AFL PitchFX Pt. 1: James Simmons
by danmerqury on Nov 25, 2009 10:12 AM PST
24 comments
As you all know, Major League Baseball runs a fall league in Arizona for upper-level minor-league players, appropriately named the Arizona Fall League. The big news this year is that, for the first time, MLB installed PitchFX cameras. This is huge—it’s the first PitchFX look we’ve ever gotten from minor-leaguers. I’m going to crunch the numbers and take a look at the results, hopefully churning out some useful scouting reports in the process. I’ll start with our 2007 first-round draft pick out of UC Riverside, James Simmons (RHP).
24 comments | 9 recs
Greener Grass, Episode 7: Transportation Proclamation
by jeffro on Nov 24, 2009 10:33 AM PST
106 comments
So far, the frog in my pocket and I have looked at potential relocation markets, Bay Area dynamics specifically, San Jose process progress, potential sites in Oaktown, attendance history in Oaktown, and stadium culture suggestions.
Today we want to talk about the biggest downside to the potential San Jose stadium: Transportation.
106 comments | 5 recs
Scrapbook Memories - The Finale
by 67MARQUEZ on Nov 23, 2009 10:28 AM PST
21 comments
I woke up early the morning of Sunday October 29, 1989, walked down to the 7-11, and proceeded to buy one of each newspaper on the stand that day. Who knew that the images that adorned those sports pages would be brought back to life on a blog site some 20 years later?
Who knew that I would still be waiting for a Sunday like that one?
When we began this journey back in February, we saw an Oakland A's ball club coming off a heartbreaking end to their previous season, and my oldest sister Tonianne receiving the news that she had breast cancer:
I was so looking forward to Spring Training that year. I knew we were on the verge, especially after they way things ended in '88. Sadly, I really don't remember much of it. I started chemo in April. I had my first treatment just before we took Patrick to his first A's game (he was 19 months). I know we sat in the first deck and I brought the baseball glove booster seat that you gave him for his first birthday. Everyone got a kick out of it. He didn't sit in it very long though; one of us ended up holding him most of the game. I think that was the last time things felt normal for me that year.
Things were a little left of normal for Tony La Russa's A's that season, first with the rash of injuries to key players, then with unexpected competition from the likes of the Angels and Royals, and finally an earthquake that shook the Bay Area just minutes before the start of Game 3 of the World Series, which the A's led two games to none over the San Francisco Giants before Mother Nature crashed the party.
Tonianne, who was already one of the A's biggest fans before cancer, went to great lengths to show her true colors, though not intentionally:
The first chemo wasn't too bad and I don't think I was sick much if at all. It all went downhill after that. One of the drugs I was given was a fluorescent green color. I remember thinking Lasorda may think he bleeds Dodger blue but I really do have A's green running through my veins!
21 comments | 5 recs |
Old McPherson is an A, e yi e yi yoooooooo
by jeffro on Nov 22, 2009 10:19 AM PST
385 comments
From a dying Blogfather...
Hey, folks. The CVS/Food Bank event was awesome -- the Food Bank had hoped to collect somewhere between 200-350 pounds from our location, but our charming and articulate kids collected 707 pounds. 67MARQUEZ, gigglingone, and Wes7 showed up to lend their support as well as their cans. I woke up sick Saturday morning and went to bed sicker, which is why I'm crapping out and not writing a new post today.
Dallas McPherson. The next Jack Cust or just another failed journeyman? jeffro offers a snapshot of the A's latest acquisition:
Dallas is a coming to Oakland.
Dude has raked in the minor leagues, but not done so hot in the bigs.
Not so sure about his glove work. Those UZR numbers in the link above seem to swing a bunch though he is a total 10.2 at 3B.
What does AN think? I kind of like the low risk potential high reward.
Between McPherson, Patterson, Everidge, etc. (I refuse to write Chavez off, it tugs at me heart strings so) it seems this is the plan.
