I'm Struggling with AN at the moment
by Dalesman on Apr 21, 2008 1:08 PM PDT
Email
PrintI've been visiting AN daily for several years, and I've always enjoyed, although not necessarily agreed with much of the content, but this season all has seemed to change.
The A's are in a transition phase, we have a young team who are doing well above expectation, as I write they share the lead in the west and have just swept KC, but you would find it difficult to believe that we are playing well by reading AN. In the past few days I have read that Mike Sweeney and Emil Brown should be released, Street is rubbish and that we'd be better off signing an old man called Thomas (or even worse a chemically enhanced very old, man called Bonds), or bringing up a young whipper snapper who hasn't done anything what-so-ever in the Majors. Give our team a chance guys, we are only a month in, Harden and Duchscherer are on the DL and we are still sweeping teams!
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President of the Joey Devine fan club as of 1/15/08. Accepting applications for other positions. "He has no equivalent." -Paul DePodesta on Jeremy Brown
Pretty funny...
I actually think the site is overally optimistic at this point, probably more so than I am.
In the end, it is people giving opinions and talking about the team. You will always find disagreement and that is what makes it fun. I think the team will still be bad this year, but I sure am enjoying being proven wrong so far….but I still think they will struggle mightily as the season goes on.
Bring back Hammer.
Overally?
Does this mean “overall,” “overly”, or both?
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
I think there is something worth exploring here
I remember the old White Sox uni’s with shorts… overalls could be very innovative!
And they can bring back the Mustache Gang
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site
jamesvenes.com - Blog
Haha....
Wow did I butcher the crap out of that word.
I think it means both.
Bring back Hammer.
by OaktownPower on Apr 21, 2008 6:59 PM PDT up reply actions
He better!
"Derek Lowe is an ass."
-ohtobe21likehuston
by ohtobe21likehuston on Apr 21, 2008 4:56 PM PDT up reply actions
Optimism vs. Pessimism
I think this season there is a mutual feeling of all of us just waiting for that thin ice we imagine the team is on to break. We have been conditioned this winter to prepare for a long summer. Most of us have come to accept that the A’s window of opportunity the last time around is gone. We can no longer just expect mediocre first half play followed by the traditional A’s July hot streaks.
We also are being conditioned (rightfully) to brace for Billy Beane to destroy the present tense winning in order to build for future tense winning.
What happened to Lew Wolffe being a bajiollinaire? So far all he has done is half assed a move even farther away from where I am (Sacramento), and tarped off the upper deck. (Which Damon Bruce uses as a crutch some nights).
The team has a self destruct button, and I think we are all just waiting for someone to press it.
As it stands right now, I cannot listen to the A’s on the radio, I cannot subscribe to mlb tv because it’s blacked out, and no local stations pick them up.
Sacramento A's?
Actually Lew Wolfe has spent a lot of money..
He has provide Billy with all the money it takes to build up our scouts in Central America and Asia including paying higher bonuses so that we get the good players.
Billy was the one who decided that we need to rebuilt and looking at the current roster and the players we have in AAA, AA and A ball waiting to come up excites me. We HAVE a well stocked minor league system now.
Lew is trying to get us a state of the art ballpark in a place where he can also get fans to come to see the games. For the most part our stadium only gets around 15 k a game. I know.. there are good times too where we have had full houses but that is not the norm.
Now this year, in rebuilding we actually have a more exiting club and once Buck and Cust figure out how to hit again we will have a chance.. I think even a chance to contend this year because these young guys will only get better as the season progresses.
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, either way, YOU'RE RIGHT !"
I also wouldn't mind them switching cities with the Rivercats.
The Rivercats do really well in Sactown and I think the A’s could too.
Let Oakland take the Rivercats and so our fans who are near here can still go to cames locally as well as in Sac.
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, either way, YOU'RE RIGHT !"
The drive to Fremont (via 680)
is no longer than the drive to the Coliseum (via 880).
It’s slightly farther, but not that much, since 680 is more direct than 880 and it’s faster at most hours, because of traffic.
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
This is mild.
"Hasn’t the foggiest inclination toward winning ‘tall. Hates to win. Likes to be buggered."
I agree
If you want to see some fireworks just wait until we’re 5 games out at the end of June and dodgers finally come calling for Blanton and are willing to give up Laroche. Then you’ll really see some interesting posts and comments.
"I'm not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did." -Yogi Berra
no kidding
President of the Joey Devine fan club as of 1/15/08. Accepting applications for other positions. "He has no equivalent." -Paul DePodesta on Jeremy Brown
WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!
"Huston, you're hot!'' said first baseman Dan Johnson, dressed as a bottle of mustard.
no, no, no
W’E’RE ALL GONNA STRUGGLE!!!
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
WE'RE ALL GONNA STRUGGLE AND THEN DIE!!!
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, either way, YOU'RE RIGHT !"
WE'RE ALL GONNA BE NASTY AND BRUTISH!!!
AND SAL’S GONNA BE SHORT!!!
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
The only certain things in Life are
Death, taxes and Sal’s shortness.
The monster at the end of this blog.
and Travis Buck starting yesterday
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
It seems to me that it is the optimists who want Bonds and Thomas.
Only those who think we still have a chance this year would advocate replacing cheap, league average type players with riskier, more expensive players.
H-A-N-A-H-A-N. Hanahan.
Hmmm. How expensive do you see these guys being?
Nobody wants Bonds and Frank may be available on the cheap too.
"Derek Lowe is an ass."
-ohtobe21likehuston
by ohtobe21likehuston on Apr 21, 2008 4:59 PM PDT up reply actions
It doesn't really matter as long as they're MORE expensive.
Sweeney is making a half mil, Brown 1.45 mil. I can’t see Bonds nor Thomas signing for less.
H-A-N-A-H-A-N. Hanahan.
I'm an optimist for this year...
obviously, since I picked the A’s to win the West. But, I haven’t advocated for Thomas or Bonds. Would I take either one of ‘em if Billy figured out a way to get them cheap and keep Cust. Sure, why not? Can we do without them. Yep, I think so.
