2.
Real Salt Lake chose Rose during the Supplemental Draft on January 17, 2011. Then the team traded him to Seattle. Since joining with the Sounders team, Rose has played in 82 games. He started in 42 of those. Rose has played a total of 4208 minutes on the field in his four seasons with the team during the (regular season). He’s taken 52 shots,... Read More
Find out about this amazing community service project
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 11/21/15
2 Comments
The Seattle Storm is famous for helping out in the community. Whether it is investing in green energy, partnering up with nonprofit organizations to give children free tickets to attend Storm games or honoring local women who help to improve the Northwest area, they continually work diligently to help make Seattle and its surrounding area better.
The Seattle Storm Foundation is one way that they help local children. Through the Foundation, Storm players team up with several area organizations to work with kids and teens, developing their leadership skills, confidence and skill sets. The Storm... Read More
Replace WBC-san? you cannot be SERious
Posted by jemanji on 11/21/15
Posted to blog
10 Comments
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Just kinda byte sized. You come to SSI for the bottom line. Here y'go amig-O.
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7K, 1BB Dept.
Show me a pitcher who walks 1+ a game, and still fans hitters, and I'll show you a man that Dr. D wants on his pitching staff.
Doug Fister was the first of these to hang around Seattle in quite some time, and the Think Tank was all over him from day one. Shame he wasn't one of your best five going forward, Jack ...
Hisashi Iwakuma, like Wei-Yin Chen, is a Pacific Rim pitcher. They come from a culture that doesn't have our tolerance for mistakes. From the time you're three, you have it... Read More
Call it the Mad Dog award
Posted by jemanji on 11/21/15
Posted to blog
7 Comments
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Strickly sabermetrics here. Let's wander strip mall / food court that surrounds the baseball diamond at Safeco, and stop in for something exotic. Like an Ichiroll.
In James' latest article - still only $3 per month - he reasons that baseball could have (and probably should have) taken a 1980's turn into an Alternate Universe. Three SP's rather than five.
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DESCRIPTION
You've got:
Three (really good!) starters going 80-90 pitches. Times 50-54 starts.
Limit this super carefully. You hit your 80-pitch limit with 4.2 IP gone and a 9-0 lead, tough luck Sally. Shoulda thrown strikes.... Read More
we're wide open on this 'un
Posted by jemanji on 11/20/15
Posted to blog
16 Comments
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Certainly Bat571 is well capable; he's been calling for Elias-Ozuna for weeks. He quotes the latest chatter, which reinforces Bat's own judgment on the situation:
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"For months now there’s been speculation about the Marlins looking to trade 24-year-old outfielder Marcell Ozuna, whom they demoted to the minors and then kept there far longer than reasonable.""Crasnick says the Marlins are looking for a young, MLB-ready starting pitcher in exchange for Ozuna, who’s hit .265 with 36 homers and a .727 OPS through 346 career games as a big leaguer and crushed Triple-A during his demotion"."Ozuna... Read More
What is it and what it can do for you
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 11/20/15
2 Comments
The most hardcore fans of Seattle Storm are probably already familiar with Storm 360. It’s a personalized program to help fans get the most out of their Storm experience. Four separate plans are available for fans to choose from.
The Storm 360 program offers season tickets at discounted rates with various perks included. The lowest starting rate is $17.90 per month. Members get a $5 discount off a subscription to LiveAccess so they never miss a second of any game, reducing the members’ rate to $9.99 per person. All 360 members receive two complimentary tickets courtesy of Subaru for joining... Read More
#7 is a midfielder for the Seattle Sounders
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 11/20/15
1 Comments
He’s a 20-year-old already making history by playing for the Seattle Sounders. Cristian Roldan was born on June 3, 1995 in Artesia, California. His hometown, however, is Pico Rivera, California. A Generation ADIDAS player, Roldan stands at 5’8 and weighs 165 pounds. He wears the #7 uniform for the team.
Roldan played for the Washington Huskies during his youth career. He played for the team from 2013 to 2014. During his college years at the University of Washington, he had 41 appearances and scored a total of 10 goals. He also made seven assists. His senior career began in the same season for... Read More
Get a bobble head Turkey Day weekend
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 11/20/15
3 Comments
What could any Seattle Thunderbirds fan want more than a wobbly bobble head of Matthew Barzal on his or her bedroom table side or car dashboard? Whether you want one for yourself or for a fan of Barzal’s, Thanksgiving weekend is the time to get one. On Saturday, November 28, you can get two chances to get your own:
Use your season ticket voucher. Each season ticket holder already has a voucher to redeem for the keepsake; just present it at the game to receive your Barzal Bobble bauble.
Be one of the first 1000 fans to buy tickets at the Seattle Thunderbirds website. For each ticket ordered,... Read More
if you've seen one little switch hitting glove man, you've seen em all
Posted by jemanji on 11/20/15
Posted to blog
1 Comments
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Q. Might he turn into a 4-WAR player during his 2016 option season?
A. No way no how, jack.
M's emphasized that Luis Sardinas made two straight Top 100 lists. And furthermore, he made them with the scouts (Baseball America) and the saberdogs (Baseball Prospectus).
The funny thing is, he didn't make BaseballHQ's top 500 after 2014. He wasn't in the top 15 shortstops, wasn't in the top 15 second basemen, wasn't in the top 15 for either Milwaukee or Texas. He wasn't in the 500 players they decided to short-form. Either BaseballHQ had a database error or they saw the problem.
The word in... Read More
now we know that thou hast a demon, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 11/20/15
Posted to blog
4 Comments
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A Lookout Landing article quoted Jerry DiPoto, to the effect that signing big-ticket FA's is a slower way to disembowel yourself with a katana:
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[LL] "... it's easy to say that now is the time for risk, with the contention window tied to Felix Hernandez, Robinson Canó and Nelson Cruz quickly closing. The Mariners are supposedly backed into a corner here.
That was actually the exact point a fan made to Jerry Dipoto at a season ticket holder Q&A session shortly after the GM was hired. Dipoto opened with, among other things, his preference for trades to free agency, and an open statement... Read More
Find out about this exciting event
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 11/19/15
2 Comments
Getting excited about the 2016 Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament? It’s going to be at the Key Arena in Seattle on March 3 through March 6, 2016. The tournament is being presented by New York Life.