385 comments | 3 recs
Warning: Taking Seriously May Be Harmful To Your (Mental) Health
by Nico on Nov 20, 2009 8:16 PM PST
47 comments
First and foremost, all day Saturday (9am-5pm), I'm in front of the CVS at Shattuck/Rose in Berkeley, supervising student volunteers who will be guilt-tripping encouraging shoppers to donate canned foods and Robert Parishibles to the Alameda County Community Food Bank. OptimistPrime and 67MARQUEZ have promised to stop by at some point, and not just because I informed them that if they did stop by I would match all the canned food donations but if they didn't stop by I would take cans out of the barrel and hurl them at frightened kittens. Gigglingone is still thinking about how she feels about animal brutality and is listed as a "definite maybe."
Please stop by and say "hi" if you can. (I don't mean if you can say "hi" -- I mean if you can stop by.) By doing so, you will be helping the hungry (because if you don't stop by, I will see to it that my student volunteers starve). Oh yes, of course, you can bring canned foods too -- terrific idea, excellent point. But mostly, stop by and entertain me. And please don't use excuses like "I live on the East Coast" or "I have to go to work," because we both know that you can still buy a plane ticket and arrive before 5pm, or you can quit your job in order to come entertain me.
So be a team player -- show some grit and intangible leadership and tell the world, "I will make this a canned food drive, not a can't food drive." You were going to come until I said that, weren't you? Dang.
In other news, I'm excited to see some of baseball's metrics now being applied to other sports, as it shows how baseball is really at the forefront of complex statistical analysis.
Baseball fans are familiar with FIP, a pitching metric that only looks at "fielding independent" results such as walks, HRs, and HBP. The NBA has announced they will soon begin using a similar metric known as DIS. DIS stands for Defense Independent Shooting, and will look only at free throws, breakaway layups, and shots defended by Steve Nash. They are also trying to incorporate "line drive rate" into the metric, but so far only Shaq's free throws would be affected anyway.
I really don't get what takes so long about these Staturday posts -- I whipped that one out in less than 15 minutes. What do you mean? That's what who said? Oh, heh.
Finally, John Sickels interviewed Billy Beane yesterday. (I don't mean "He should have interviewed Billy a long time ago!" or "In his last act before dying, Sickels interviewed the A's GM. I mean this information is also the last item in this post.) The interview went kind of like this.
See you tomorrow for a cartoon and a real post -- or see you later today if you care at all about kittens.
47 comments | 0 recs
What To Expect From 2010
by baseballgirl on Nov 20, 2009 8:51 AM PST
261 comments
Nothing like articles like this to start your Friday off right! (But Happy Friday, almost holiday, everyone!)
From The Hot Stove Blog on Wednesday:
In his most definitive comments to date about his offseason plans, A's GM Billy Beane on Tuesday -- two days before the free-agency frenzy kicks off in earnest -- suggested that whatever money is available to upgrade the team's talent might stay in the coffers unless it's used to pay the salaries of young players brought in via trade.
Beane, now more than ever, is committed to going young. If he doesn't think a current need -- third base, first base, shortstop and left field are unsettled -- can be filled by a prospect from within the organization, he'll be looking for swap partners.
Ideally, top prospects such as third baseman Brett Wallace and first baseman/outfielder Chris Carter will quickly blossom into the positional equivalent of A's closer Andrew Bailey, who on Monday was named the AL Rookie of the Year.
"We're going to look at young players to fill spots, first and foremost," Beane said. "If those players we'd like to acquire aren't obtainable, we'll consider bringing in guys who can hold the positions down. We're going to stay disciplined and try to do everything we can to fill those spots with young players.
Are we really going to say goodbye to free agent fun and speculations this off-season? From this report, it looks like the A's are holding steady with the group of youngsters they already have in the system (or trading them for other young players who play different positions). I also thought the "positional equivalent of Andrew Bailey" was an interesting choice of words; we aren't really banking on this, are we? I'm all for positive thinking, but Andrew Bailey was almost the pitching equivalent of Mariano Rivera and Joe Nathan this season. I can make the reasonable assumption that Wallace and Carter will not be A-rod and Pujols.
Quite honestly, I fear for our offense. All signs indicate that the pitching will be stronger, as our young pitchers continue to develop, but if we thought the 2009 offense was bad (even with Matt Holliday), what can we expect from 2010? What will our lineup look like?
Give me a reason to be optimistic, because "holding positions down" does not mean "putting good players in positions". The 2010 season screams "rebuilding" right now, and it would take nothing short of a miracle season for the A's to be competitive.
Who do you want to see make the team in 2010? Do you think we'll pick up any extra help? Who is going to break out this season? Who is the rookie you are most excited to see?
261 comments | 0 recs |
Skinny Guy with Stringy Hair Who Pitches for That Team Wins 2nd Straight Cy
by 67MARQUEZ on Nov 19, 2009 11:13 AM PST
186 comments
Also known as Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants. He's the major's first repeat winner since Randy Johnson won the award four straight seasons from 1999-2002.
And they say marijuana isn't a performance-enhancer.
Oh I kid.
Discuss here.
186 comments | 0 recs
Are We Seeing A Shift Away from Win/Loss?
by baseballgirl on Nov 18, 2009 10:03 AM PST
28 comments
And the awards continue...
For all of my complaining in recent years about how the baseball writers ignore even the most basic of stats (ERA, WHIP) in favor of Win/Loss records and team standings, I think they got it right this year with Zack Greinke's Cy. It's not like I made up the bias out of thin air; I'm pretty sure the 2005 voting jaded me on these awards. Bartolo Colon's 21 wins overshadowed both Johan Santana's (who placed third!) and Mariano Rivera's seasons, despite Colon's deficit in all other categories.
But this year was something different. Greinke won the SB Nation voting by a landslide, but I figured that was a blogger thing, and we haven't yet bridged the gap to the baseball world. I was wrong.
Zack Greinke was voted the Cy Young award winner yesterday by a similar landslide; and he did it all with a W/L record of 16/8, on a very (VERY) bad team. Maybe that's why the sixteen wins were so impressive? But more importantly, he beat out a pitcher with 19 wins. Would it have been the same vote had Felix managed to secure the magic 20th win? I'd like to think so, but again, see 2005.
Today's awards will be the Managers of the Year. I've already written in Scioscia; adversity and all that jazz. But as many have pointed out, how hard is it to win the AL West, really? Jim Tracy should take the NL. And the people who probably care most about this award are the ones who think managers make a significant difference overall in the season. [Update] Both Scioscia and Tracy have won their respective awards.
So, are we seeing a shift in the way baseball pitchers are evaulated in MLB itself? And what are the qualities of a winning manager?
Today's award results will be announced in about an hour. Let's pretend that Bailey wins the ROY again!
28 comments | 0 recs |
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AL West Standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | STRK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Los Angeles
|
97 | 65 | .598 | 0 | Lost 1 |
|
Texas
|
87 | 75 | .537 | 10 | Lost 2 |
|
Seattle
|
85 | 77 | .524 | 12 | Won 2 |
|
Oakland
|
75 | 87 | .462 | 22 | Lost 7 |
(updated 11.25.2009 at 8:35 AM PST)
Certain photos copyright © 2009 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
Most Commented
Old McPherson is an A, e yi e yi yoooooooo
by jeffro 3 days ago
385 comments | 3 recs
What To Expect From 2010
by baseballgirl 5 days ago
261 comments | 0 recs
Jack Cust Drawing Trade Interest?
by JPShark 2 days ago
239 comments | 0 recs
Some things I am "coming around" on...
by Taj Adib 5 days ago
223 comments | 5 recs
Skinny Guy with Stringy Hair Who Pitches for That Team Wins 2nd Straight Cy
by 67MARQUEZ 6 days ago
186 comments | 0 recs