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 6:34 PM PDT up reply actions
I think the important thing
is that you’ve admitted to struggling. So many others are afraid to take that first step.
I'm here to talk about the past.
As long as he doesn't "struggle with AN" like Paul Byrd "struggles with porn."
"Huston, you're hot!'' said first baseman Dan Johnson, dressed as a bottle of mustard.
He doesn't understand the concept of
“playing with yourself” and struggles trying to have sex with his computer monitor and Hustler magazines.
I think Dalesman is dead on ...
now most on AN know that I like to stir the pot and I have no problem being negative from time to time. I’m the first one to rant and rave when I feel undue love is heaped on a player (see: Chavez and/or Byrnes), and I’ve always hated it when we’ve gone on a 6 game losing streak, and someone chimes in with “Awwww, but didn’t Swish look cute when he signed that autograph for the kid in the wheelchair?” shtick. In other words, for the most part, I’m usually a “glass half-empty” guy when it comes to our A’s.
But I’ve gotta tell ya, I’ve never seen so much criticism on this site for a team playing its ass off right now … it’s unbelievable to me. We’ve got a bunch of kids not expected to do anything by the so-called “experts”, and instead of enjoying it and thinking maybe miracles do happen, it’s as if everyone’s expecting the ceiling to fall in at any moment.
This guy sucks, that guy sucks, “it won’t last,” ... just unbelievable. Wait a second, “that guy” is hitting .500 with RISP right now, what’s wrong with that?! And the response is, “Well, the stats say it won’t last and if you divide his DMV printout by his age, you’d realize that …”
I think it’s entirely appropriate to boo someone and call them out when they suck … if you earn a million dollars to play a game, and you aren’t playing well, you ought to be told about it loudly and often …. that being said, when the team is busting its ass and playing well, that ought to be said as well.
VacaAsFan
Why should I applaud someone for getting lucky?
Hitting with RISP is luck. Plain and simple. Everyone eventually hits the same in those situations as any other situation.
It makes no more sense to applaud someone for hitting .500 with RISP than it does to applaud a seven-card stud player for being dealt three aces to start a hand.
I have no problem with applauding people for actually playing well, even if I think it won’t last (see: Smith, Greg). I do have a problem with applauding people for getting lucky.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
How is ANY hit not lucky then? Who is to determine when a hit is luck. Just because a
runner is in scoring position, it is luck? If he is having a lot of runners on, he can’t control how many runners are on base when he comes up. You are basically saying you don’t like the player whatever he does. That is the problem I am having with the Emil Brown thing. He is doing what he is paid to do, drive in runs.
by theblackpearl on Apr 21, 2008 4:42 PM PDT up reply actions
8-17 with RISP
12-29 with men on base
7-36 with the bases empty
Do you honestly think that he’s Neifi Perez with nobody on, and Babe Ruth once there are ducks on the pond?
ok, it might be luck, but he is not planning it that way, so give him credit for
getting the hits now, because when he goes through a 0-15 stretch, you definitely will be bitching about him. Just give credit when they are hot, as you will criticisize when they aren’t
by theblackpearl on Apr 21, 2008 4:57 PM PDT up reply actions
Speak for yourself
I won’t be.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
we will be saying "we told you so," though
Speaking only for myself, I will certainly admit that I’m invested, via my early and frequent criticism of his signing, in Emil living down to his career projections.
To be fair, I will say that he has looked very good against right-handers, and many of his decisions to swing early in the count have resulted in line drives and otherwise hard-hit balls in play. I’d also guess that, once the outfield situation becomes somewhat stabilized, and Emil falls into more of the strict platoon role for which he’s best suited, that he may enjoy some similar successful runs later in the season.
But (and especially so if he continues to get starts against LHSPs) he’s gonna be doing some serious regressing along the way as well.
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
I'm assuming that you inverted "righties" and "lefties" in this post
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Im assuming
that you don’t have a girlfriend.
"I Will Not Relent, I Am Driven"... Clutch
Bring Back The Bash!!!
Stop badgering an individual user, Shippee33
It’s not funny, and it is against the CGs.
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
I think Somebody needs their nanny.
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Apr 21, 2008 7:28 PM PDT up reply actions
MAAAH!!!! MAAAH!!!!!
It it hot in here or is it just—
—MAAAAH!!!!!
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
I'm assuming
that you’re attempting to provoke me into a CGV.
Please don’t waste everyone’s time on this, as it’s not going to work.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
I don't have a girlfriend!
In case anyone was … uhh … wondering … {sigh}
Brainless Automaton #439
by rubin sierra on Apr 21, 2008 10:57 PM PDT up reply actions
I don't have a girlfriend, either ...
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
Poor boys...
I’ve got two of them! And I’m not sharing, either!
"Good pitching will always stop good hitting and vice-versa."- Casey Stengel
by Gaijin_Suketto on Apr 22, 2008 11:56 AM PDT up reply actions
I feel sorry for you ...
I have plenty of women in my life … I don’t have one because I don’t want one (for now …) and don’t need one to fulfill certain needs … see my response to Marquez, below …
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
oh come on now,
I loves my bitches!
"Good pitching will always stop good hitting and vice-versa."- Casey Stengel
by Gaijin_Suketto on Apr 25, 2008 11:20 AM PDT up reply actions
I can't find the full quote from the movie "Havana," but it starts out:
“Women are perfect—everything else is bullshit.”
Words to live-by. Anybody know the rest of it?
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Apr 22, 2008 3:26 PM PDT up reply actions
touche
Note that I didn’t add the accent to the “e.” :)
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
I wasn't a fan of the signing from the very beginning. It just doesn't make sense
Rebuild mode: Emil Brown takes away at bats from Ryan Sweeney, Chris Denorfia, or Travis Buck—the three guys who should be getting the majority of time in the outfield in order to see who is going to be worth keeping.
“Contend” mode: Emil Brown is an average-at-best corner outfielder who takes away a roster spot (and at bats) that could be used on someebody like Barry Bonds or Frank Thomas.