If you’re ready to reserve your tickets, here’s what you need to know. Front row courtside tickets run $300 for an all-tournament pass. These select tickets are not available with group rates. 4th row tickets, also courtside, are $125. They, too, do not offer group rate availability. Sideline reserved seats cost $110 per seat for the all-tournament pass. No group discounts are offered for these... Read More
Some history on the team co-owner
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 11/19/15
3 Comments
He’s not just the manager of the Seattle Thunderbirds, of course. Russ Farwell is a co-owner, governor and much more for the team. Longtime fans of the Birds also know a fun fact: Farwell is managing the team for a second time. In the 1988 to 1989 and 1989 to 1990 seasons, Farwell managed the team for the first time. From 1990 to 1994, he was the manager of the Philadelphia Flyers. During that time, he gained fame by making a huge trade deal with Quebec Nordiques, gaining the rights to Eric Lindros.
As the manager of the Flyers, Farwell did not end up at the playoffs. The team had a record of... Read More
Find out more about #15
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 11/19/15
1 Comments
He wears the #15 uniform for the Seattle Sunders. Dylan Remick is a defender from Inverness, IL. The 24-year-old player was born on May 19, 1991. He is 6’0 and he weighs 165 pounds.
As a youth, Remick played for Loyola Academy, where he earned a letter each of the four years he played. Remick’s junior career began in 2009. He played for FC United. Later, he joined the Brown Bears and stayed with the team from 2009 to 2012. He helped the team qualify for the NCAA tournament for three years in a row. In his junior year, he even won the Ivy League title. He tied several records at Brown as well... Read More
well, at least there are no Karim Benzema scandals here
Posted by jemanji on 11/19/15
Posted to blog
1 Comments
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ONE. THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER STARTING PITCHERS
Amigos ask, "What would Dr. D do?" As you know he starts with Stars & Scrubs. This is true whether you're talking about his vast array of Yoo-Hoo fantasy baseball showers, or whether you're talking about the Yankee$' 27 world championships.
And his Stars & Scrubs variation starts with the rotation. Give him half a chance to shed Mark Trumbo, Seth Smith, and ? to pay Jordan Zimmerman, and he's interested. But that's fantasyland. Give us three Game Seven starters, let's say Randy Johnson, Jeff Fassero, and Jamie Moyer, and we're glad... Read More
The biggest rivalry in sports takes place Saturday
Posted by jschario on 11/19/15
Posted to blog
This Saturday one of the biggest if not the biggest sporting event in the world will take place, as hundreds of millions around the world will tune in to catch sport’s greatest rivalry.
No, we’re not talking about the Super Bowl. And we’re not talking about Red Sox-Yankees either.
We’re talking Real Madrid-Barcelona.
Yes, and as the two sides gear up for their match on Saturday in Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, there are several storylines leading up to the match.
BBC is back
Both Madrid and Barça have their own potent attacking tridents. The Catalans have Luis Suarez, Neymar and... Read More
:: crowd goes wild ::
Posted by jemanji on 11/19/15
Posted to blog
38 Comments
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Hillary vs Trump
You have got to admit, this is a PAY-PER-VIEW grade boxing match. Both of these candidates are considered, by the other side, to be unthinkably extreme caricatures of the parties they represent. This isn’t Edgar Martinez batting against Jamie Moyer; it’s Jose Canseco batting against Armando Benitez. It’s going to be a whale of an entertaining year.
I’m not saying I’d vote Trump. I got bored with American politics about fifteen years ago.
The thing is, you already “get” Hillary. You don’t “get” Donald Trump. It’s not about talking you into voting for him; I couldn’t... Read More
Zen, dept.
Posted by jemanji on 11/19/15
Posted to blog
JUST ASK the FOURTH GRADERS
Recently the Seahawks played a wild-and-woolly bare knuckle bash. They lost it in the fourth quarter on a stunning “run for your freedom” scamper down the sideline. We’ll leave it to you to figure out which of the 9games we’re talking about. But we’ll give you a second hint. In this game, there was a play in which the receiver:
Got two hands on a forward pass
Took two steps WHILE pivoting away from his quarterback to head toward the enemy end zone
Was hit by a tackler, just a fraction of a second after he took the second step, while he was shifting the ball to... Read More
The details on #8
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 11/18/15
1 Comments
He plays for the Seattle Sounders, wearing the #8 uniform. Gonzalo Pineda was born on October 19, 1982 in Mexico City, Mexico. He is 5’10 and weighs 166 pounds.
Pineda has spent a large portion of his career playing on loan to other teams. He started his senior career in 2002 with UNAM. He helped the Pumas win the Clausura and Apertura titles. He played there from 2002 to 2005. He made 63 appearances with the team, scoring one goal. In 2006, he was acquired by Guadalajara, where he played from 2006 to 2013. He played in 128 games during this period, scoring a total of five goals. It was... Read More
Konowalchuk has been with the team since 2011
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 11/18/15
4 Comments
Fans of the Seattle Thunderbirds know that the head coach of the team is none other than Steve Konowalchuk. He was the 16th head coach in the history of the Western Hockey League. The team announced his leadership on June 16, 2011.
Konowalchuk had plenty to bring to the team, including his own experience. He was a left winger for both Colorado Avalanche as well as the Washington Capitals. The first NHL player from Utah, he was born on November 11, 1972. He hails from Salt Lake City. Konowalchuk is 6’1 and weighs 195 pounds. He shot left when he played. In 1991, he was the 58th overall NHL... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 11/18/15
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3 Comments
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I hadn't seen this article from the M's own site. Had you? Or are we trying to use baseball cleats on hardpan here? The wild guess is that these quotes are new to 60%, 70% of denizens and guests. That could be off in 40% either direction, though ...
You DID say you want to know what Dr. D would do. Two things he would do, as you've been nagged to the point of wanting to blow your own head off, is pencil Ketel Marte and Tony Zych into the 25-man for Opening Day. Both of them would have to do plenty, in March, to lose their seats.
But who knew that Jerry DiPoto would be so FAST to... Read More
Let's summarize the WAR, dept.
Posted by jemanji on 11/18/15
Posted to blog
1 Comments
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Bear in mind that a noted Tweeter told us to "buckle up" for the rest of this week. But here's the offseason as it stands. You think Jerry DiPoto ain't glad to be out from under Sosh and Arte?
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IF THEY RE-SIGN IWAKUMA they have nicely upgraded their rotation. So here are the deltas. The runs column is not mathematically sound. (Of course, neither is Dr. D's mind.) This is a white board with a seated Brad Pitt lobbing name-plate magnets at it, from a distance of 7 feet.
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POS
NEW
OLD
REMARK
runs
C
Iannetta?
Zunino
would "legitimize" the ballclub
+30 offensively. Defensively ...
1B
(... Read More
popular topic of discussion, in the Mighty Klat Shout Box
Posted by jemanji on 11/18/15
Posted to blog
7 Comments
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Seems that Gerardo Parra might have learned to hit at age 28. Well, such as a guy like him might learn it. In 2015, he seems to have transmogrified from a 90 OPS+ guy to a 105 OPS+ guy.
Alex Chamberlain did a very linkable read on the ML hitters who have recently begun to take the ball to left field (if they're LH hitting) with authority. Parra, all of a sudden, was #4 in the majors for balls hit hard the other way. That drives a high BABIP, when a lefty is stinging outside pitches through the left side. Alex found a .50 to .55 correlation between doing that and having a higher BABIP... Read More
the best worst pitcher you've seen in years
Posted by jemanji on 11/17/15
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2 Comments
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Q. I'm one of your legions of new readers. What could the above chart possibly mean?
A. From the catcher's perspective, that's how much Bass' pitches "move" (deflect) in the air. As opposed to, if Bass were throwing the ball in a vacuum, they would all hit the crosshairs in the middle.
Purple = Slider
Green = Cutter
Blue = "No spin" fastball
Teal = "Extra spin" fastball
Red = Splitfinger
The only thing interesting here is that Bass can throw a really hard "cut" fastball. ("Cut" means you spin it like a football spiral, and it gets too far in to LH batters for them to do much with it. ... Read More
No luster lost as far as we can see :- )
Posted by jemanji on 11/17/15
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6 Comments
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Back in the 1970s, the Steel Curtain did not hoist 4 Lombardi Trophies in 4 consecutive seasons. No, in 1976 (trying to three-peat) they started out 1-and-4. As a boy, I very well remember wondering "How could this possibly happen?" Looking back now, they simply lost a string of nailbiters. Didn't mean that they didn't have All-Pros at every position. Just meant that sports has a lotta luck in it. (That year, the Steelers did rip off 9 straight wins to take their division. Turned out it was John Madden's year, though.)
In the 1980s, the Bill Walsh 49ers did not win 4 times in 4 years... Read More
Well, burden of proof's on you, to get more player for less $
Posted by jemanji on 11/17/15
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1 Comments
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Ah-seop Son being a pure Korean (KBO) outfielder/leadoff hitter being sold long by Mo' Dawg as our next starting RF. Son's posting process began yesterday and will proceed through Nov. 20th. Here is an MLB Trade Rumors primer on the timeline.
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If Dr. D were you, he would start with this highlight film put together by Son's agents. Mucho enjoyable. Son does indeed look like an Ichiro Lite at the plate, capable of a high finish yet while staying on top of the ball, even the opposite way. His approach at the plate looks highly translatable, don' it?
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Here are Son's batting lines from... Read More
Belgian government advised to not play today
Posted by jschario on 11/17/15
Posted to blog
The international friendly between Belgium and Spain scheduled for Tuesday has been called off at the last second due to concerns over a terrorist attack, according to several media reports.
Belgian government recommended Monday to the Belgian FA that the game not take place, with the FA heeding their advice.
French authorities have identified a 27-year-old Belgian as the mastermind of the Paris attacks on Friday. His current whereabouts are unknown. A major police operation took place in the Brussels neighborhood of Molenbeek on Monday, although it failed to yield any arrests related to the... Read More
You're Adam? I'm the designated athlete. Hey bro, howzit.
Posted by jemanji on 11/16/15
Posted to blog
7 Comments
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If you want the "primers" on Leonys Martin, see the Tacoma News Tribune and Lookout Landing. They've got good stuff. If you want the bottom line, check SSI. As you know, we live to serve.
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Q. Is Leonys Martin going to be a Mike Zunino-bad hitter in 2016?
A. I would peg him at 3.0 or 3.5 runs per 27 outs, which is about where you would put James Jones given a fair chance next year. The Rangers probably feel like that, too, that Jones is a wash for Martin. Not that this would be where we're going with this POTD.
Zunino?, you say. He just mucked through a 2.1 runs per game season. ... Read More
#10 is an avid movie lover
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 11/16/15
1 Comments
He is a midfielder for the Seattle Sounders. Marco Pappa is an international player from Guatemala City, Guatemala. He stands at 5’10 and weighs 155 pounds. Pappa wears the #10 uniform. He was born on November 15, 1987 and his full name is Marco Pablo Pappa Ponce. He has been a domestic player since June 2015 when he received his green card.
Pappa joined the Sounders team on January 31, 2014. During his regular seasons, he has played in 161 games. He started in 142 games and played a total of 11,830 minutes. He has scored 35 goals during the regular season. He has taken 386 shots, made 27... Read More
Give it up, Jason. I'm better 'n you.
Posted by jemanji on 11/16/15
Posted to blog
6 Comments
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SABRMatt Shoutz: Fun question...would you rather trade two very low end prospects for an 8 million dollar relief ace who is good but not a true master and who you only control for one season. ..or two of your top four and four of your top 30 prospects for a 12 mil per year true relief ace that you have for three seasons at that price?
and Mo' Dawg didn’t hesitate: Is his name M. Rivera? Otherwise, unlikely.
....
Fun question indeed, especially for the M’s. Matty, you're on a roll, even if the Sox may not be ...
Not only did the Sox give up 2 of THEIR top 4 spects, they gave up 2 of the... Read More
Makes at least one guy a big winner
Posted by jemanji on 11/16/15
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As closed and guarded as Jack Zduriencik was -- about -95 on the -100 to +100 scale -- Jerry DiPoto is correspondingly open and glib. The last word in this Lookout Landing take is important:
Jerry Dipoto has a plan and he’s sticking to it. Whether or not the plan leads to success, the fact that he’s been able to articulate it so clearly has been refreshing.
Just so! And, we might add, this kind of candor and forthrightness is the mark of a sincere and confident man. There was never anybody more candid or forthright than Bobby Fischer … he knew that he was #1 on the planet, that there was... Read More
How the ladies of basketball help the environment locally
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 11/16/15
2 Comments
If you are a huge fan of the Seattle Storm, you already know how the ladies of basketball help out the local community with various charity works, donations and an overall positive attitude. If you didn’t know, here is just a bit of information about how they are helping improve the local Seattle environment. You can get involved in many of these activities by visiting the link and finding out more information.
