Anybody else tired of the Jack Cust Experiment?
by petitceebee on Apr 27, 2008 8:33 PM PDT
Email
PrintMaybe the A's brass has to accept the possibility that Cust's 2007 was an anomaly or an aberration. He wouldn't be the first. Chris Shelton? Kevin Maas? Why don't we go ahead and sign Barry Bonds? Love him or hate him, I think he would bring a major presence to the batting order. Or even bring up the Marabino Patrol Craft? I'm tired of the strikeouts I know is inevitable every time he's up in a crucial situation. In fact I wouldn't be surprised to see opposing pitchers start to pitch around the guy in front of him just to get to him! I don't know about you but I like a Bonds, Thomas, Chavez middle of the lineup.
While we're at it I have a few more ideas.
How about playing Davis everyday in center field and leading off. We'll have an excellent lead off hitter with speed and solid defense to compensate for Cust (Bonds?) in left. I don't think he can be any worse then Ryan Sweeney or Chris Denorfia. And so far I like what I've seen from him. Emil Brown could be the other corner outfielder, send down Ryan Sweeney and Buck and Denorfia could be the backups.
We could keep Mike Sweeney to backup Barton and provide a lively bat off the bench and start against the occasional left handers.
And finally, I'd switch Huston Street and Santiago Casilla's roles. In fact I would only like to see Street come in to get the occasional tough right handers and back him up with Embree, a la Gene Nelson - Rick Honeycutt style.
I never expected us to be in contention at the end of April, much less in first place, but we have a chance to actually make a run at it now, why not go for the whole thing?
166 comments
|
2 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
no
i’m not tired of it. we’re 25 games in. maybe if he’s gotten no better in mid or late may.
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
i've said it before and i'll say it again
It’s not that I’m tired of the Jack Cust experiment, it’s that I think Barry Bonds would just be better. But if they aren’t gonna sign Bonds, Cust is the best option shortterm and longterm-He’s getting on base just enough to not be TOTALLY killing the A’s, and I’m not one to write somebody off this quickly. That said, I’m not confident he’ll ever have the consistent power necessary to justify his lineup spot-I just don’t see a ready replacement with a higher upside other than Bonds.
And I couldn’t disagree more with your assessment of getting Street out of the closer’s role. Street is very good, and if you wanted to replace him as the closer, you are far better off letting him continue to close so you can at least pump up his trade value to pulloff a classic Billy Beane heist later with. But honestly, he’s very very good. Casilla has shown like 13 great innings, and Street gave up a 3 run bomb in Japan and everyone wants his head on a stake.
Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.
by mrrickyg on Apr 27, 2008 8:59 PM PDT reply actions 4 recs
I've made the argument many times before
But if Cust can put up similar numbers to last season (and I still see no reason why he won’t. The reason he’s been bad so far is because he’s not hitting fastballs well. He will.), he’s less than 1 win worse than Bonds if Bonds is 100%, playing every day, and still as productive as he always was.
Bonds will cost between 20 and 30 times more than Cust, and who knows how damaging the PR hit would be.
He’s absolutely not worth it, especially with Thomas on the team now. If Cust doesn’t break his slump, the answer is an outfielder within the system, not a broken down clubhouse cancer who may or may not handle a transition to a superior league very well. And who will never accept a reasonable contract offer.
http://bocropleasestopswingingatbadpitches.blogspot.com/
by thejd44 on Apr 28, 2008 12:33 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
By
Batting Runs, Cust produced 33 offensive runs above average last year in 124 games. Bonds produced 46.1 offensive runs above average in 126 games.
By Batting runs above average from Baseball Prospectus, Bonds 43 runs above average, Cust 31.
As for that tired and lazy superior league argument, over his career, Bonds has hit 310-501-653, 1.153 OPS against the AL. His total career line 298-444-607, 1.051 OPS. His tOPS+ against the AL is 120, which means he hits BETTER against the AL relative to the rest of his career.
But what about recently? Last 5 years against the AL:
385-549-942,1.492 OPS, tOPS+ 130 in 2003,
304-566-587, 1.153 OPS, tOPS+ 65 in 2004,
injured in 2005,
273-529-667, 1.196 OPS, tOPS+ 139 in 2006,
372-550-605,1.155 OPS, tOPS+ 122 in 2007.
What this means is that, out of the last 5 years, he was injured one year 2005. In one other year, 2004, he struggled against the AL. In 3 out of the other 5 years, 2003, 2006, 2007, he was actually BETTER against the superior league. BETTER.