I wasn't a fan of the signing at the beginning, either...
but, I’m coming around to it. Maybe he’s just lucky, as PT thinks (or maybe he needed a change of scenery). In any event, he’s healthy, which Buck is not, Denorfia was not sure to be and Sweeney plays CF (which Emil might have if Sweeney and Denorfia hadn’t worked out). Cheap insurance policy for a rebuilding, yet contending team.
And, who knows… we may still get Thomas or Bonds on the cheap. Beane is a genius.
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 8:12 PM PDT up reply actions
I think Brown's secret is that
while a lot of our guys walk a lot, Emil looks to drive in runs. There’s a difference and I think Brown is an example of it.
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
That's a real difference,
and Brown is a better bet to drive in runs with risp than Cust, despite being worse generally. He’s a good guy to have up with risp, but not because he does any better than he normally does in that situation.
The A's colors are green and gold.
Exactly - agree 100%
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
you hear that, rubin and devo?
You both need to stop walking so much, and start driving in runs.
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
I like players who are good
and players who are good are good all the time.
Yes, whether a player gets a hit in a given at-bat is basically luck. (And other factors he can’t control, like who the pitcher is.) A .300 hitter is, if you pick a random at bat, going to get a hit about 3 times out of 10.
A hitter who hits .300 and .250 with RISP is unlucky (but good). A hitter who hits .250 and .300 with RISP is lucky (but sucks). A hitter who hits .300 and .350 with RISP is lucky (and good). A hitter who hits .250 and .200 with RISP is unlucky (and also sucks).
I don’t hate Emil Brown. In fact, I was one of those calling for sanity when half of AN wanted his head on a platter after the gaffe in Game 1 of the season. He’s an OK player. But he doesn’t get any credit in my eyes for hitting extra well with RISP, because the fact that his hits have come disproportionately with men on base has no predictive value.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
PT ... so you're saying (along with some others here)
because you’re not the only one …that it’s impossible or highly unlikely that a hitter cannot become “better” when there are runners on base and/or in scoring position? If I’m reading correctly (and I confess, I might not be) what I think I’m seeing is that because it cannot be proven that some hitters are more inclined to get their hits with men on vs. nobody on … this means it’s not true.
In other words, if Bob Smith hits .300 with nobody on, but only .250 with RISP, for example, I can’t say that …. perhaps …. maybe …. Bob Smith tightens up a bit with men on and hits a little worse? I can’t say that if John Doe only hits .250 with nobody on, but hits .300 with RISP, for example, that … perhaps … maybe … John Doe concentrates a bit more and focuses a little harder and hits a little better?
It seems to me the burden of proof ought to be on you … in other words, to use your example above, I think it very possible that a hitter who hits .300 and .250 with RISP puckers up a bit in those situations … and a hitter who hits .250 and .300 with RISP dials it in a little better when the chips are down. Now this might not happen often … I don’t know … but to dismiss it out of hand is foolish. And now I’m going to say something that I want to make sure you don’t take personally … seriously, this is not a shot. But I think some of you guys who worship the stat gods and constantly tell us that things “have to even out,” and it’s impossible to “keep up this pace,” etc. etc. have never played a lot of sports … and I know that pisses you off, I don’t mean to … but if you’ve played YOU KNOW that the situation in a game can have a HUUUUUUUUGE effect on what you do in that situation. I’ve seen guys who sting the ball in games that are out of reach or don’t matter … and the same guy I’ve seen go 12 for 20 in blowouts choke up and go 0-fer when the games are tight. This can’t always be coincidence….
VacaAsFan
I agree with this
And to add to it, there’s also the reduction of likely possibilities in certain situations that can help a smart player be more successful.
For example—if the bases are loaded and you’re the #9 hitter, you might be more likely to get a fastball from a certain pitcher – if you’re smart enough to realize this and internalize it enough to sit on a fastball (and if you can hit a fastball), you’re probably going to do better in this situation than you are with nobody out and the bases empty, since at that point you might get anything, with equal probability.
"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL
i think most of us are willing to believe
that there might be a little bit of “clutch” in some players and “goat” in others, but nobody really believes it is enough to change a bad player to a good player, or a good player to a bad player. Certainly psychology has to have some impact on a player’s performance. But nothing about Emil Brown’s career history indiciates he is special with runners in scoring position, other than a few people’s assessment of his first 20 games of 2008.
I don’t hate Emil Brown, I just want him evaluated for what he is. Nothing personal, but if you want a world champion baseball team, you don’t want Emil Brown to be one of your key players.
Emil Brown
I just want him evaluated for what he did that day/night. Optimistic AN’ers begin saying that Emil Brown was ‘Wow. What a great nigh for Emil. Is he for real?”. Stat-Heads say, “Emil Brown sucks. He’ll come down to earth.”. I think that’s how this FanPost got started.
by Colorado Fan on Apr 22, 2008 9:21 AM PDT up reply actions
whereas Nico says ...
... “What a great neigh for Emil. Is he a foal?”
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
People have looked into it, and
when player X does better (or worse) in the clutch in some year, it has no predictive value for the next year. So players who hit .250 but .300 with RISP just don’t keep it up. Look up any player’s stats with 10+ years in the league and I guarantee you his career BA with risp is within 10 points of his overall career BA. Emil Brown is about .004 higher with RISP for his career (which is not nothing), but it’s silly to expect him or anyone to be a lot better or a lot worse. As for playing experience, I played HS baseball for whatever that’s worth, and I don’t think I really did any better or worse in the clutch. One person who is clutch, though, is mrrickeyg, who made a leaping catch in the final inning to preserve my no-hitter against California School for the Deaf….
The A's colors are green and gold.
I believe at the time your assessment was...
...I made the play look much tougher than it really was.
I spend a lot of time talking about baseball, because I wasn’t actually very good at playing it.
WHAT????
Could you speak up?
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
Sorry, dude
I’m not going to go through the effort of proving all over again that RISP hitting is a myth. It’s been done before, by people who are better at statistics than I am, and have better access to data. I’ve read the studies, and they’re quite compelling.
