June 2016
Posted by jschario on 06/30/16
Two (now)former Washington Huskies were taken in the NBA Draft last week, and each at opposite ends of the first round.
Marquese Chriss was taken eighth overall by the Sacremento Kings before being traded to the Phoenix Suns, who confirmed the rumors that they were very interested in taking him with the fourth overall pick. Former Rainier Beach standout Dejounte Murray was invited to stand in the green room in New york, but eventually fell all the way to number 28, where the San Antonio Spurs made him their first round pick.
Phoenix gave up a heavy bounty to nab Chriss from the Kings, giving... Read More
where are they now, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 06/30/16
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Diderot quipz,
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Three questions
1) Was the Karns move more about fixing the bullpen than fixing him?
2) Anyone other than me still convinced the Astros finish ahead of the Rangers?
3) Does it make me a bad person because I REALLY miss slamming a phone down in anger?
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Heh!
Taking 3) first ... some things just pay off in measures far, far broader than any sense of proportion might predict. If you could flatten the palm with good follow-though, the little rrrriinnnggggg that echoed gave you a sense that all was right with the world. Mashing a little circle target on a... Read More
What does it mean and what's next?
Posted by jschario on 06/29/16
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From not hearing his name called to getting paid eight figures, it has definitely been an uphill climb for Doug Baldwin to get to this point.
Stanford football players are unlike most Stanford grads in that they're usually not the most coveted amongst their profession once they leave school - at least before Jim Harbaugh came about. That held true on draft day back in 2011 when Angry Doug went undrafted, but similar to many a Cardinal grad, he became one of the best at his profession.
He proved he's one of the best, tying for the NFL lead in touchdowns with 14, and he looked downright... Read More
Piracy not all it's cracked up to be, especially in Chicago and Seattle
Posted by jemanji on 06/29/16
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KKKARNIVORE TO THE BULLPEN
The M's have decided to give Wade LeBlanc at least one more start, which will displease exactly no one. Even better, they've decided to let KKKarns work out the kinks in the Seattle clubhouse, using him in the bullpen. Dr. D is excited as anybody to find out what this does for his velocity, and for his nasty habit to overthink things. "A little bit of a breather" was the way Servais characterized it, so absolutely no complaints here.
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The TNT quoted Servais, towards both the above issues, "It will probably be similar to what we did with Michael Montgomery... Read More
England see another type of Brexit
Posted by jschario on 06/27/16
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Monday in France, one of the most dominant eras of soccer ended at the hands of the Italians, as they defeated two-time defending Euro Cup champions Spain. Many had them rated as the best team in the tournament, even after they lost to Croatia after winning their first two matches, and were rated as one of the favorites coming into this year's edition.
Some might point to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil as the real beginning to the end, but that was an older Spanish team, still clinging to their most golden era of players. This squad in France was supposed to be the perfect blend of youth and... Read More
slow news day? Not for the M's rotation
Posted by jemanji on 06/27/16
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The Tacoma News Tribune reports that it's Miley Wednesday, and probably Taijuan on Thursday. This leaves the choice between Wade LeBlanc and Nate Karns on Friday. DiPoto and Servais are obviously wavering about it. I'm warming to Bat571's inkling to see what Karns would be like in the bullpen, if they're going to stick with him on the 25-man as opposed to, say, Donn Roach.
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The Times reported that Paxton "wasn't as sharp as he had been in his previous three or four outings," despite F/X and Dr. D gaining the opposite impression. Pressed to specify, Paxton said that "there were... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 06/27/16
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47 Comments
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Please click to the next article if politics tend to annoy you. :- ) - Dr. D
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Seems to me that the European Union is something we ought to be able to discuss in a dispassionate, stimulating and enjoyable way. (You've said you have strong feelings about it, Matty; please be careful to be respectful of globalists on SSI.)
There are very strong arguments in favor of globalism. But there are also strong arguments in favor of the idea that the world should have nations, should have diverse homes for diverse populations, the same way that you and I live in different houses and... Read More
Dr. D's scripts are getting more predictable than X-Man flicks
Posted by jemanji on 06/27/16
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7 Comments
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ZEUS
As big a fan as Dr. D is of James Paxton, he never said he wanted to BE James Paxton. At a certain point James' forlorn-bloodhound eyes start looking like he has been cast for this role by Tim Burton.
Coming for Halloween 2016! "SISYPHUS" Introducing James Paxton as the Highwayman co-starring Helena Bonham Carter as Sophocles and Johnny Depp as Jupiter
Dr. D is probably crazy; what else is new. He thought K-Pax threw the ball better than in any other game. In saber terms, his FIP (that is, his ERA assuming normal defense) was 1.53 on the day, but his actual ERA 9.00. That's... Read More
and won't be too long before Le Blanckinator carousels around again
Posted by jemanji on 06/26/16
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1 Comments
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Dr. D's PET LINEUP
2-and-0. Reminds me of when a .500 Big Red Machine moved Pete Rose to 3B, put some George Foster kid in LF, and ripped off 41 wins in 51 games. Very unlikely the M's surge will be any less dramatic.
You could argue that Lee and Lind were key tonight again, as of course they were when they (and Kyle Seager) double-handedly won the Friday night epic. In the first inning, our wrecking crew spotted Mike Leake two outs, nobody on. Then after the MOTO got on base three straight times, Dae-Ho Lee knocked in the winning runs and Adam Lind dotted the exclamation point.
It's... Read More
medic!
Posted by jemanji on 06/26/16
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6 Comments
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AND PUT WINGS ON IT, SKIP dept.
The sportswriters sounded as eager as anybody to shed Nate Karns. They asked Servais hopefully, you got some healthy pitchers coming back, any chance one of them could pitch for Karns next time? (They asked the question in journo-speak, of course, but the spirit was clear. There's nothing a sportswriter hates more than an un-brisk baseball game. Sometimes you suspect that maybe they forget that they're living their childhood dreams?)
But! Servais was as hard to read as Doyle Brunson. He smiled, well, we just want as many healthy pitchers as we can get... Read More
BJOL hasn't yet noticed the forward lean
Posted by jemanji on 06/25/16
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5 Comments
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Gnatto has a fun little philosophical question for us:
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Matt, if Paxton continues this standard of pitching for 20 more years... When did the upgrade happen?
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Or for five more years, like Sandy Koufax. Same question applies. Three ways of looking at it:
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ON-FIELD IMPACT
I've always been fascinated by the way that no-name players can function as HOF'ers in any particular game, or week, or month. In 2014, Dallas Keuchel took off out of the gate pitching as well as, say, Felix Hernandez. In a given three-game set that year, we had a huge advantage on paper. On the green grass of the... Read More
Bat571 takes the board deep!
Posted by jemanji on 06/25/16
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THE JAMIE MOYER COMP
Before, during and after the game Bat571 insisted on (the possibility of) this comparison. The exit velocity was clocked at 112.8 MPH when Scott Servais slammed exactly the same comp during his postgame interview - even sharing that Edgar and he were laughing about the Moyer/LeBlanc comparison during the game. That would be a lot of fun to watch if you were Bat, wouldn't it? Heh.
When Edgar blinkin' Martinez points his finger at one of 9,000 pitchers and says, now THAT guy takes me back, you've really got something.
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Dr. D is not partial to Moyer comps --- >... Read More
let's get a thumb on the scale in the 8th inning, shall we
Posted by jemanji on 06/25/16
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Fangraphs' playoff odds reports offer several ways of looking at the 2016 season:
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COIN FLIP MODE: Here you simply assign a 50-50 chance for every game for every team. Supposing that there are 15 different hydros with the Mariners' 25-man roster playing against each other the rest of the way. What are any team's chances of winding up in the playoffs, given the current standings? The M's chances come out to 21% based on this assumption.
The Red Sox are +9 over .500, the Blue Jays are +5 over .500, the Royals +4, the Tigers +2, the White Sox, Yankees and Mariners =0, the next best team... Read More
the Poster Boy for the M's June identity :- )
Posted by jemanji on 06/24/16
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11 Comments
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Q. Is there something about Nate Karns' pitching that inherently limits him to 90 pitches and 5 innings?
A. Scott Servais is of the opinion that around pitch 80, Karns starts dropping his center of gravity -- and his release point -- in order to maintain velocity. So Servais himself is on the record that at the moment, 90 pitches is a good number for Karns.
It's not clear to me why a drop-and-drive delivery is a bad thing, but it's nice to know that Servais is on the cutting edge of analyzing his players.
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Q. What do the stats say?
A. Whatever the stats say, our minds' eyes have... Read More
well, we know he gets his weight through the ball, anyway
Posted by jemanji on 06/24/16
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3 Comments
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Q. What is the BEST thing that could happen?
A. Two best case scenarios that could happen. As y'know, we live to serve. First one, Bat571 offered the following:
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I hope Dan Wilson is there as the 7th coach for LeBlanc's start. He seems to be there for home games. He caught Moyer from the very first of Moyer's time in Seattle almost to the very last and could very well help Wade to make the same kind of adjustments that Jamie made at the same career point. I think Dan is a good argument for the influence a catcher CAN have with the right kind of staff. Hope he's there and in the works... Read More
Dave Rollins is quite willing to throw a baseball for you, if you're so inclined
Posted by jemanji on 06/24/16
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4 Comments
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Bat571 sez,
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If Aoki gets optioned or DL'd as part of the roster moves, I hope Heredia still gets PAs at Tacoma and gets the chance to make his case. I really think he's the one "ace in the hole" the M's may have.
I'm betting they option Aoki as sort of a 10-day DL so they can carry the extra BP arm for the weekend and until Walker's start. Especially if Sampson goes on the DL, that makes a lot of sense to me. O'Malley is better insurance at more spots if they're short a benchie.
... Yeah, going to be complicated, Griz, but since they CAN option Aoki, which is a 10-day stint, rather than... Read More
M's team ERA 4.95 in June; maybe the bad guys are on to something
Posted by jemanji on 06/24/16
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18 Comments
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Hey Bill had a Q (and A) that relayed several things I hadn't realized:
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Hey Bill, I have an issue that has long confused me, and I hope it's not so broad a query as to be unanswerable. I hear broadcasters variously attribute in-game pitch selection to the manager, the catcher, or the pitcher, depending on what narrative they seem to be painting at the time (e.g. "he used to be a thrower now he's a pitcher who knows what to throw when"). Sometimes seemingly contradicting themselves by solely attributing this ability to separate players at different times.
So with caveats that there... Read More
A look at some intriguing matchups
Posted by jschario on 06/23/16
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The knockout round has been set at Euro 2016 in France, and thanks to a larger field, 16 teams start the round, with four of the best three seeds advancing in the 2016 edition. The expanded field yielded much controversy, but there have been some pleasant surprises such as Wales and Ireland. Both of whom have played atonishingly well considering their past histories.