Carter Subaru Go Green
The Storm cares about the environment. In fact, you can join them in their efforts to reduce human carbon footprints through the Carter Subaru Go Green... Read More
What the 'Hawks need to do for the W
Posted by jschario on 11/15/15
Posted to blog
Coming off the bye, Sunday’s matchup with Arizona has the feel of a playoff game. It’s being played in primetime, on national TV and certainly has playoff implications. A win could ignite the run of victories the entire country has been predicting and waiting for. Lose, and they’ve dug themselves a deeper hole to try and climb out of.
The Three biggest questions for the game will be: Can the defense force turnovers? Will this be the game Marshawn gets it going? How will the offensive line handle the blitz?
Turnovers
For whatever reason, the Seahawks secondary has not been able to come up... Read More
Mad Bums and Mad Skillz, dept.
Posted by jemanji on 11/15/15
Posted to blog
5 Comments
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So here is a Freeman Dyson-level math problem for you. Ready? :: reader’s brow furrows, bites lip ::
You are playing poker and you have 1,000 chips. Now I have a secret buzzer system set up, Joe Pesci will never find out about it, and I can help you in one of two ways. Your pick. First way: I can win you a +150 chip pot. Second way: I can keep you out of a pot where you would lose -150 chips.
If you can’t quite get this one, dial 1-800-FREEMAN. That, or read any of Bill James’ Abstracts from 1903-2014. The answer, like the voodoo chicken bones on the trash can in Predator II, is... Read More
I see it, but I don't believe it
Posted by jemanji on 11/15/15
Posted to blog
11 Comments
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Dr. D zapped Igor in the armpit with a quick 20,000 to blow off a little frustration. Then he went ahead and googled a very-carefully-thought-out phrase. “Do pitching teams win more?”
INSTANTLY he was buried in a mountain of old, crumpled Dixie cup articles proving, yes, of course pitching teams win more. Just chew on this, for instance: 3% of World Series winners had below-average pitching staffs. But 33% of them had below-average offenses. And we got a lotsa mo where that came from.
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A prelude: Dr. D, and probably you, had ALWAYS argued that “the history of the World Series is... Read More
... and how far should we go to get it?
Posted by jemanji on 11/15/15
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8 Comments
So, we learn that pitching HAS won championships. Thass’ the fact.
:: zaps Igor with a quick 10,000 ::
:: taps chin, tousles own hair ::
WHY would that be the case?
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You feel me? It’s fine to say that human beings ARE conscious. A 3-year-old can get that. He really can. It’s just that it's harder to explain WHY humans are conscious. So here we are: pitching HAS won. But the cause-and-effect? Do tell.
I mean, why? Why should good pitching beat good hitting?
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One possibility: In the postseason, you can concentrate your pitching into the top 50%, 60% of the staff... Read More
Check out forward #37
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 11/14/15
2 Comments
He’s both a midfielder and a forward for the Seattle Sounders. Lamar Neagle (pronounced NAY gull) was born on May 7, 1987. The 28-year-old soccer star was born in Tacoma but considers Federal Way his hometown. He stands at 5’11 tall and weighs 165 pounds. He is a winger and a forward.
As a student at Federal Way’s Thomas Jefferson High School, Neagle led his team to the state competition, breaking a record by scoring six goals in a single game. Neagle made his youth career debut with the University of Las Vegas Rebels, playing for the team from 2005 to 2008. His senior career began in 2007... Read More
The T-Birds trade Pederson for Taz Burman
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 11/14/15
4 Comments
With a heavy heart, Seattle Thunderbirds general manager Russ Farwell told the press that Lane Pederson would no longer be with the team in August. The T-Birds traded Pederson for new goaltender Taz Burman of the Red Deer Rebels in an attempt at securing a stronger defense for the team.
Farwell made it clear that the trade was not on Pederson’s shoulders. He said it was a very difficult decision to make and that he strongly believes that Pederson will someday “become a top player in the NHL.” He also wished the player luck in not only playing with the Rebels but also in playing in the... Read More
Check off your holiday shopping list
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 11/14/15
1 Comments
Looking for a place to get all of your Seattle Storm t-shirts, souvenirs and other gear? Try the Official Seattle Storm shop for all of your fan needs. It offers both unisex and youth clothing as well as jerseys, headwear and novelties.
In the unisex department, choose between wide varieties of clothing options. There are hoodies, raglan shirts, sweatshirts, zip-up apparel, crew shirts and polo shirts available. There are also sweatpants, embellished tees and even thermals to help you cheer on The Storm warmly. Some brands offered include ADIDAS, Sportige and Majestic. Unisex clothing prices... Read More
Mayday, mayday Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 11/13/15
Posted to blog
4 Comments
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The new sheriff in town has a favorite word:
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sta·bi·lize
[ˈstābəˌlīz]
VERB
make or become unlikely to give way or overturn:
"the craft was stabilized by throwing out the remaining ballast"
make or become unlikely to change, fail, or decline:
"an emergency program designed to stabilize the economy" ·
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I don't know if I'd want to be in a helicopter when its "stabilizer" failed, but I have a good sense of what it would feel like. I watched the 2015 M's play. And here's a related term, a fave of Dr. D's:
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equanimity
"evenness of mind especially under stress"
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As... Read More
Some info about the defender
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 11/13/15
2 Comments
He is a right back defender for the Seattle Sounders. Tyrone Mears may hail from Stockport, England, but he’s hoping to become a Seattle staple now. He wears the #4 jersey of the team. He was born on February 18, 1983. He is 5’11.5 and he weighs 163 pounds.
Mears has played internationally for the Jamaica team in 2009, honoring his Jamaican ancestry. He started his senior career from 2001 to 2002 with Manchester City. Then he played for Preston North End from 2002 to 2006. West Ham United was his home from 2006 to 2007; however, in 2007, he went on loan to Derby County. He stayed with Derby... Read More
#31 is a goaltender
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 11/13/15
2 Comments
Logan Flodell is one of the goaltenders of the Seattle Thunderbirds. Flodell is a right-shooting player. He comes from Regina, SK. His birthday is February 10, 1997. Flodell stands at 5’11 and weighs 163 pounds.