I haven’t played much sports, but I’ve played quite a number of games involving luck and skill, which essentially amounts to the same thing. And not to put too fine a point on it, but if you’re good at a game, it does even out. There are times when you make an error, and there are times when you’re so locked in that you play above your level, and they basically even out. All the people who choke under pressure have already been weeded out by the time you get to the highest levels.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Poker is actually not the greatest example of this
partly because I’m not actually that good at it. Particularly IRL, where I tend to be the walking personification of Mike Caro’s Big Book of Tells.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
I was playing my brother for $1 stakes
a few weeks ago, and bet my last $.15 with a 7-8 against jacks. Before I dealt, I said “Ok, 5-6-9.” As I was turning over the first one I said “5” and it was a five. As I turned over the next I said “6” and it was a six. As I turned over the last one I said “9” and it was a 9. Couldn’t believe. That would probably get me shot in different circumstances…
The A's colors are green and gold.
My odds of pitching a no hitter were way better than (1/13)^3
Opposing hitters were askin’ for trouble.
The A's colors are green and gold.
There's also the Devo Conundrum (I didn't name it ...)
that clutch does not exist, as a repeatable skill, but choke does. It theorizes that it is impossible to exceed one’s talent level (consistently and predictably—eg, not based on luck) so in order for a player to appear to be clutch (in a repeatable way, not merely based on chance), he would have to, in fact, merely be playing to his actual talent level in those situations and be under performing in other situations.
Conversely, the Conundrum theorizes that it is possible to fail to live up to ones talent level—whether from a lack of focus, excess adrenaline, or whatever, it is very possible to not have ‘9th inning stuff’.
The studies PT references do not prove that Clutch does not exist—as it is usually nearly impossible to prove a negative. They do show, though, that, in virtually every case, clutch performances are not predictive of future clutch performances and if clutch does exist, as a real, repeatable skill, it is very, very rare.
David Ortiz, for example, based on Fangraphs’ Clutch (which is not, by any means, definitive, but I think is a very good measure) cost his team 1.7 games in 2007 based on choking more than he came through in the clutch.
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
Byrnsie = clutch
HR to tie it up!
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 8:05 PM PDT up reply actions
ooops...
I mean to go ahead.
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 8:07 PM PDT up reply actions
Well, I mean, yeah ... Eric Byrnes is clutch (no jokes up touching home plate in the clutch ... you can do it ...)
that goes without saying …
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
I agree ...
but I refuse to allow my humor to be restrained by fairness to others.
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
he does, of course...
which goes a long way toward explaining why ANer’s thought Kielty and Kotsay were better options.
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 8:18 PM PDT up reply actions
In fairness, Byrnes does hit left-handed
better than Kielty or Kotsay do.
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
There's also the fact that
he never has been and never will be as good as Kotsay at his best.
The A's colors are green and gold.
when did Kotsay steal 50 bases in a sesaon?
LOL
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 8:26 PM PDT up reply actions
It was the same season that
Byrnes hit .314 and played GG caliber CF….
The A's colors are green and gold.
are you talking BA to a SABR guy...
like me? C’mon. Let’s compare Kotsay’s best season to Byrnes’. Wanna?
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 8:32 PM PDT up reply actions
Yes I do!
Byrnes’ 3 best seasons by OPS+:
111, 108, 104.
Kotsay’s:
122, 116, 116.
And Kotsay was a much better OFer. It’s been a great comparison.
The A's colors are green and gold.
"best season" is singular, not plural...
what years are those? How can OPS+ lie about Byrnes 2007 not being better than any of Kotsay’s years? I’ll have to look that up. I don’t believe it. And, Byrnes was better in CF than Kotsay the one year he played it.
Byrnes was better in 2006, 2007 and he’ll be better in 2008 than Kotsay. So, when exactly does “never be as good” kick in.
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 8:53 PM PDT up reply actions
park adjustment.
also, not reflected in OPS+, but byrnes is costing runs in the OF while Kotsay is saving them.
Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.
kotsay has been costing his team runs...
for 3 year in the outfield by every metric I’ve seen. Byrnes, on the other hand, is a plus defender. But, of course, those metrics are defective. You just believe your eyes.
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 8:56 PM PDT up reply actions
fair enough...
look them up… Byrnes is better than Kotsay in the OF the last three years. Probably longer than that.
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 9:08 PM PDT up reply actions
My eyes+everyone's eyes+the defensive metrics=
Kotsay 2002-2005 was an insanely better OFer than Byrnes has ever been. Byrnes is a better player now, no one would dispute that.
Byrnes’s best OPS was .813 in a bad league and an easier park. Kotsay had a .829 in Oakland. Better competition, more difficult park. Not even close.
The A's colors are green and gold.
But, but, but ...
Byrnes gets more web gems, and we all know that’s what really counts.
by green star oakland on Apr 21, 2008 9:14 PM PDT up reply actions
Torii Hunter got a lot of web gems, too...
so, he must’ve been lousy at his position, as well.
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 9:16 PM PDT up reply actions
Bzzzt.
Thanks for playing logic 101. Next.
by green star oakland on Apr 21, 2008 9:18 PM PDT up reply actions
YW
pwned.
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 9:19 PM PDT up reply actions
sure...
he’s not now. And, probably wouldn’t have been on the A’s, if Byrnes had gotten regular playing time rather than being platooned with inferior players. Billy’s mistake, not yours.
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 9:26 PM PDT up reply actions
and, Kotsay will never...
hit as many home runs as Byrnes or steal as many bases as Byrnes in one season.
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 9:27 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, he's better now.
So….
Oh, and being platooned (and only sort of) hurt his numbers… You’re certainly resourceful!
The A's colors are green and gold.
I've n;ever argued that Byrnes...
1. Will have better career stats; or
2. That Byrnes will be better in his prime than Kotsay (though I suspect that will be true)...
only that BB made a mistake signing Kotsay and DFA’ing Byrnes.
I’ve been proven correct on both counts. So, I’m happy.
