Two Interesting Reads

by MoneyManWilliam on Aug 21, 2007 6:44 PM PDT Comment 15 comments

Two interesting reads about Beane -

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/articl...

http://www.mercextra.com/blogs/kawak...

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That Tim K.

post is excellent. Better than the article.

by mikeA on Aug 21, 2007 6:47 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for the links--

The first one bored me as much as soccer does, but I found the second one really interesting. So the articles, much like this year's A's, went .500.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Aug 21, 2007 8:48 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Having spoken individually with all two billion of them, I can tell you that most soccer fans from other countries find baseball really, REALLY boring. About the way we think of cricket. 90% of the time in baseball, there's absolutely nothing happening.

Things are constantly happening in soccer.

Me, I love both baseball and soccer with a passion.

I thought the Toronto Star article was great. Didn't know that about Dynamo Kiev.

Bill James on Duane Kuiper: "It's absolutely incredible that a player this bad could be given 3000 at bats in the major leagues." -- Baseball Abstract, 1982

by blueconversechucks on Aug 22, 2007 5:35 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Baseball's the only sport I know of

Where the whole stadium takes an unscheduled five minute break so a player coming off the bench can practice on the field of play. Cuz the bullpen isn't a good enough simulation for what the relief pitcher will experience on the actual mound. Sure it's just an excuse to sell higher priced commercial time, but it's still boring and ridiculous. Can you imagine if they gave basketball players five minutes of shooting practice for every substitution?

Bill James on Duane Kuiper: "It's absolutely incredible that a player this bad could be given 3000 at bats in the major leagues." -- Baseball Abstract, 1982

by blueconversechucks on Aug 22, 2007 7:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

nice diary

i hadn't read either of these yet, but found both interesting. doesn't really take much, as long as it's A's related, and the Billy Beane soccer stuff is really curious -

nico - funny response. ha.

Mike "lego my" Gallego

by catfish hunter on Aug 21, 2007 10:34 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Good finds.

That first article makes it seems like Billy is devoting a little bit too much time to soccer, and not enough on rebuilding. Put the time and energy of pondering how to objectively measure soccer players into baseball.

by Bleeding the Green and Gold on Aug 21, 2007 11:12 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks MoneyMan

A couple of points from the Kawakami article:

I think he and his staff should look at the medical and training staff, if they haven’t already. I’m not in there much and I don’t talk to the players privately and I’m not a doctor, but some of these injuries seem like they’ve been handled pretty poorly by A’s medical people.

I guess that's what happens when your trainer looks like a mechanic and probably learned everything he learned about kinesiology from the classic board game, Operation.

Honestly, I hope Beans is taking Kawakami seriously when it come to this, because everyone and their momma knows we would at least be within single digits of the Rats if we had our A-Team out there.

Now, the big name everybody always brings up is Miguel Tejada... But Beane wouldn’t have signed Tejada even if he had an extra $80M lying around, because the A’s had Crosby coming up behind Miggy and all signs pointed to Crosby being as good or better than Tejada.

Who-in-the-what-now?

Did Kawakami get this straight from Beane? I hope I am proved wrong by our GrandMaster, but I have that feeling that everything Crosby is going to end off being like the whole Giants/Niekro thing.

Green Hulk Fists

by oaklandSMASH on Aug 22, 2007 1:10 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

You mean

that Crosby will be outrighted to the minors and reinvent himself by developing a knuckleball?

I'd pay hard cash to see that.

by PaulThomas on Aug 22, 2007 9:56 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

me too, but...

I'd rather have Beane acquire Niekro and let him start for the Rivercats...

The A's need a knuckleballer, dammit!

"The more self-centered and egotistical a guy is, the better ballplayer he's going to be."- Bill "The Spaceman" Lee

by The Pilots Dared Me To Die on Aug 22, 2007 11:21 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It would be fun to watch a knuckleballer

not a guy using pro ball for knuckleball practice.

I mean, we're talking about practice...

Green Hulk Fists

by oaklandSMASH on Aug 23, 2007 2:11 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

got as far as

in second article "a few signings were ok' like e-lo..." author tim, i'm guessing you don't watch much baseball. e-lo's not ok. his overpayment for performance right up there with the z for giants, schmidt dodgers and imho, the worst player signing/salary of all time in all sports, matt morris by the pirates last month.

jesus saves. and espo scores on the rebound.

by oakath on Aug 22, 2007 7:34 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Keep reading--Tim K. lists ELo

as one of the bad signings in regards to 2007. The part you read refers strictly to 2006, when ELo was unhittable in August and outstanding in the second half overall.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Aug 22, 2007 9:00 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I still think Loaiza is worth it

He was worth it last year, even given his horrible start when he probably should have been deemed not healthy enough to pitch. This year, he's been injured all year, and while that sucks, you'd have to think insurance kicked in some money for him missing 3/4 of the season. If he's healthy, he's worth $7M/year in this market. Look at what league-average veteran starters are going for. His track record shows he can be better than league average, if he's ever fully healthy again.

I don't love the guy, but I don't think Beane is over paying for him.

by Eric in Atlanta on Aug 22, 2007 3:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

Couldn't have foreseen the injuries, but Beane did see where the market was going and got a good deal on a guy who has at times been, and can still be, a linchpin in the A's rotation. Also gives them some flexibility going into this offseason if they want to trade a starter. He pitched injured for a couple months at the start of last year, but other than that he's been as good as anybody.

Bill James on Duane Kuiper: "It's absolutely incredible that a player this bad could be given 3000 at bats in the major leagues." -- Baseball Abstract, 1982

by blueconversechucks on Aug 22, 2007 5:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs