Keep in mind that any given player might fizzle-and-sizzle back and forth across the net a bunch of times.  We're just day tradin'.

.

=== Eric Byrnes, Fizzler? ===

Scratched! from the lineup due to flu.  In early March.  LOL.

I'm not burying the guy of course, but if 'flu' meant "too hung over to play baseball at noon when trying to make a baseball team," my knee-jerk reaction would be "alcoholic." 

I'm not saying that he was drunk, of course.  But in the baseball dictionary, the primary definition of "flu" is "hung over."  We're just saying we certainly hope this is one of the secondary definitions.

...............

My son plays high school sports, and when he has the flu, or a strained groin, or a fractured eyebrow from talking back to his mom, his coaches tell him to rub some dirt in it and play.

................

The third definition for "flu" in the baseball dictionary is "disciplined internally."  We trust this isn't the case, either.

................

Being scratched from the lineup on March 9th, for no particular injury, isn't the end of the world, but for Dr. D it brings a wry smile.  Oh well whatever nevermind.

.

=== Jason Vargas, Sizzler ===

That's now two games in a row that Vargas threw ground balls, and the ratio is now like 3 fly balls, 10 ground balls.

This is the last guy you'd expect to start throwing GB's, with that sidearm delivery -- no downward angle whatsoever.  He must really be pounding the shins with that fastball.

If he's going to use 2 (or 2.1) pitches, my question is what happens when the change drops into a lefty's wheelhouse.  I'm not saying he can't pitch.  I'm asking the question.

Still, SSI is intrigued by Vargas' early blizzard of GB's.  IMHO, Ian Snell can't reincarnate by throwing his de-facto-88-mph fastball into a 4x18 inch bar of the strike zone, but now Vargas, that's a different question.  Vargas' ball moves laterally through that little 4-inch bar at the knees.

Will be watching Vargas' GB ratio.  He's got command.  May Be.

.

==== Jack Wilson, Fizzler ===

A hammy in the first week?   Yee-uuugh.

Of course the M's should be careful with him.  Yeah, we know.  The question is where the legs are going to be in August, if they're tender March.

Valid excuse:  Jack Wilson moves his CG more than other pro SS's do.  He gets lower to the ball.  He moves explosively and he moves with vitality - all the time.  If he weren't so gung-ho, he wouldn't tweak so much.

...............

I don't think Wilson makes a ton of sense on the spreadsheet - his actual runs gained and lost aren't going to pencil out that well.

But it does make sense for your shortstop to be the captain of your ball club.  When the pitchers love their shortstop, they pitch differently.

................

You can't be the captain if you miss 50 games.  End of story.

I've enjoyed watching SS-captains since reading The White Rat, where Herzog traded for Ozzie Smith saying, "If it's raining, my SS (Templeton?) doesn't want to play.  If it's Tuesday, he doesn't want to play.  I've got to have a shortstop I can count on."

SSI loves the idea of a feisty, no-hit shortstop who is the captain of your team and the glue of the pitching staff.  But that idea is shot all to perdition when the man is off the field 50 games a year.

The justification for Jack Wilson is the synergy, and synergy is harmed when you don't know whether a man is going to be there.

.................

Tui at SS again today.  You can see the M's have a puzzle to solve here.

Any of those doctors have a Yoga/supplements program to keep the hammies safe?

Cheers,

Dr D