During the regular season, Flodell has played in 21 games. He has had a total of 52 goals scored against him and 465 saves, giving him a save average of 0.899. He has played a total of 1138 minutes with the T-Birds during the regular season. In his first season with the team, he only played one game, with a total of 21 saves and seven goals against him. He only played on the ice for a... Read More
Benoit eyes more glory with WBC pals in Mariner clubhouse
Posted by jemanji on 11/13/15
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9 Comments
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The only differ'nce tween Rodney and Benoit being, so far as Dr. D can tell, is (1) a slider and (2) that it took Jack Zduriencik until Feb. 13th to decide on a wipeout relief pitcher for an $8M salary. Jerry DiPoto's decision came rather more decisively. You get a picture of Noah Bennett throwing elbows and knees to plow through a crowd at 15 MPH, save the cheerleader, and save the world. Left hand keeping a longslide 10MM half-hidden behind his hip, naturally.
One of Dr. D's earliest childhood memories, circa 1964, was of a blue-and-yellow soft plastic biplane he got for Christmas as a... Read More
Glad the 'pen is fixed. Let's fix it again
Posted by jemanji on 11/13/15
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8 Comments
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Or it's fixed, at least according to what JeDi has put up on the marquee.
The MLB Network team went over the 2015 Mariners apologetically, going way overboard in fact with their zeal to own up to the pre-2015 predictions. Scene after scene replayed the predictions "FIRST WORLD SERIES FOR THE MARINERS!" ... well, one scene, anyway. Then scene after scene showed 2015 Mariners RBI men striking out, 2015 Mariners catchers trying to throw out runners at second and braining fans in the 3B fans instead, 2015 Mariners relievergetting taken 500 feet out of the stadium ... Jack Zduriencik... Read More
"Typical" spin deflection? Nada
Posted by jemanji on 11/13/15
Posted to blog
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You haven't seen baseball pitches lately. Dr. D will hand-pick some vids for you. As you know, he lives to serve.
Here's a jam pitch, 95 on the hands, with a Iwakuma-slow motion despite the save situation.
Here's a two-plane slider, starting in the zone and Nintendo'ing out of it, to spray the C02 all over a chemical fire. Like they say, never get beat with your worst pitch.
Here's the vaunted change. Apparently, with a parachute like that, it doesn't much matter where you land it. The third pitch is also a Killer Cambio; in between them you get an ump's-eye view of the Jeff Nelson... Read More
What you need to know
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 11/12/15
1 Comments
They’ve been around for 15 years now, so most fans probably know how to get tickets to games. But did you know that you can donate to the Tickets for Kids Program to help local youth attend a Seattle Storm game? Or that you can get the group ticket rate with a party of just 10 people? Here are some tricks and tips about buying Seattle Storm basketball tickets.
Basic Tickets
You can buy, sell, exchange or forward your Storm tickets at the organization’s website. Exchange seats for new seats, send friends tickets as a gift or even make payments on your account. You just need an email address... Read More
Some details on the fast forward
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 11/12/15
2 Comments
His name might as well be The Fast and The Furious. Known for his speed and passion on the field, Obafemi Martins is a soccer player from Nigeria. He wears the Seattle Sounders jersey #9. The designated international player is a forward for the team. He stands at 5’7 and weighs 154 pounds. Martins was born on October 28, 1984 in Lagos, Nigeria.
Although he butted heads with the coach and quit the team last year, Martins is back on the Super Eagles senior national team and he’s in it to win. Earlier today, he announced that he’s just there to score goals and help his team win. He’s at camp... Read More
Welcome to Seattle, #30
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 11/12/15
2 Comments
A new goalie for the Seattle Thunderbirds this season, Taz Burman is young and hungry for the game. He comes to the T-Birds from the Red Deer Rebels, where his save percentage was a steady 0.890 to 0.884, improving as his experience in the game grew in those two seasons.
Taz Burman stands at 6’0 and weighs in at 167 pounds. The goaltender shoots left and wears the #30 uniform. He was born on February 16, 1997 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Burman lost six games and won just two during his first season with the Red Deer Rebels in 2013 to 2014, but he demonstrated growing skills in the 2014 to... Read More
Cardinals have the edge in many categories
Posted by jschario on 11/12/15
Posted to blog
This week’s game on Sunday Night Football will be the game that defines Seattle’s season. Either they’ll win, and run through the rest of their schedule like a freight train. Or they’ll lose on national TV, shattering their confidence and distancing them even more from the playoff race.
Each team is coming in with equal amounts of pressure. The Seahawks need to salvage their season, while the Cardinals need to show the rest of the league that they are for real, and can beat more than just the bottom feeders. Here’s a position comparison of both teams.
Quarterback – At age 36 Carson Palmer... Read More
A new leader takes over before El Clásico
Posted by jschario on 11/11/15
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2 Comments
As the Spanish league takes a break this week to accommodate the many international friendlies, the league table had quite a bit of movement, and even a new league leader.
As four-time Ballon D’Or winner Leo Messi returned to practice for Barcelona this week, the Catalan side was able to climb into sole possession of first place. Barça shut out fifth-place Villarreal 3-0, with Neymar continuing his hot streak. The Brazilian netted two goals, including a candidate for goal of the year.
Barcelona now has the upper hand heading to Madrid for El Clásico once league play starts up again next week... Read More
But if Dr. D ain't "a" zoid, he don' know who is
Posted by jemanji on 11/11/15
Posted to blog
12 Comments
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There is an archived Bill James article in which he smiles at "quadrangular" players. Who do you know? who has the SAME amount of:
Walks
Strikeouts
RBI
Runs Scored
You don't know anybody like that, is 'cause the saberdogs (thanks Matty!) have forbidden you from thinking about runs in baseball. Created runs that are calculated by an algebraic formula, sure -- but actual runs like RBI, Runs, ERA, runs anything -- those are out of bounds. Anyway, James does think about runs in baseball.
If you have a guy with 70 BB and 70 K, we already knew that we loved that. But had it occurred to you... Read More
These lists are where we came in, circa 1977
Posted by jemanji on 11/11/15
Posted to blog
5 Comments
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In the same 2014 article we just led off with, James makes three separate Mariners references. Just for fun, you understand, he asks the question "Who was 90% of Henry Aaron? Who was 80%? Who was 60% of Henry Aaron?" (Bill White, 1962.) That's a fun question because one Henry Aaron season is interchangeable/replaceable with every other season. And James puts it in perspective for us: it turns out that "60% of Henry Aaron is still a whale of a player."
Then he sets ARod as a standard, namely, his 2007 season with 54 homers, 156 RBI, 143 runs, 95 walks, etc. Guess who's on the list as... Read More
Meet #33
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 11/10/15
2 Comments
He’s a defenseman for the Seattle Thunderbirds. Jared Hauf hails from Calgary, AB. He shoots left and weighs 224 pounds. He stands at 6’5. He was born on March 6, 1995. Hauf has played nearly every game of every season he’s been contracted in, missing only 20 out of 288 games. Right now, Hauf is playing his fifth season with the T-Birds.