Summing up the play so far, the most disappointing team would have to be Portugal, who needed the expanded format to even get to the group stages. Not to mentiona Cristiano Ronaldo brace that featured one of the most brillant... Read More
Offense, not that great
Posted by jschario on 06/22/16
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ESPN's Bill Barnwell ranked his top defensive and offensive triplets from 32-1 this week and last, and where Seattle landed with their respective big three's may surprise.
On the defensive side, the threesome of safety Earl Thomas, defensive lineman Michael Bennett and cornerback Richard Sherman stood atop the rankings, and who could argue. Thomas is if not the best safety in the game today, the best player on the defensive side of the ball. Bennett is the most versatile defensive lineman in the game, with the ability to play inside or outside, stop the run and rush the passer, and he can do... Read More
Earl was right. About a great many things
Posted by jemanji on 06/22/16
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6 Comments
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We asked Rick whether MLB(TM) was making any noises about automating the strike zone. He sez
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Not a peep
from MLB execs, although last year's test of an automated strike zone in a minor league game had excellent reviews, even from the umpires involved. (1)
But it can't go on like this, because nobody trusts the ump over the little tracer box, and people don't go to games to watch umpires. Every game on TV has a little box shadowing the ump, to see whether he's doing his job right, and the networks just leave it there for every single pitch. No way is anyone going to even argue that... Read More
Lost in the noise has been a pleasing development ...
Posted by jemanji on 06/22/16
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14 Comments
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FAMOUS COMPANIES AND THEIR POWER-WORD ASSOCIATIONS
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F-500 Concern
Power Word(s)
SSI Grok
Most-Comparable M's Grok
Coca-Cola
Refresh
Does 11 teaspoons of sugar in 8 oz. of water quench YOUR thirst?
UZR roster construction
Ford
Proud
Know anybody who brags about their Focus? 0-for-2
Hargrove
McDonald's
Quick, Smile
Truth in advertising this time
Dae-Ho Lee
Disney
Happy
Pretty much IS the happiest place in the world
The Edgar
Twitter
Friends, Family
Here Dr. D thought it was about rage and/or clickthroughs
Concession prices
Ikea
Design
They do stay ahead of the curve
Jerry DiPoto
Verizon... Read More
USMNT has a long way to go
Posted by jschario on 06/21/16
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At the end of the day, Argentina showed why they are ranked as the top national team in the soccer world by FIFA, and the United States showed why they are 31st. If there is any silver lining in losing the way they did, it's that Jurgen Klinsmann learned how valuable Bobby Wood, Jermaine Jones and Alejandro Bedoya are. Or that the US still has much work to do if they are going to compete for championships.
Argentina came in as heavy favorites, as they should be (they do have the best player in the world in their uniform after all). They play with such skill, rhythm, cohesion and creativity... Read More
Posted by jschario on 06/20/16
Three hoopers with Pacific Northwest connections received an invite to the 2016 NBA Draft, which is to be held this Thursday, June 23rd at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Representing the Washington Huskies will be Marquesse Chriss and Dejounte Murray, and representing Gonzaga is Domantas Sabonis. Chriss and Murray are the first Huskies to be invited to attend the draft since Terrance Ross in 2012.
Both Chriss and Murray were on the receiving end of a lot of criticism for coming out early as "one-and-done" players, with many initial projections pegging them towards the end of the first round... Read More
just a quick first take to get our arms 'round the sitch
Posted by jemanji on 06/20/16
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5 Comments
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Q. Checksum = Required
A. No solid prognosis at this point, babe. You gotta give the mainframe two batters if you want 5,000 words out of it. Well, no you don't. But y'know.
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Q. What's the general template?
A. The 2015-16 version of Lee reminds of a Doug Fister, Brian Holman, Ian Kennedy type. Real ability to mix four (4) pitches and a darts champ look and feel to motion and his 1+ walk rate.
A pitcher 's worth 1,000 words. Check this out :- )
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He sometimes gets accused of having no scary pitch. As did those other guys, but you do have the 7 strikeout rate to think about when... Read More
no matter where you go, there you are Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 06/20/16
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4 Comments
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Psychologists tell us that some personality traits are subject to change, others are harder to change, and others go firmly into the "cradle-to-grave" category.
In Dr. D's case, there is no shortage of the latter, the long-term quirks that he'll be saddled with in two years or two hundred. He is resigned to permanent friendship with comfort food, to being the guy at the party with a lampshade on his head, and to a hopeful orientation towards Chris Taylor. In the Mariners' case, that means a fondness for long-distance relationships, particularly relationships with ca. 2001 banners in their... Read More
World champs Germany still looking to hit their stride
Posted by jschario on 06/19/16
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A favorite has finally showed itself in Euro 2016. The two-time defending champions Spain, produced a work of absolute art in their match against Turkey Thursday, becoming the first team in the tournament to score more than two goals.
Spain was so brilliant; they left not just anyone who watched the game in awe, but the Turkish as well. It was as if they turned back the clock to their run as one of the best international teams in the history of the game, retaining possession and picking apart their opposition.
They may no longer be ranked number one in the world – Argentina showed why they... Read More
strange team in a strange land, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 06/18/16
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2 Comments
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“I never do anything I don't want to do. Nor does anyone, but in my case I am always aware of it.” ― Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land
"Chess can be a relaxing game if you play it that way." - Mikhail Tal
"I don't know about reporters, but I LIKE being at the ballpark." - Rob Neyer
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Q. Is Adrian Sampson a quad-A starter?
A. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck ... check the late bite on its slider.
In Sampson's case, that power slider could be a "separator" that makes him a little bit different from other PCL starters. As well, he seems to spot... Read More
as if Seattle Sports Insider didn't fill the niche to bursting
Posted by jemanji on 06/18/16
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1 Comments
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Jeff Sullivan did a report on umpire favoritism. So far this year the M's are the #3 in the Umpire Hatred Power Rankings, with -50 net strikes we've lost; Texas is at the other end. Like Steph Curry's wife, I'm sure I'll be deleting this Tweet momentarily.
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Shannon Drayer reports that Felix, um, leaped a training plateau and could be back soon. Meanwhile, the TNT characterizes Wade Miley's shoulder problemo as an "impingement." Miley will miss a few starts "if all goes well." At the same time, Carson Cistulli is giving James Paxton off-the-charts NERD scores for Joy of Baseball... Read More
we had 'em all the way
Posted by jemanji on 06/18/16
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FRANKLIN GUTIERREZ
Quotable: "His pitches were over the plate. When (they) leave pitches over the plate, you can do whatever you want with those pitches. That’s what happened."
Dr. D always laughs when he hears an announcer say this: "Kobe can score whenever he wants." If I were Kobe that would mean 142 points per game, average. What could possibly happen to cause you to not want to score?
Guti, however, found pitches he could do whatever he wanted with, and what he wanted to do was hit homers to left, center and right. Well, the one to right bounced off the wall, so we'll put... Read More
Posted by jschario on 06/17/16
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It looks like Jurgen Klinsmann wasn’t crazy after all for forecasting a semifinal finish for the United States in the Copa America Centenario. In front of a passionate crowd as is custom in Seattle, the men’s national team pulled out a 2-1 win over a formidable Ecuador side.
"Our program is maturing," coach Jurgen Klinsmann said afterward. "Our players are maturing. They are learning with every game they can play in this type of an environment. This is what we had hoped for."
Ecuador, ranked 13th in FIFA’s world rankings, had an advantage coming in as Deandre Yedlin was suspended for... Read More
Let's hope Dae-Ho and Boomstick pull a fly ball or two
Posted by jemanji on 06/17/16
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2 Comments
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5.82 RUNS PER GAME
For those who haven't looked directly at the sun, fearing for their retinas, the 2016 Red Sox are spraying out runs like a snow machine:
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Master Blaster
Age
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS+
Comparable Player
D. Ortiz, DH
40
.344
.423
.715
194
Lou Gehrig
X. Bogaerts, SS
23
.352
.401
.513
141
Nomar Garciaparra
J. Bradley, CF
26
.305
.382
.573
149
Fred Lynn's rookie year
M. Betts, RF
23
.288
.338
.516
122
Nelson Cruz, Texas
D. Pedroia
32
.312
.372
.471
122
Dustin Pedroia
T. Shaw, 3B
26
.270
.336
.456
108
Kyle Seager
C. Young, part time
32
.286
.353
.562
138
Dae-Ho Lee
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Not counting Hanley... Read More
Gordon's musings, so take them with a grain of salt
Posted by G_Money on 06/17/16
37 Comments
The Day 1 and 2 thoughts were chats, and the rest just put to paper so I have reference for myself for later so I can see what I missed. Take them for what they're worth, and I hope you find something interesting if it scratches an itch. This is the most baseball-related activity I've done all year.
Day 1:Pick 1: Kyle Lewis. BA player of the year 2016. .535 OBP, .395 BA. 2nd most walks in the nation. Not sure where the undeveloped power swing rap comes from. Putting Lewis with Edgar Martinez may be the greatest thing that could have ever happened to the kid. Power is his game, and he's... Read More
smoke and fire starting to accumulate in Thessaly
Posted by jemanji on 06/17/16
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4 Comments
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ZEUS, the CHAIN-LIGHTNING'Y POKEMON EVOLUTION OF K-PAX
In Pokemon, you have a Charmander and you "evolve" it to Level 2 Charmeleon and then to the Level 3 monstrosity Charizard. Well, that's how it was in the 1990's. I think these days there are Level 5 Charizard-EX type cards that don't have to be evolved - just snap it down onto the field and rain death at 300 hit points per shot. Not bad when no pocket monster facing the card is going to have more than 120 or so hit points. So what's the excess 180 points for? Flavor text, mostly.
K-Pax' "evolution" Zeus rains 99, 100 MPH fastballs... Read More
a win, and a career, to shout about
Posted by jemanji on 06/17/16
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15 Comments
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DAE-HO LEE
They reported on TV that Big Boy was crestfallen over the freefall of his batting average (down to .288). Lee shortened up his stroke and lined an RBI single into center in the first inning. Later in the game, he lined a two-RBI double down the right field line. With his OPS+ back up to a respectable 150, we're sure he can now live with himself.
Technically, the jury is still out scientifically on whether sugar causes obesity, whether matter and energy conserve, and whether Dae-Ho Lee's "sample size" has established him as this year's Jung-Ho Kang. But if there's anything you... Read More
it's go time
Posted by jemanji on 06/17/16
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4 Comments
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This from RockiesJeff:
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Okay, can breathe a sigh. I didn't want to be saying something until it happened so.....Jeremy just signed. Long day with physicals. He had been at their Training Facility since 6am but just signed right before the Chick fila closed....he is now a professional baseball player! He gets [xyz] for a signing bonus in part in 60 as has to go through commissioner's office and then second payment next year. This comes with separate reimbursement for him giving up the scholarship at Bradley. He will have approximately [90%] put into an escrow account for education only in... Read More
Posted by jschario on 06/15/16
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After securing their spot atop Group A, many thought the US Men's National Team would have been facing Peru in the quarterfinal round. Instead, Peru upset the power house that once was Brazil thanks to a fortuitous blown call on a handball in the box that led to Peru's lone goal, which proved to be the game winner.
Alas, the Americans are playing Ecuador, another team that Brazil may have taken lightly, as they tied the Selecão in their opening match. They will likely have the best home field advantage they could ask for as the USMT will take on the Ecuadorians in Seattle at Century Link.... Read More
or should we say, stRange opponent
Posted by jemanji on 06/15/16
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6 Comments
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It's a weird sports psychology cycle that the Soviet grandmasters spent a lot of time on. 1960 World Champion Tal met Viktor Korchnoi in an important tournament, committed an embarrassing blunder against him to lose and "after that, Tal always played against me as if he were doomed," according to Viktor the Terrible.
Bobby Fischer, from 1959-1967, had a way of botching things up against the Russians. He would outplay them for 30 moves, but they'd be slithering around, hanging on to life, seeking the tactical blow that they felt should be rightfully theirs. They usually found it. Fischer... Read More
M's fumble another easy win, want no part of the recovery
Posted by jemanji on 06/14/16
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GAMEFLOW - EARLY
Taijuan came out driving the fastball high and deep, complete with the weird knee-locked hip swing and all the trimmings. Within 10 pitches, he had the entire city of Tampa Bay cheating high and early. Anything other than a high fastball was a freebie for him ... except he didn't throw anything else. At pitch 46, the F/X had Taijuan for 44 fastballs and 2 offspeed.
Didn't matter. Taijuan generated 11 swings and misses before he left the game in the fourth inning, and it looked like another 8 3 0 0 0 0 11 line for him.
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The Seattle Murderer's Row is comfortably the... Read More
congrats RockiesJeff
Posted by jemanji on 06/14/16
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7 Comments
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RockiesJeff, aka Jeff Gwinn, is the bona fide pitching coach who always comes on and asks to sit at our feet to learn about pitching. When he does this Dr. D likes to change the subject ...
A lot of real baseball people seem to have this ability, to ride in a crowded train car and nobody ever feels an elbow from them. Part of that is the nature of baseball life, the fact that you're crowded into small rooms with large men for long periods of time. Many baseball people have a natural grace, charm and ease about them that makes everybody else feel great. RockiesJeff is the personification... Read More
Posted by jschario on 06/13/16
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In the Pete Carroll era, the Seattle Seahawks have been more than prone to thinking outside the box, so having former NBA star and Seattle-native Nate Robinson in camp getting a tryout should not really be considered outside the box at this point.
Robinson is one of the best athletes the Seattle area has ever produced, starring in track as well as the gridiron and hardwood at Rainier Beach High before playing at the University of Washington on a football scholarship. In his only collegiate season as a freshman, Nate Rob started six games and picked off two interceptions, including one in an... Read More
Possibly avoids Brazil in the quarterfinals
Posted by jschario on 06/12/16
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Before the outset of the Copa America tournament, before kicking off in Santa Clara last week, Team USA manager Jurgen Klinsmann claimed that the goal was to get to the final four. Many thought that such a goal would be a bit too lofty for the hosts, with Colombia in their group and Brazil their likely quarterfinal opponent. Although now, with Group A all wrapped up, it seems that the final four may not be out of the questionfor Klinsmann and co.
Behind Clint Dempsey's goal in the 27th minute, the US did just enough to hold onto a 1-0 win over Paraguay despite playing much of the second half... Read More
Posted by jschario on 06/11/16
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Stateside, there's a bevy of stars playing in the Copa America tournament. However, of the biggest South American stars are holding out until the knockout rounds. Leo Messi and Neymar are prime examples with Neymar missing the entire tournament in order to appease Barcelona enough to release him to play in the Olympics to be held in Rio de Janiero.
A look over to the other side of the pond and all the biggest European stars will be suiting up for the entire tournament. Cristiano Ronaldo, Andres Iniesta, Wayne Rooney, the list goes on. Here are a few others you should keep your eyes on for... Read More
Texas nearly runs down the M's, but this time the hero escapes
Posted by jemanji on 06/11/16
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GAMEFLOW EARLY - AHEAD ON BOXERS' POINTS AGAIN
Earl was asked what a HOF manager is looking at when the game starts. His reply, first thing is he wants a guage on how the starters are throwing that night. Derek Holland looked "meh" from here, while Iwakuma looked solid but not razor-sharp.
Certainly Kuma was pitching ahead in the count ... er, controlling the zone (TM). And he had them in between, swinging weirdly through 87-90 fastballs down the middle. On the other hand, the CF camera wasn't showing any late break on his offspeed, and that turned out to be right:
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Kuma mvmt June 10... Read More
M's turn their own power to their disadvantage, botch a big one
Posted by jemanji on 06/10/16
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9 Comments
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GAMEFLOW
In the Shout Box in the early innings, we were counting hard-hit balls. After three-plus innings we had it at M's 8, Indians 1, if you included loud fouls raked to the pull field. Official base hits themselves?, if you're into objectivity which you should not be?, were 6:1 also. Four of the first five M's hitters squared Tomlin up and launched him:
Seth Smith hit a 3u that had to be 104 MPH, minimum (.800 BABIP on that ball)
Cano hit a ball through the batter's eye in center
Nelson Cruz hit one of his hot-shot .257 Weatherbys into right field
Kyle Seager hit a near-HR foul that... Read More
a #11 overall? how can we go wrong with a pick THAT high?
Posted by jemanji on 06/09/16
Posted to blog
20 Comments
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We'll see here whether the denizens want a comments "thread" or whether they want to use the Shout Box for this 'un. Probably depends on whether G-Money or Spec have extensive thoughts on the M's pick? :- )
Here's the MLB Draft Tracker.
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Mojo said,
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Aaand, the Orcs take another 12 year old pitcher nobody has heard of with their high draft pick. AJ Puk (rhymes with Muck) LHP from Florida. The Orcs like 'em young because the 12 year old immune system does not reject Orc DNA as readily. After six months of transmutation in the dungeon, we can be sure that Puk will be hungry for man... Read More
Coming to a historical society near you
Posted by moethedog on 06/09/16
4 Comments
As it turns out, my brother is the Executive Director of the Oregon Historical Society. OHS has pulled off a terrific coup in regards to baseball history. An anonymous private collector has purchased a document they are calling the “Magna Carta of Baseball”—the first ever written down rules of the game—$3.3 million. He contacted my brother asking if OHS would like to get first crack at displaying this document. Naturally OHS jumped at the chance! The display is scheduled to run from late June to early September. This will be a blockbuster that will likely draw baseball fans from around... Read More
if you spot this man, dial 1-800-REALCLUB
Posted by jemanji on 06/09/16
Posted to blog
7 Comments
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Face it. If the Seattle Mariners were a first-person shooter, you'd have logged out of the game last weekend. And missed the final cut scene where you saw the center of the galaxy.
Okay, the M's haven't exactly seen the center of Downtown Seattle Ticker Tape yet, much less the center of the galaxy. But those who stayed, saw that after the bolo-plastique took their heads off, they re-spawned in a turreted sniper tower with a "broken" rifle. There you go, SSI told you so. Five such iterations down, eight more to go. And nobody gets to mention the fact that Dr. D told you so in 2015, too... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 06/08/16
Posted to blog
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SUPERSTITION - THE ACCIDENTAL POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT OF RANDOM BEHAVIOR
It's a very, very good thing that stressed out major league players -- > hop over foul lines and keep the same sweat socks for 42 days and stuff like that. How many hits does a given bat have in it? It all goes to the issue of mental re-boots.
One of those dudes borrows a team-mate's bat, and gets two hits, and ... the best case scenario is that the lighter bat really improved something. Or re-organized the hitter's thinking. The worst case scenario is that the player felt re-booted, felt like the slump might... Read More
that, or a couple of home runs go foul
Posted by jemanji on 06/08/16
Posted to blog
3 Comments
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One of the following two strike zone plots are from Wade Miley's shutout last night, and the other is from his 9-run game the time before. Can you tell which is which?
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Miley 2
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The second plot is from the 9-run game against a pathetic offense. The first one is the shutout against the smokin' hot Indians. if anything, the second plot is the better one, but they're very similar. ALL strike zone plots look alike after 100 pitches. Wade Miley wasn't perfect last night; he had a two-run homer go ten feet foul for him, and he had three doubles hit Kyle Seager in the mitt, and another... Read More
stickin' it to The Man
Posted by jemanji on 06/08/16
Posted to blog
9 Comments
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GAMEFLOW
If Wade Miley seems like an unappetizing night in the open air, having watched James Paxton and Edwin Diaz, tell that to the poor saps who watched Jeff (not Jered) Weaver, Horacio Ramirez and Cha-Seung Baek ten years ago.
GM Emanuel Lasker stated that the prettiest variation is always the most economical and functional variation - beauty is found in the least pretentious path to success. Also in first innings that take 2 minutes, 41 seconds* to occur.
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Miley and some ad hoc Indians starter matched zeroes until the latter made a mistake in the first inning. His mistake wasn't... Read More
Now 1-0-1
Posted by jschario on 06/07/16
Posted to blog
The first Copa America on U.S. soil started last week and is in full swing, with the hosts Team USA already logging two matches in group play. It was not easy as their first two matches were against arguably the best two teams in their group, Colombia and Costa Rica.
Of course, the USMT kicked off the Copa America Centenario in Pasadena Calif. taking on Colombia at the Rose Bowl. They host handily, dropping three points after a 2-0 loss to los cafeteros. Star midfielder James Rodriguez scored for the Colombians, with the US struggling to get much going despite playing on their home turf.... Read More
the moral of the story is ...
Posted by jemanji on 06/07/16
Posted to blog
15 Comments
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DR. DETECTO INTERNET PROFILE
Profession - shtick
Training and Education - once owned a 1988 Bill James Abstract
Likes - Seattle Mariners, molcajete, cats, think tank amigos
Dislikes - Any food that is greeen, reptile "pets" (lizard brains don't requite human affection), Seattle Mariners (also don't requite human affection)
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STAR-CROSSED
Dr. D can sympathize with those amigos who have concluded that the Mariners are cursed. After all, many historical baseball teams have actually been cursed, such as the Red Sox and Cubs, and their curses lasted about six times as long as the M's current... Read More
so that's why the paintings used the wrong hand...