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 9:53 PM PDT up reply actions
trading Byrnes, I mean...
you know what I meant.
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 9:54 PM PDT up reply actions
and, Kotsay was in the same inferior league as Byrnes is now...
why didn’t he steal 50 bases or hit 26 home runs when he was there?
Because he was incapable of it, no dbout. And, he was younger than Byrnes was.
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 10:20 PM PDT up reply actions
What a freakin' nightmare
It’s one thing to argue over two guys who might be coming to Oakland, but to still be arguing over two guys who will NEVER play for the A’s again?
The monster at the end of this blog.
I want Frank back
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 9:28 PM PDT up reply actions
C'mon grover
This is Byrnes/Kotsy/Foolsh … its a tradition.
by green star oakland on Apr 21, 2008 9:45 PM PDT up reply actions
And it's responsible for Enron!
"Huston, you're hot!'' said first baseman Dan Johnson, dressed as a bottle of mustard.
Bad rap ? How so ?
Touching home is pretty fundamental.
by green star oakland on Apr 21, 2008 8:24 PM PDT up reply actions
My name is byrnsie and I'm here to say...
I love playing baseball in a major way.
Yo baby yo baby yo.
He went right over it, it was a chaotic play,
I can easily understand him thinking the play was over…
The A's colors are green and gold.
I think he was just too busy trying to punch out Varitek
by green star oakland on Apr 21, 2008 8:30 PM PDT up reply actions
Not at all
but isn’t “touch first, punch later” fundamental ?
by green star oakland on Apr 21, 2008 9:11 PM PDT up reply actions
Ah, brings back memories of dating...
"Huston, you're hot!'' said first baseman Dan Johnson, dressed as a bottle of mustard.
as does getting called out at third on interference
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
i disagree
TOTAL fundamental Mike. You are supposed to touch the plate a second time even if you KNOW you touched it in the first place. I couldn’t have been screaming louder to touch the plate than i was at the time.
I just think that
forgetting fundamentals is pretty forgiveable after a big collision.
The A's colors are green and gold.
Maybe not so great to remind everyone of that every time
they read your posts…
The A's colors are green and gold.
I really can't tell after watching it a bunch of times
I definitely don’t like it that everyone seems to take it for granted that he was out…
The A's colors are green and gold.
I still don't understand how
the player obstructed retreating to third gets awarded home, while the one obstructed going round third towards home gets sent back to third …
by green star oakland on Apr 21, 2008 9:13 PM PDT up reply actions
Especially since the first was accidental
and the second was blatantly intentional.
by green star oakland on Apr 21, 2008 9:19 PM PDT up reply actions
Especially considering there are
5 different sides to try and nip. That’s, like, quite a few.
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
The replay and the live shot looked the same
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
How do you prove that it's not possible
to prove a negative? You can’t do it!
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
Ah, well, you see, you have to ... {head explodes}
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
Nico could be the next Nobel Prize winner in mathematics...
if he can prove it. C’mon, Nico, inspire your students!
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 10:06 PM PDT up reply actions
Here's where your logic fails:
We’re talking about Major League Baseball players.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM is fucking awesome at baseball, compared to essentially everybody that posts on this blog (except you, Ziggy! You’re just as good as they are!).
For them to magically become better because there is a guy on base just doesn’t happen, because they are already fantastically good at hitting.
(there’s also the whole issue where one year somebody will have good numbers with RISP, and one year they’ll be not so good. It’s luck.)
That is so unfair -
You’ve never even seen me slap one to left and you’ve just decided I’m not as good as these major leaguers? I can slap a goat to the left as well as any A’s player can. Well except Hannahan, at that one party. Man was he soused. Or was that me? I’ll ask the neighbors.
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
"9-1-1, what's your emergency?"
“There’s a dead man on my lawn… with a goat.”
According to the transcript, it was you, Nico.
"Huston, you're hot!'' said first baseman Dan Johnson, dressed as a bottle of mustard.
That's baloney - I have NEVER been a 9-1-1 dispatcher
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
If they're "fantastically good at hitting"
then why do some hit .150?! They’re fantastically good at hitting compared to the rest of us, but not always so fantastic when playing against their peers.
“Magic” doesn’t have anything to do with it … but if you think that professionals don’t fall prey to some of the same pressures all human beings do you’re kidding yourself. Professionals can and do play better or worse depending on game conditions … they’re not robots.
VacaAsFan
The problem with this is you're not going to be able
to prove that player A is “clutch”,but player B is a “choker” generally.
Firstly, no hitter is going to publicly admit that he is a choker, that when he comes up with men in RISP, his palms start sweating more, his BP and heart rate goes up, he starts hyperventilating etc. Similarly, no pitcher is going to admit that he starts struggling with his focus and mechanics when he has allowed men in scoring position.
Secondly, if player A was “clutch” this year, and then back to normal for half of next year, and then starts choking for the 2nd half of next year, what is he? Clutchy, choker or just normal? What time intervals are you going to use to assess clutchiness? How do you isolate other factors? Maybe when a player was choking, he was actually playing with some niggling injuries?
FWIW, I am actually on the pro side of the “clutch” issue. What I disagree with is simplistic attempts to assess clutchiness or not clutchiness of players.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
Before identifying who is clutch/a choker ...
it should be easier to identify that it exists. If it’s a repeatable skill, using the largest sample size possible - every player ever - you should be able to identify a certain degree of predictive value in a player’s (un)clutch performance from one year to the next.
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
Perhaps there are too many performance-related variables
to attempt to predict a player’s “clutch” hitting the following year. Clutch hitting (= BA w/RISP?) may not be repeatable the next year, but there may be consistency within a season or through partial seasons.
There are much more worthwhile, comprehensive measures ...
Consistency through a short period isn’t consistency.
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
Worthwhile?
In what way? What are you actually attempting to predict? Comprehensive? I don’t understand your argument.
If someone hits .420 with RISP for the second half of the season, that’s 81 games worth of data. If that player will be in the playoffs, I see that as meaningful and consistent. If you are trying to sign a player for next year and using the current year’s BA with RISP as a predictor of performance, those data may not be valuable. If you are a manager in the current season, the story might be quite different.