Hauf says that the key to being a good defenseman is to be an excellent skater. He was able to focus on some of his skills at the Winnipeg Jets Development Camp in the summer of 2014, where he says he was able to really compete with skillful players and... Read More
#14 is a Sounders defender
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 11/10/15
2 Comments
Chad Marshall has had a long, successful career in soccer. He was born on August 22, 1984 in Riverside, California. The 31-year-old defender wears uniform #14. He stands at 6’4 tall and weighs 190 pounds. Marshall has been a well-known name in the soccer scene since high school. He went to school at Rubidoux High, where he was awarded several distinctive honors. Some of those included NCSAA All-American, Parade magazine’s Best Defender Award and Parade magazine All-American. Soccer America dubbed him the top pick for any soccer team.
Marshall started his soccer youth career on the Irvine... Read More
As opposed to Linkage, of course
Posted by jemanji on 11/10/15
Posted to blog
4 Comments
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If it's in this article, it's a good read. Trust us on this. Just 'cause Dr. D ping-pongs against the playback table, with every blinkin' one of 'em, don't mean we can't be friends. Actually, it probably does mean that, but we are Way. Too. Old. to care.
:- ) Read thusly:
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Lookout Landing on Nate Karns. Yep, LL did a great job in identifying Karns as juicy, Reifenhauser as vigorish and Powell as intriguing.
Ping-pong back at this, however: Karns would be more interesting if he weren't 28? Dr. D thinks if you took that and reversed it, you'd have something. Just last week he read a... Read More
Seattle = way too darling to resist
Posted by jemanji on 11/10/15
Posted to blog
4 Comments
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That's "resign with" a la Felix Hernandez, not "resign from" a la Kazuhiro Sasaki. For those of you who have chess on the brain. Which is, at this time of the SSI day, everyone.
And, no, the title isn't clickbait. Not ONLY. It's more of a necessary inference from Fangraphs' 2015 Crowdsourcing. Prior to that article, Dr. Detecto had not yet congealed the foggiest sentiment as to whether Iwakuma would:
Accept the M's 1-year, $15.8M qualifying offer
Accept an impending 6-year, $150M offer from the Yankees (Iwakuma being as good as Cueto and Zimmerman)
Smile hugely, as he is wont to do,... Read More
How does it look after the bye?
Posted by jschario on 11/10/15
Posted to blog
Not long ago, we were ready to crown the Packers as NFC champions. Now they are tied with the Vikings for the NFC North lead. My how the NFL changes from week to week.
With the Seahawks on their bye week, they were able to sit back and watch the NFC playoff picture shake out and gain a little ground while sitting on their couch.
Before Sunday, the Falcons, Rams and Vikings sat in the way of the Seahawks’ playoff hopes (if they had their eyes set on the wild card that is). Fortunately for them, two out of the three dropped their games, and the Packers fell into a tie for the NFC North and... Read More
In this case, the 10% is well worth it
Posted by jemanji on 11/09/15
Posted to blog
6 Comments
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Was watching TV with my daughter, who is 25 years old and who has been around, when she floored me with this question. "What's a BOOKIE?"
Picking himself up off the carpet next to the couch, and reaching into a bag of tart responses ... Dr. D reminded himself, there are worse questions you'd rather hear from your daughter. Trust him on that one.
Seattle Sports Insider takes it as a given that the Farquhar-Riefenhauser component to the deal was the "vigorish," the premium paid to get to the rest of it:
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vig·or·ish
[ˈviɡəriSH]
NOUN
US informal
an excessive rate of... Read More
Best chances to ruin Thanksgiving, ranked 1-17
Posted by jemanji on 11/09/15
Posted to blog
9 Comments
Lampoon wrote a VERY good reply to Mojician's KK on Green Tech:
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the precautionary principle
I hope it is not too late to throw another log on the embers of this discussion, but I ran across a paper that offers an interesting framework for evaluating a policy that may cause severe harm to the public domain. The paper is entitled “The Precautionary Principle” (or “PP” for short) and a pdf is available here. http://www.fooledbyrandomness.com/pp2.pdf
PP states that if the risk of an action includes severe or unrecoverable global harm (or as the authors put... Read More
Find out about #25
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 11/09/15
2 Comments
He’s only 18, but he’s already playing for the Thunderbirds and on his way to fortune and fame. Ethan Bear was born on June 26, 1997 in Ochapowace, SK. He stands at 5’11.5 tall and weighs 197 pounds. Bear wears the #25 uniform and is a defenseman for the Seattle T-Birds. He shoots right and is known for his stoic, calm demeanor on the ice as he defends the team.
Bear is a strong defenseman on the ice. Since joining the T-Birds in the 2012 to 2013 regular season, he has played in a whopping 145 games, scoring 23 goals in his career. He has also made a total of 51 assists, adding up to 74... Read More
The forward is Sounders #80
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 11/07/15
2 Comments
He is only 18 years old, but his future looks bright so far. Victor Mansaray is a forward for the Seattle Sounders. He wears the #80 jersey for the team. Mansaray was born on February 22, 1997 in Freetown, Sierra Leone. His hometown, however, is Fife, Washington. Mansaray is part of the Seattle Sounders Homegrown Player program, graduating from the Sounders FC Academy into the first team.
Mansaray has played in three games with the Seattle Sounders to date. During theses, he was on the field for a total of 28 minutes. Although he doesn’t have many other stats with the Sounders just yet, he... Read More
Find out about #24
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 11/07/15
2 Comments
He is a defenseman for the Seattle Thunderbirds hockey organization. He is a left shooting player. His name is Brandon Schuldhaus and he is #24. Schuldhaus is a tall young man, standing at 6’3.5. His official player weight is an even 200 pounds. Schuldhaus comes from Calgary, AB and was born on February 23, 1998 in Houston. A rookie for the T-Birds this season, Schuldhaus doesn’t have a long litany of accomplishments or stats behind him just yet—but the young man is only 17 years old, so he has a long career of opportunities and chances to really rack up his points ahead of him.
The... Read More
Bye week still as important as all the rest
Posted by hawksinsider on 11/07/15
Posted to blog
Despite an off week for seattle, it is of the utmost importance.
Before heading into a strong divisional matchup against the Cardinals, the Seahawks could not have had a better time for the BYE week. Now…unfortunately, the Cardinals too will be on a bye and given a chance to rest up as well.
I am, kind of, glad this is the case… I really want to, heck NEED to, see just who we are as a team in 2015. We do not have to see Seattle rested at their healthiest vs. a beaten Arizona team. I.. WE Hawk fans need to see healthy v. healthy NFC West football, which is just what we will get .
Thus... Read More
Posted by moethedog on 11/07/15
12 Comments
Herschel Mack (Boog) Powell doesn't hit for power; let's be clear about that. He hit 3 homers in 444 AA/AAA AB's last year. Heck, in '14 he had 61 California League AB's and hit zero homers. Most guys have 9 or 10 in 61 Cali/desert/launching pad AB's (OK, I jest a bit). But he's not a maroon with the bat, by any means. In the '14 AFL he had two homers and a line of .300-.402-.429 against the hot-shot prospects. Over his 1361 professional PA's, to this point, he's walked in just about 13% of them. I remind you that that is pretty good. He has 175 BB's and just 185 K's. I'll remind you... Read More
Number 5 for the Seattle Storm
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 11/06/15
2 Comments
She comes from Australia, but she’s a strong force on the Seattle Storm. Abby Bishop is a forward and center player on the team. She was born on November 29, 1988. She is 6’2 tall and weighs 180 pounds. She was born in Booleroo, South Australia. Bishop has earned an average of 13.8 points per game during her career. She has also averaged 8.3 rebounds per game and 1.4 assists per game.
Before playing for the Storm, Bishop played for the Australian Institute of Sport. That experience lasted from 2005 to 2006. Later, she played for the Canberra Capitals from 2006 to 2010. Bishop was with the... Read More
The goalkeeper of the Sounders wears #22
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 11/06/15
2 Comments
How well do you know your goalie facts? How about your Charlie Lyon facts? Charles Lyon is a goalkeeper for the Seattle Sounders. He was born on April 10, 1992 in St. Charles, Illinois. He also calls the town his hometown. He is 23 years old and weighs 215 pounds. Lyon stands at 6’2 tall. He’s also the 2014 winner of the Big East Goalkeeper of the Year Award.
Before signing on with the Sounders, Lyon had several years of experience with various organizations. In his senior career, he played with Chicago Fire U-23 from 2013 to 2014. In 2015, he went on loan to the Sounders FC 2 team before... Read More
The lowdown on the strange events around the Madrid star
Posted by jschario on 11/06/15
Posted to blog
European soccer is no stranger to teammates back stabbing each other. A great example is from England's national team a while back when Chelsea star John Terry slept with teammat Wayne Bridge's wife. France, no stranger to controversy within in national team ranks, has its own sex scandal tearing its soccer team apart.
France international and Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has been formally placed under inquiry by French police for playing a role in an extortion plot against France teammate Martin Valbuena. The plot circles around blackmailing Valbuena for money in exchange for not... Read More
Find out about player #7
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 11/06/15
4 Comments
How much do you know about Seattle Thunderbirds player #7, Sahvan Khaira? Did you know that Khaira shoots right? That he stands 6’3.5 tall? He also weighs 218 pounds and comes from his hometown of Surrey, BC. Khaira was born on January 2, 1998.
Khaira has played a total of 56 games during his career so far. 43 of those were with the Thunderbirds during the 2014 to 2015 season, and he has been in 13 games during the current season. He has made one goal as a T-Bird, plus two assists, giving him a total of three points in his career. The goal was scored during the November game against the... Read More
Number 10 is a force to be reckoned with
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 11/05/15
3 Comments
Sue Bird is a point guard for the Seattle Storm. Her full name is Suzanne Brigit Bird. Bird is 5’9 and weighs 150 pounds. She was born on October 16, 1980. Bird was born in Syosset, New York. She has been a pro player for 13 years.
Bird has played 413 games in her regular season career, starting in every single one of them. Her average minutes per game are 32.4. Bird has been playing for the Seattle Storm since 2002. She was the #1 pick during the 2002 WNBA Draft. As a rookie, she averaged 14.4 ppg, but she was only the runner-up for Rookie of the Year. Only two rookies made All-WNBA First... Read More
Meet Sounders defender #31
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 11/05/15
2 Comments
Although he was the third Jamaican selection during the 2014 MLS SuperDraft and the eighth pick overall, Damion Lowe has no stats with the Sounders to share just yet. A hip injury has kept him out of the spotlight to date. Fans did get a peek at Damion during the six preseason appearances he made, though. During those, he had three starts. While playing on loan for S2, Lowe made 11 appearances with the team, really getting a taste of what it is like to play with Seattle and enjoy the fan love in the city. He played for 990 minutes with S2, scoring one goal during that time.
During the 2015... Read More
Vikings-Rams have playoff ramifications
Posted by jschario on 11/05/15
Posted to blog
Most years, a Seahawks bye week creates a void in my life. Without fantasy football this year it seemed Week 9 would be spent actually being productive on the weekend. Though alas, the football gods have given us a game that we - unfortunately - have to pay attention to as Seahawk fans. Sunday's matchup between Minnesota and Saint Louis has serious implication for the Seahawks' playoff hopes.
Other than featuring the two best running backs going head-to-head in Todd Gurley and Adrian Peterson, both teams are directly in front of the Seahawks for the final wild card spot. Minnesota currently... Read More
The teen brings a strong defense to the T-Birds
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 11/05/15
2 Comments
This new, teen addition to the T-Birds is a defenseman with a winning smile. Jarret Tyszka has played in 15 games during the regular season this year, and he’s already scored two goals and made an assist. At 16, Tyszka has to be stoked at this great start to a promising career. He’s had eight PIM and earned three points so far.
Tyszka shoots left and stands at 6’2.5. He weighs 190 pounds. He was born on March 15, 1999 and hails from Langley, BC. He’s made some big strides on the team already, making two assists during the September 5 game against the Victoria Royals. He scored his first goal... Read More
McClendon's report card
Posted by jemanji on 11/05/15
Posted to blog
9 Comments
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It isn't a perfect report card, but it is the best report card for managers that Dr. D is currently aware of. Label the constants here, "Pitcher pure wins" (strikeouts) and "Hitter pure wins" (walks). Now the question is, once those are a given, how "crisply" is a manager's team playing around this "talent"?
Of course, a manager has something to say about whether a hitter gets a garbage swing on 3-2 and wuffs, or whether he juuuuust holds up and takes his base. But still. This is a great way, over time, to see who the Earls and Bobby Coxes and Tony LaRussas and Casey Stengels of the... Read More
Royals Revolution, dept.