Posted by jemanji on 06/07/16
Posted to blog
3 Comments
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There was a time, say, two years ago, when Dr. D would have had to come on the postgame and convince the denizens of what happened. Now they know before he tells them. So we'll settle for guessing at what you might not have noticed, what you might want to wallow in a bit further, or what entertains Dr. D his ownself regardless of its usefulness
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VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCE
Dr. D is completely baffled as to how the villagers score three runs on Zeus hurling lightning bolts from Mt. Olympus. We're guessing there would be a lot of scurrying, death, and luck involved. The gameflow would be... Read More
as if we didn't have enough subplots in 2016
Posted by jemanji on 06/07/16
Posted to blog
13 Comments
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On a grander scale, we remember back in the dawn of the Internet Age. When Hideki "Typhoon" Irabu was landing on the Eastern Seaboard and none of us had seen him. He was reputed to have a 100 MPH fastball and about six different offspeed pitches, which, if true, would have made him not a Cy Young contender but good and sufficient cause for changing baseball's rules.
It was remarkable how little video was available on Edwin Diaz. MILB.com had like two pitches' worth, taken from a range that would have gotten Mojician into the moose hunter's hall of fame. YouTube had a couple of minutes'... Read More
Go 1-2 at NCAA Regionals
Posted by jschario on 06/06/16
However you want to look at this past season for the Husky baseball program, what's clear is that it is on an upward trend. Despite losing two out of three in their NCAA Regional tournament appearance, they put up a valiant effort, losing both games by a combined three runs.
This year marked their second NCAA Tournament appearance in the last three years, and it's clear that Lindsey Meggs has found the right formula, inspiring his players to play with confidence. Before this year, Meggs' seventh as Husky head coach, the program has made one NCAA Tournament appearance since 2004 and had been... Read More
It all depends on Thomas Rawls
Posted by jschario on 06/05/16
Posted to blog
2 Comments
Looking towards the offensive backfield for the Seattle Seahawks, one gets a sense of familiarity and unfamiliarity at the same time. Gone is the dependable workhorse that is Marshawn Lynch, but the new lead back Thomas Rawls is a known commodity. Christine Michael is also known amongst the Seahawks fanbase although we would all be lying if we said we knew whether we've resigned the Michael that we saw last year or the consistently inconsistent back of old.
So those two are back there, seems solid, let's just sign a couple more to bring into camp and compete for that third spot you might say... Read More
Posted by jschario on 06/05/16
Posted to blog
This summer is one filled with quality soccer. Stateside we have the Copa America, later in the season we have the Olympics in Brazil where the likes of Neymar will compete, and likely the best of all the summer competitions, the Euro Cup, starts this week.
What makes the Euro Cup the best tournament in soccer - even better than the World Cup according to some - is that it's only the best players and best teams facing each other. Unlike the World Cup, you won't see France playing a team the likes of South Korea. Instead you see France take on the likes of Spain, England or Cristiano Ronaldo's... Read More
watch out, lady, there are cowboys and indians in the woods the next 10 days
Posted by jemanji on 06/04/16
Posted to blog
1 Comments
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Cowboys and Indians of the Texas and Cleveland variety, of course. Wouldn't want to stand around in those woods hoping something good will just happen to you by accident.
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SMOKE BILLOWING FROM UNDER THE HOOD
Wednesday May 25, ten days ago, the Mariners beat the Orcs by 13-3. They were sitting on a 28-18 record, +1.5 games in the division, and they had a 120 ERA+. Unfortunately Leonys "MothaLode" Martin tweaked a hammy in that game.
Since then, the 120 ERA+ Mariners have coughed up the following run totals, game-by-game: 7. 6. 5. 3. 4. 14. 13. 7. 10. In ten days their ERA+ has... Read More
sing us a song, you're the RBI man
Posted by jemanji on 06/04/16
Posted to blog
2 Comments
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In his first ups on Sunday, Dae-Ho Lee faced on 0-2 count against LHP Martin Perez. He got a 93 mph fastball in on the black, letter high, real tough jam pitch. He pulled his elbows in and smacked it solidly into center field for a single. Tremendous plate coverage!, he hits balls shin high, hits them off the black, fights them off inside, destroys mistakes. He had a long single to left later in the game. He's batting .319/.354/.582 in right about a 100 plate appearances.
Sure, anything can happen in a hundred chances. But you've watched this guy hit just like I have. He sits five... Read More
M's do the right thing
Posted by jemanji on 06/04/16
Posted to blog
11 Comments
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THE LITTLE LEMON ICE CREAM CONE TO CLEANSE YOUR PALATE BEFORE THE QUAIL IS SERVED
May 12th we had a philosophical take on Diaz' conversion.
Today, Lookout Landing stacks up the talking-point bricks and piles them into a neat little wall. Nice job amigos.
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PREGAME CONSIDERATIONS
1. It wouldn't be at all unusual for Edwin Diaz, Mark Lowe, or whoever, to be throwing 1-IP stints in AA (or even A+) and just flat-out be the best pitcher in the organization.
1b. Scouts are well aware of this. And are not averse to bullet promotions for such relievers. Chris Sale.
1c. It would be unusual,... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 06/03/16
Posted to blog
4 Comments
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The Shout Box denizens are enjoying the M's bats most thoroughly. Let us wallow in the vast glory that is the Safeco hitting attack.
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PREAMBLE
With the beard shaved and, admittedly, a few years shaved, Dr. D in real life looks quite a bit like Jack Black. The above photo should rightfully be the site avatar. But Jack Black is a little too centered and rational to represent the author, so we go with a character that is a little more period-accurate.
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PROLOGUE
Josh appreciated Gnatto's report about [the Shout Box on mobile phones] and sez
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Thanks for the heads up – we get thousands of... Read More
If you control the zone, he will come ... the guy with extra scoresheets, that is
Posted by jemanji on 06/03/16
Posted to blog
2 Comments
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FIELD OF EXTREMES, Dept.
This March we baseball dorked. What grabs you more: a run at a no-hitter? A 16-13 arena baseball game? Or Nelson Cruz pulling down TWO line drives hit way over his head in the same game?
Tonight, you got in touch with your inner baseball toddler.
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ANY RESEMBLANCE TO BASEBALL IS STRICTLY COINCIDENTAL, Dept.
Rick, Bat, Dr. D and crew took to the Shout Box to share baseball wisdom for the ages. The "Shout Box GameFlow" was like Groundhog Day, when sobbing Bill Murray drove the pickup off the side of the quarry ... it flipped a slow half turn and landed upside... Read More
Not pictured below: either player
Posted by jemanji on 06/03/16
Posted to blog
13 Comments
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TO THE VICTOR GO THE SPOILS
First principles in generating clickthroughs, or at a bare minimum, good will: use photos of puppies, children, and Dae-Ho Lee's wife.
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With the M's down 12-4 Thursday and two runners on base, LHP Brad Hand worked the count to 3-2 on Dae-Ho Lee. Understanding that fastballs are the right and proper Coin Of The Realm, understanding that on a 3-2 count nobody wants to see a pitcher sneak an 88-MPH fastball by them, Hand crossed Lee up with a curve ball.
Lee crossed Hand up by expressing his own understanding of realm coinage, far into the left field... Read More
scrounging for PREDICTABLE depth
Posted by jemanji on 06/02/16
Posted to blog
2 Comments
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Originally published Oct. 19, 2015. Martin pitched as advertised on June 2, 2016 - Nintendo change curve and a knack for fooling hitters. It's not clear what a #5 starter is doing in this particular bullpen, but DiPoto has had good results with sabermetric orientation at times in the past.
Comments on Cody Martin, Edwin Diaz or sundry are welcome below. - Dr D
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It's easy to gauge Dr. D's level of interest in a new Mariners pitcher. If the guy's a meatball, well ... if you can't say anything nice about a person, don't say anything at all. That, or link up NinersNation on him. If the... Read More
What are the US' chances?
Posted by jschario on 06/02/16
Posted to blog
The Copa America kicks off tomorrow with hosts USA taking on James Rodriguez and Colombia. It's the first Copa America tournament to no be held in South America, and will kick off at Soldier Field in Chicago. The USA makes a return to the tournament, and head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has said that the goal is to get to the semifinals. But what are the realistic expectations for Team USA?
Let's start with the coach, shall we? Klinsmann is in his fifth year at the helm of the American ship, and despite much fanfare around his arrival, his results have been somewhat underwhelming. Yes, the USMT... Read More
some pretty cool teams have had Steady Eddies at third base
Posted by jemanji on 06/02/16
Posted to blog
2 Comments
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It would be normal and natural if Kyle Seager had his best year at age 28. Right now it looks like that's what he's doing. Oh! yeah in the stats as well as on the field:
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Yrs
G
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
Remark
24-25
155-160
.260
.320
.425
110
20 homers. Hard-pull ability with CT% ability
26-27
155-170
.268
.333
.450
120
25 homers
28
.287
.364
.528
146
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The stats back up the eye here - Seager is anticipating the pitches better. He has cut his fishing percentage from 30% to 24% and his swing-at-strikes % has gone up from 63% to 71%. It ain't the numbers, dude. It's that he's seeing the ball... Read More
Padres 14, M's 6
Posted by jemanji on 06/02/16
Posted to blog
5 Comments
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"p p p"
"PPPa"
"PAXTON."
"Darling."
In Frank Miller's 1980's reinvention of Batman, there's a clever scene where a catatonic Joker wakes up because he hears a long-lost Batman's name over a TV report. As is usually the case, real life is more interesting than the comix. Miller should have had Joker stand up off his couch demonically, slide eyes left and right, glide over to the door, and ...
get beaten down by two hallway janitors. Now that would have been unexpected.
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Be that as it may, Dr. D is awake and alert, as is James Paxton (albeit holding ice to his lip this morning). ... Read More
Dr. D is anything but bored with strike-throwing K-Pax
Posted by jemanji on 06/02/16
Posted to blog
4 Comments
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Easy to sympathize with yer impressions that James Paxton's "sidearm" motion created pleasant hitting angles for people. Even to sympathize with yer impression that the adjustment created a totally different pitcher.
The Mainframe's grok is different, though, and we'll tell yer exactly why:
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MOVEMENT
Here is a Brooks movement chart from his first game last year - Apr. 7, 2015, in which he mowed down the Angels:
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fastball movement 7x8 inches
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And here is a movement chart from the game last night:
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fastball movement 8x8 inches
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Of the above two movement charts, it is last night's that... Read More