If it's not predictive from season to season, why would it be predictive from day to day?
Did David Ortiz all of a sudden forget how to be clutch last year?
Sure clutch stats are interesting retrospectively—but there’s nothing to show that they are at all worthwhile prospectively.
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
This doesn't make any sense
Either RISP hitting is measuring some actual skill, or it isn’t. Numbers do not have some kind of motive force automatically impelling them to remain consistent over time.
If RISP hitting is a skill, it will show up over a prolonged period of time. If it is not a skill, it will not show up over ANY length of time.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Actually it makes perfect sense
Is hitting home runs a repeatable skill? Why would someone hit 40 one season and 20 the next? Surely you can identify many factors that would contribute to a decline in performance from one year to the next. That doesn’t negate the fact that a player was a home run hitter in a given year.
outside of Brady Anderson ...
... HR power doesn’t disappear from Y-Y.
PT and devo are saying that clutch hitting is not like HR hitting, not that no hitting events/stats are prospective/repeatable.
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
Are you seriously trying to suggest
that home run hitting is not a repeatable skill?
“Hitting exactly 34 home runs in a year” is not repeatable. Power, in the scouting sense, is. The list of players who hit a lot of home runs in one year is very similar to the list of players who hit a lot of home runs the next year.
The list of players who hit over their average in clutch situations in one year is totally unrelated to the list of players who do it the next year.
Let me go a little off topic here. There’s a certain scam, which because I forget the name of it, I’m going to call the stockbroker scam. You’re a stockbroker with no extra information; your stock picks are total guesses. So you send out 500 letters to prospective customers telling them that a certain stock is bound to improve and they should buy into it immediately. You then send another 500 letters saying that the stock is bound to decline and the customers should sell it short immediately. One of these two will happen, right?
Then you write off the 500 that you sent the wrong info to, and do exactly the same thing again. 250 letters saying another stock is bound to go up, 250 saying it’s bound to go down. And again. And again. And again. 5 iterations of the process in, you’ve got 30 people who’ve seen you predict what a stock will do FIVE STRAIGHT TIMES. You’re a genius! They’re putty in your hands!
Well, this kind of behavior is illegal in the stock market, and with good reason. Unfortunately, the logic behind it is pretty much exactly the logic that enables your deity of choice to torment sportswriters with what seems like clutch hitting. At any given time, there will be about 20 players who have been “clutch” for the last FIVE SEASONS.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
by PaulThomas on Apr 22, 2008 10:47 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
+999,999
You would have gotten to one million if only you’d made an American Psycho reference.
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
If you add mrricky's 1
I did get to one million.
Even without having a clue what you’re talking about re: American Psycho.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
seriously, though ...
... that right there is the single best explanation of why clutch hitting “appears” I’ve ever seen. Great, great analogy.
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
No, I'm not suggesting that
But there is variability from one year to the next.
If you had 2 players on your team with equivalent skills and numbers except for their BA with RISP over the last 2 months (let’s say .420 and .220, for example), which player would you select for a pinch hitter in a late game situation?
Well, for one thing,
if you have two players with exactly identical skills sitting on your bench, you haven’t constructed your team right.
That said, hypothetical, etc etc… flip a coin. Seriously.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Break down those numbers ...
Across MLB in 2007, 27.3% of PAs came with RISP.
So, assuming these guys are both full-time players who both happen to be getting a night off on the same evening, that means they are likely going to get 189 PAs w RISP over the course of the season and 63 over the last two months. League wide, 8.5% of PAs resulted in walks, so we’re down to 58 ABs. 200 points of batting average difference over 58 ABs is 11.5 hits.
Okay, now get a quarter … got it? Flip it 58 times and count how many heads you get …
Now do it again …
And again …
Now seven more times …
I bet you there’s at least a variation of 12 between the two most extreme outcomes.
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
Given 58 ABs,
If player 1 had 13 hits (.224 BA) and player 2 had 25 hits (.431 BA), the difference between the two players in BA in RISP is statistically significant, with t(114) = -2.413, p < .05.
A t-test is not appropriate for this question -- because we know
(or can figure out) the overall population’s standard deviation and it’s unlikely to be a normal distribution …
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
Without population data available,
I used a t-test. i’d be curious to see the z-score if you think that would be more appropriate.
Regardless, the t-test is a robust test that can handle violations of the assumption of normal distributions. The denominator is based on the standard error, which is normally distributred even with non-normal population data.
You could use a non-parametric test as well.
I don't have time to pull together the data ...
that’s why Staturday needs an intern … pulling together data is time consuming …
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
What Monkeyball said ...
hitting home runs is highly predictive from one year to the next. If you are significantly above or below average in home runs in one season, you will almost certainly be similar the next season—in cases where this is not true, there is almost invariably a very obvious reason (recovering from a broken wrist, a sudden onset of age or lack of steroids, etc)
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
Here's another try ...
You probably can’t read the equation or coefficient of determination:
y = 0.7459x + 5.691
R2 = 0.5561
This compares the HRs/600 from one year to the previous year for every player with at least 200 ABs in consecutive season between 1998 and 2007.
As you can see, the fit is pretty strong. Knowing the number of home runs a player hit last year will explain 75% of the variation in what they hit this year.
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
No ... R-Squared or the Coefficient Determination is the square of R
or the Coefficient of Correlation.
So the square root of R-Squared = R = the predictive value of the information.
The square root of .5561 = .7457
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
r describes the strength of the relationship
r squared is variance in the criterion measure accounted for by the predictor variable.
You stated “Knowing the number of home runs a player hit last year will explain 75% of the variation in what they hit this year,” which I don’t believe is accurate.
Perhaps I didn't write it quite correctly ...
Knowing the number of home runs a player hit last year will tell you 75% of what you need to know to predict how many he will hit this year.
Better?