Posted by jemanji on 11/04/15
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2 Comments
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Dave Fleming just lobbed in a bright little post on the Royals' dynasty. He leads off with this mortar, sailing over our heads and into our back yards:
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At the start of the 2015 season, ESPN asked eighty-eight of their staffers to pick who would win the AL Central. Here’s who they picked:
Cleveland – 43
Detroit – 25
Chicago – 17
Kansas City – 3
For every one writer who picked the Royals to win the Central Division in 2015, fourteen picked Cleveland to win the division. For every one writer who picked KC, five picked the White Sox.
How about FanGraphs? FanGraphs asked thirty-eight... Read More
OK, just go poach a "Weaver On Strategy" off eBay why don'cha
Posted by jemanji on 11/04/15
Posted to blog
2 Comments
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James published his original theory in December 2014. That's another way to say "Right after the Royals won their first pennant." He told us that the theory is true, just like the Pythagorean Theorem is generally true, but then ...
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OK, we have established that it is generally true that good teams have good Strike Zone Winning percentages and bad teams have bad Strike Zone Winning Percentages, and we have established also that discrepancies between the strike zone and overall winning percentages, where they occur, are real phenomena rather than statistical mirages. At this point we... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 11/04/15
Posted to blog
1 Comments
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So let's just say that you wanted to model the 2016 M's after the Kansas City Royals. Which DiPoto has kinda done. He knows the inner circle of baseball value is K, BB, and HR, though he hasn't stated that exactly. He believes the second circle of baseball value is defense and speed, and he has stated that exactly.
He emphasizes that the third circle is winning all the other battles, as we grok from DiPoto's two-handed powerflush of Lloyd McClendon. Scott Servais will not be crumpling DiPoto's pregame techie reports and playing "21" with them in his office wastebasket.
To look at it... Read More
An unpredictable set of finishes
Posted by jschario on 11/04/15
Posted to blog
This week was packed with Spanish teams in the Champions League.as Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Sevilla and Valencia played Tuesday and Wednesday. Though Barclona and Real Madrid were the only ones to pick up three points, fitting as their Clasico match approaches. Both squads remain at the top of their respective groups with ten points each.
While Sevilla and Valencia are not the giants Real and Barça are, Atletico gravely disappointed coming away with only a tie against Astana of Kazakstan. Still Valencia and Atleti are second in their groups, while Sevilla will have to get... Read More
Coin and The Ferment Principle
Posted by DaddyO on 11/04/15
10 Comments
While researching my latest Foster and Brooks-published book on quantum mechanics, I stumbled across something quite remarkable.
In a rural village just south of Nullepart in France toils a man whose profound ponderings rival those of the greatest thinkers of our time. An erstwhile highly placed official from the Grand Duchy of Fenwick, this aging man can longer exercise the rigorous life of regal politics, so for several years now he instead exercises his mind. Well, some may call it exercising, others might call it drinking. But in any event he has moved well beyond such mundane musings as... Read More
Posted by jschario on 11/03/15
Posted to blog
The Seahawks have found a way to claw back to .500 as they wrap up the first half of the 2015 season. Along the way they have managed to solve some issues, though there are still some things they have to resolve over the bye week.
The defense is championship quality
Week in and week out the defensive unit has kept the team in games, and only because the offense couldn’t hold up their end did the defense get undue blame. These past two weeks have proven that this is still an elite unit. Granted, they haven’t been tested by playoff caliber quarterbacks; but to go on the road and not even give... Read More
Vote for your favorite
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 11/02/15
2 Comments
There’s just something about voting for your favorite team, player and dream team lineup that gives you a sense of satisfaction. Could you create a better team than a team manager—drill your team better than the coach? Debatable, sure, but it’s always fun to imagine what it would be like. So every year when you get to vote on the BEST MLS goal of the year, it’s like you get a (teeny, tiny) part of at least one decision!
OK, so it’s not just the Sounders participating. AT&T MLS Goal of the Year is up for grabs for players all across the country and most of them are not Sounders. But we’ve... Read More
Get to know #4
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 11/02/15
2 Comments
The young man wearing the #4 uniform on the Seattle Thunderbirds is none other than Turner Ottenbreit. He is a defenseman from Yorkton, SK. Ottenbreit shoots left. Ottenbreit weighs 192 pounds and stands at 6’3. His birthday is July 9, 1997. Ottenbreit was a rookie Thunderbird last season, with a total of 68 games under his belt for the 2014 to 2015 year. During his first year, he scored two goals and 20 assists made, resulting in a total of 12 points for the player. His PIM was 30 for the year as well.
During the 2015 to 2016 regular season, he has not yet scored a goal. Ottenbreit has... Read More
The elephant in the room regarding green technology
Posted by mojician on 11/02/15
23 Comments
"Do not plant two kinds of seed in your vineyard; if you do, not only the crops you plant but also the fruit of the vineyard will be defiled." Deuteronomy 22:9 (NIV).
If you have ever eaten a grapefruit, you are eating a hybrid. A grapefruit is a cross between an orange and a Pomelo. According to Wikipedia, it was discovered in 1750. A naturally occuring grapefruit hybrid has pink flesh. The grapefruit you buy in the grocery store does not. About 90 years ago, farmers began genetically modifying crops by zapping them with x-rays. Plants, after being scrambled by x-rays, produce... Read More
What you need to know
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 11/01/15
2 Comments
Fans have a wide selection of choices when it comes to purchasing Seattle Sounders game tickets at CenturyLink Stadium. They can purchase from a number of event ticket sales websites, from Vivid Seats to Stub Hub to Ticket Exchange. Tickets range in price widely from site to site, so fans can bookmark their favorites and compare prices to get the best rates.
Tickets are available for purchase at the Seattle Sounders website. A seating chart is also available for viewing. Club 1 season tickets are available for $1,311, which averages out to $69 per game. Club 2 seats cost $1,083 per season,... Read More
What you need to know
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 11/01/15
2 Comments
To buy single and season tickets for a Seattle Thunderbirds game, you can either call 253-239-7825 or visit the www.seattlethunderbirds.com website.
Club seats behind the penalty box cost $40 per individual ticket. For full season tickets, the price is $975. Class seats around the ice are $30 each. For a season of class seats, the price is $738. Premium individual seats run for $24 and $576 for season tickets.
South Zone seats cost $24 per game or $576 for season tickets. Lower end seats run for $24 per ticket or $576 for season tickets.
Club seats go for as little as $12 for youth in the... Read More