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
I don't think the correlation coefficient
can be interpreted that way. It is merely a standardized statistic demonstrating the strength and direction of a relationship. It should be compared to values of 1.00 or 0 to determine relative strength but its absolute value does not have much meaning.
Given the value of r squared, you can say that knowing the number of home runs a player hit last year will tell you approximately 55% of what you need to know to predict how many he will hit this year if no other predictor variables are entered into the model.
You're right ... but it's 56%, not 55% ... so there!
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
You're right ... but it's 56%, not 55% ... so there!
; )
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
Actually, r-squared values aren't predictive at all
It merely says that the statistical model you’ve shown explains 55.6% of the data collected. The r-squared is useful only for determining whether interpolative methods would be accurate or not. A value of 0.556 is actually quite poor, and that’s excluding the decrease in accuracy that would be assumed if one were to use the model to extrapolate data as well (i.e. predict for the year 2008). And a correlation coefficient of 0.746 does not show a strong relationship. It’s probably somewhere in the middle between weak and strong.
Prince: This bores me. Is anyone up for a game of basketball?
It doesn't explain 55.6% of the data
It explains 55.6% of the variance in the criterion measure. Technically, variance accounted for does not predict anything, but you can use the value of the correlation coefficent or r squared or the slope or any of the related statistics to compute a regression line, and points on the line could be used for prediction.
Perhaps in the physical sciences .746 would not be considered a strong relationship, but in the behavioral sciences, this is certainly a strong relationship.
If you think
an R2 of 0.556, R0.746 is poor, try running the numbers for the other evens in baseball.
For example R2 for hits on balls in play, ie BABIP, for a typical starting pitcher in a full season in 500 balls in play is, according to Tango, 0.01, R, 0.12.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
Yes, pitcher yearly hBIP
values.
To get a sample large enough to get beyond a 50% regression to the mean of the pitcher’s teammates, you’d need 5-6 full seasons.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
Sorry
My post below (and this one) was supposed to be a response to rfloh’s comment about BABIP but my replies don’t seem to be lining up correctly on the page.
Also, consider the runs values
of a HR. A HR is generally worth about 1.4-1.5 runs.
Even the middle between a weak and strong relationship of 0.746 is going to make a difference over a full season.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
And how you correct for other factors?
What degree of predictive value is predictive?
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
I got lucky the other night and
I have to admit I applauded afterwards.
But I waited until she got up to make me a sandwich.
I'm here to talk about the past.
by 67MARQUEZ on Apr 21, 2008 4:54 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
+1
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 6:41 PM PDT up reply actions
Does +1 in this case mean
“good for you” or “same here?”
"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL
Or "threesome?"
"Huston, you're hot!'' said first baseman Dan Johnson, dressed as a bottle of mustard.
it can mean all three...
in my fantasies.
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 8:15 PM PDT up reply actions
Hooray !! GOG!! Yay !!
Okay, BOB gets equal time, if not enthusiasm.
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Apr 21, 2008 8:36 PM PDT up reply actions
Why wait?
I applauded throughout … she said it made her feel good …
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
How do you applaud while you're having sex?
Oh I get it – you’re actually having sex with others.
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
That's where she came in, yeah ...
but give it a try, you might be able to solve the eternal question—what is the sound of one hand clapping?
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
I thought it was:
What is the sound of one hand giving the clap?
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
It's like a no-hitter
you cant clap, you cant talk about it. You have to act like its not happening until its over.
"Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it?"-Steve McCatty
Totally agree with you Dalesman
Call me Pollyanna with my glass half full, I love this team. I always seem to struggle with AN but enjoy it, too.
I'm just a little confused Dalesman
You mention the A’s winning with Harden on the DL as if that was something unexpected.
Where have you been for the past two years?
The monster at the end of this blog.
the Dales!
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
If he teamed up with Skip Carey's son,
could he turn around the Texas franchise?
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Sorry to confuse you
It was an indirect reference to those who post that the A’s need Harden fit and on the hill to have any chance of a successful season. Obviously they may yet be proved correct.
I think I may have been one of those with expectations, beyond all reason, that Harden was going to have a 25+ start season. Obviously I may yet be proved correct.
Any similarity between my spelling and that deemed correct, is pureley accidental.
Yep most of the time I've been in the Dales!
Could someone please explain whatever PaulThomas is on about, I have no idea who Skip Carey’s son is, but as a Liverpool supporter I would prefer to have nothing to do with the Texas fanchise or the buffoon who owns it.
Any similarity between my spelling and that deemed correct, is pureley accidental.
I guess that was overly oblique
Skip Carey’s son is named Chip.
Thus, Chip and Dale rescue Rangers…
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
I disavow any knowledge of anything having to do with Chip and Dale.
"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL
... well, I got a good laugh out of it, anyway
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
I think people are afraid of being disappointed,
so they say, when the A’s start 12-8, “It won’t last” – that doesn’t mean it isn’t their way of saying, “Gosh I hope somehow it does last.”
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
I really think it's their way of saying...
“It won’t last.” Because they’re so sure they’re right.
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 6:45 PM PDT up reply actions
see...
there’s one of ‘em.
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 6:47 PM PDT up reply actions
Certainly the 12-8 record won't last
I’m giving it ‘til tomorrow night.
The A's colors are green and gold.
give me odds...
;-)
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 6:50 PM PDT up reply actions
Hmmm
Twins have 4 bad pitchers + Liriano who goes Thurs. Wouldn’t mind missing him. 2 straight days off would be rough, though.
The A's colors are green and gold.
Your wager is safe
I think the A’s have already reached their allotted one home rainout every 15 years.
There is an A in Whimsy.
by FreeSeatUpgrade on Apr 21, 2008 7:24 PM PDT up reply actions
No!
No no no no no no no no no.
No.
"Huston, you're hot!'' said first baseman Dan Johnson, dressed as a bottle of mustard.
Tell me about it.
Take a wild guess at what’s scheduled tomorrow afternoon…
"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL
Nooooo!
Will it get cancelled, or will it just go ahead and be scary?
"Huston, you're hot!'' said first baseman Dan Johnson, dressed as a bottle of mustard.
Still waiting to find out.
Depends on how fast the weather comes in….it does seem like it’ll be raining by 4:00 though (bad news for everybody, huh?).
"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL
WHAT IS IT already?!
Their chess-playing has attracted so much notice that one teammate -- they're not sure who, but they have a guess -- has begun hiding pieces, which are then discovered in odd places. The kings remain missing, so they're playing with Eric Chavez Bobbleheads. "Chavvy does have six Gold Gloves," Brown explained. "That's good enough to be king."
That would just be cold and wet.
Their chess-playing has attracted so much notice that one teammate -- they're not sure who, but they have a guess -- has begun hiding pieces, which are then discovered in odd places. The kings remain missing, so they're playing with Eric Chavez Bobbleheads. "Chavvy does have six Gold Gloves," Brown explained. "That's good enough to be king."
It's true
I can guarantee we will not stay 12-8 for the rest of the year. Heck, I think it’s pretty likely we won’t be 12-8 after tonight.
"Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it?"-Steve McCatty
How is it than anyone still gets surprised
when the instant tide of internet opinion is angry and shrill about anything, on any subject, every time? If Blez made a dollar for every post with a variant of “AN is upset about X” in it, he’d be paying Nico a lot more than the weekly barrel of goat kibble he gets now.
Mostly, “AN is upset X” breaks down to “5-10 users are so upset they’ve made 25 posts each about X.” As an occasional one of the 5-10 myself, believe me, the silent majority is much more even-keeled.
There is an A in Whimsy.
by FreeSeatUpgrade on Apr 21, 2008 6:59 PM PDT reply actions
I think I resemble that remark
In my defence, if I don’t post people complain that the quality of discussion on AN goes downhill.
Yeah, I don’t get it either!
The monster at the end of this blog.
Why am I angry and shrill?
Because my barrel of goat kibble was due yesterday!!!!
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
Mmmm ... goat kibble
Brainless Automaton #439
by rubin sierra on Apr 21, 2008 11:05 PM PDT up reply actions
Kruk's Power Rankings coming up on BBTN...
should be worth a chuckle or two.
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
Dude, I was going to totally disagree with you
This place is thriving! Look at all the activity, all of the very interested people, the passionate debate! Pretty great, especially for a team that was discarded by MSM months ago.
But then I saw the comments to this fanpost degrade into a Byrnes/Kotsay debate, and I lost all faith.
who were you going to disagree with?
the OG poster? What were going to be your points? MSM? I love how the Democrat Party has adopted Rushspeak….
And, the Byrnes/Kotsay debate is a key dividing line on AN. You.d know that if you weren’t sorta newbie.
Foolsh, the most insane regular poster on AN since oaktoon left - salb
by FoolshGame22 on Apr 21, 2008 10:30 PM PDT up reply actions
long time listener first time caller.
been lurking since 2006. mostly i’ve seen byrnes nostalgia and kostay frustration, but hadn’t seen them linked before. Do I have to pick one? I choose devine.
(The basic points are in the exclamations.)
And I think it’s Hillary’s campaign, mostly, who adopted rushspeak—most of the party has not, and as such has been voting for Obama, who sticks with Ostlerspeak.
This is one thing we lose without the old search capability.
With it someone would have linked back to the key thread (likely the exact wording of the bet), simultaneously passing on ANstory and checking revisionism all round.
by green star oakland on Apr 21, 2008 11:16 PM PDT up reply actions
Reality check
All this AN struggling stuff has all of a sudden seemed so, so just un-real. I have gotten things in more sober perspective now that I just read of a real concern. That being David Hasselhoff rushed to the hospital. (wrings hands)
alaska A
I'm not worried that Dalesman is strugging -
Dalesman has a track record. Dalesman will be fine.
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
Well I am concerned
This post, and 3-4 comments in it, really make me think Dalesman may be past his prime.
And I don’t want any of you stathead mom’s basement living, hot pocket eating goobers to tell me it’s a SSS of his replies and posts-my eyes tell me all I need to know!
(man-a hot pocket sure sounds good right now though…)
"Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it?"-Steve McCatty
I don't need a stat head to tell me I'm past my prime,
just looking in the mirror is tough these days!
Any similarity between my spelling and that deemed correct, is pureley accidental.
how do you know that we pocket-eating goobers are hot?
Have you installed cameras in our moms’ basements?
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
I saw your pocket
eating Goobers at a game one time, and I had to tell myself “that is so hot!”
"Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it?"-Steve McCatty
Based on previous years stats
it is reasonable to assume that we are getting lucky and it won’t last. But it seems to me that most analysts, sabermatricians, etc place slightly too much emphasis on historical data. Lets not forget that things do change and surprises happen. Thats why we love playing and watching the game afterall.
by GusanoQuemador on Apr 22, 2008 10:14 AM PDT reply actions
wow
this a lot of comments for a non-front page, non-dld. I figured I would get in on the action even though I have nothing to say :-)
A's all the way in 08 . . . oh never mind!
Pffff... "nothing to say"
Doesn’t stop me...
"Huston, you're hot!'' said first baseman Dan Johnson, dressed as a bottle of mustard.
hey, this is AN
You have [null set] to say.
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
by monkeyball on Apr 22, 2008 11:11 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Just for the Record...
Emil Brown
2005: BA .286 w/ RISP .292 (plus .006)
2006: BA .287 w/ RISP .290 (plus .003)
2007: BA .257 w/ RISP .316 (plus .059)
2008: BA .292 w/ RISP .471 (plus .179)
A's Fan in Philly
dayum! look at that progression!
Sign him for ‘09, Billy—he projects to go plus about .450 w/RISP next year!
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
This thread is struggling with you, too.
Their chess-playing has attracted so much notice that one teammate -- they're not sure who, but they have a guess -- has begun hiding pieces, which are then discovered in odd places. The kings remain missing, so they're playing with Eric Chavez Bobbleheads. "Chavvy does have six Gold Gloves," Brown explained. "That's good enough to be king."
In former Soviet Un... oh, never mind
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
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