His year by year OPS+ against the AL from 2003, 278, 207, injured, 210, 203. Yes, his OPS+ against the AL in recent times is in the 200s. That’s the sign of someone who may not handle the transition to the superior league that is the AL.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
no way man
he’s a left handed power bat…the worst he could do would be a late inning bench player…he’ll snap out of his funk…he’s Jack Cust!!!! for godsakes..and there is no way Bonds will become an A
1. I expected this fAnPoSt to be terrible based on the title, but it’s actually good, so good!
2. No one on the team has reached 3 HRs. We’ll need some HR power. Cust and Frank are the only ones who can provide that. In the meantime, Cust has sucked a lot so far this season, but he still has a way above average OBP. He leads mlb in BB-rate and led it last year. That is not going to change. His BA and home runs are sure to change in the upward direction, though.
The question then is how much: With last year’s production he was well worth the bad defense in LF. He had one of the best hitting years in the AL last year, and the A’s need offense. His offensive performance this year (WHICH IS BETTER THAN R. SWEENEY OR DENORFIA SO FAR), is emphatically not worth the cost of playing him in the OF. This year’s performance will be somewhere in between, but unlike last year he’ll have to play the OF every day. So it’s sort of a close call as far as this year goes. But Cust has fantastic upside (he was our best hitter by a substantial margin last year), and we simply cannot give up that kind of upside based on a slump and with a team that will probably not be contending in September.
3. Signing Bonds would be great; I like Cust but I wouldn’t even mind dropping future-Cust for this-year Bonds (this year Bonds is obviously better than Cust (and almost everyone)). But we’re not signing Bonds…
4. Davis is not a good hitter, so no. I like having him on the team, though. His defense and baserunning are valuable.
5. I trust Casilla more than Street at this point, but that could change, and switching their roles wouldn’t really make much difference one way or the other.
The A's colors are green and gold.
i wonder if it would make people happier with street
if when they looked at his stats, they clicked on splits and looked at his April numbers instead of his season numbers. .216 BAA, 7/7 saves, 1.14 WHIP (and I wasn’t sure if that included today or not). S#@ happens, Japan happens.
Also Cust might look worse with his Japan HR—Of course I think he’ll be better overall than he is now though.
Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.
Well, he's been shaky pretty much every outing until today, which is worrisome
So there’s that.
And, the Street critics here aren’t interested in stats, so I don’t think they’d care about that. If looking at stats was going to make people happy about Street, they would already be happy (as many of us are), but they’re not….
And I was pretty pissed off about that first game in Japan…
The A's colors are green and gold.
i fell asleep before i saw that! so for me it's like it never happened!
But yeah I get all of that.
Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.
It's not so much an indictment of Street,
okay, maybe it is, but i think my opinion is rather an endorsement of Casilla. I heard and read about all his potential when he was still Jairo Garcia and now he just looks downright filthy.
by petitceebee on Apr 27, 2008 10:10 PM PDT up reply actions
but he took a long time to get to the majors
because he’s sort of a headcase who walks a lot of people at really bad times. i hope for him and the a’s he’s matured and this is the year he put it all together, but until he puts together a full good season or two, he’s still Luis Vizcaino, right?
There is nothing I’d love more than for Casilla to blossom into a closer that lets Oakland rip somebody off trading a closer for way more than closer’s are worth. But Street is a very valuable closer for now to have on the A’s.
Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.
True and true to all your points
but I just don’t see that from him this year or actually since the end of last year. Whatever he had to figure out, i think (and hope) he has and he reminds me of a lot better version of Octavio Dotel whom we trusted with that job so why not him?
by petitceebee on Apr 27, 2008 10:28 PM PDT up reply actions
Blanton + Street -------->Rangers for Hamilton and 2 Billy Beane picked prospects plz
Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.
Why on earth would the Rangers do that?
They’re further back in the rebuilding process than Oakland is. They’d be unlikely to contend before their final years in Texas, perhaps not even then.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Blanton + Street still have time left before FA
I’d pay more for Hamilton than that actually. I still can’t believe the Reds traded him. I just figure the Rangers and Reds etc. are good teams to victimize :-) And those prospects don’t have to be good ones. But whatever, it’s just a dream. It was also sort of thinking to myself how the Reds might have taken a deal like that and being sad.
Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.
Eh
I’m not sure I’d trade Blanton plus Street for Jay Bruce, much less Josh Hamilton.
I’d sure as hell trade what the Rangers did, but it’s a pretty long way from “a pretty good pitching prospect” to “200 average to above average innings a year plus a top 10 reliever in all of baseball.”
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
i'd do it for jay bruce !! please ASAP.
I’d trade Joe Blanton for a pack of bubblegum and a side of saurkraut though. I’d just try really hard to hold out for more.
Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.
why?
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
Aw man
There’s no way you can’t do a Blanton/Street for Jay Bruce swap.
Of course, the Reds would probably laugh their asses off if Beane offered that trade.
"We were s--, pathetic," Guillen growled early in spring training. "We hit too many home runs."
by lenscrafters on Apr 28, 2008 12:21 AM PDT up reply actions
well
now that they have cordero, there’s no reason for them to do it, but i don’t see why they would laugh their asses off. sure bruce could be good and all, but 215 quality innings/year and a proven closer (sorry haters) are kinda important too
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
Blanton and Street are very good players, don't get me wrong
But Bruce has a chance to be on a completely another level. He’s not just someone who “could be good,” he’s about as certain as a superstar as a prospect can be. This is a guy who’s projected to be a .300/.400/.500 player in CF with 40 bombs yearly. He’s the number one prospect in baseball, according to most publications. Heck if Billy Beane was offered this deal as the Reds GM, he’d probably turn it down too.
Plus, it’s also quite apparent that most teams don’t seem to value Blanton as much as we do. If the Reds won’t take Bailey/Votto for him, they definitely won’t even consider trading Bruce.
"We were s--, pathetic," Guillen growled early in spring training. "We hit too many home runs."
by lenscrafters on Apr 28, 2008 12:30 AM PDT up reply actions
OK...
and Blanton/Street for Bailey/Votto would be an absolutely ABYSMAL trade for Oakland.
I’m not saying Cincy would or would not do anything in particular, just that I would have to think long and hard about taking the offer if I was Oakland’s GM and they actively asked me about it.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Yeah, that would be pretty bad.
I’d do it for just Blanton, though. Including Street would require Cueto and Keppinger to be included.
Have you seen the #'s Volquez is putting up in Cincinnati?
5 starts, 4 runs allowed, 33K’s in 29.1 innings. Volquez is an incredible pitcher. That said, there’s absolutely no way the Rangers give up a pitcher of Volquez’s caliber, then turn around and trade the same guy for lesser pitchers.
"To me, boxing is like a ballet, except there's no music, no choreography, and the dancers hit each other." - Jack Handey
by JJ on Apr 28, 2008 5:13 AM PDT up reply actions
uhhhh reds made a great trade dude
the guy the reds got for hamilton – edinson volquez – is a freaking stud… hamilton’s way older than volquez and puts up gaudy #’s b/c he’s hit in 2 huge hitters parks (cinci and texas). Volquez is a young stud pitcher… way more valuable than hamilton. Plus the reds already have griffey, dunn, and soon jay bruce in their outfield… no need for hamilton.
Cust is the new Jaha.
by johnjahafanclub on Apr 28, 2008 11:41 AM PDT up reply actions
Let's see,
in 2007, Hamilton hit 274-365-497, 861 OPS on the road. In 2008, 306-366-532, 898 OPS on the road.
Neither Griffey nor Dunn are good comps for Hamilton. They’re both DHs masquerading as corner OFs. It’s also debatable whether Jay Bruce is an actual CF, or more of a corner OF who can “handle” CF, like Ryan Sweeney. Hamilton plays CF.
Volquez shiny ERA is nice, he’s also given given up 16 walks in 29 innings.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
Hamilton is also a corner OF
who can “handle” CF.
Had the Reds kept him into next season, he would have moved to a corner and Bruce would play CF.
I speak merely for factual accuracy, since I agree that Hamilton > Volquez. Particularly considering the imminent departures of Dunn and Griffey.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
In 2007,
RZR had him at 5 runs below average, Zone Rating at 2 runs above average.
For comparison, Rowand was at 5 below by RZR, 6 above by ZR. Torii Hunter, 4 below and 4 above.
“Had the Reds kept him into next season, he would have moved to a corner and Bruce would play CF.”
And even if he was in a corner, he would still be a significantly better choice than Griffey in a corner.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
Cust didn't hit a HR in Japan
He hit it in Oakland.
http://bocropleasestopswingingatbadpitches.blogspot.com/
by thejd44 on Apr 28, 2008 12:35 AM PDT up reply actions
I think Cust's bat will improve
(it almost has to) but I doubt his fielding will. His glove scares me a lot more than his bat does.
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
Thanks for the props...
...maybe it’ll inspire me to write more!
Please don't
this reads like a post over on Halos Heaven. I’m surprised it has so many positive comments.
by 33SwisherSweet on Apr 28, 2008 10:22 AM PDT up reply actions
Prediction: Cust will have a better year than Frank Thomas
Frank Thomas had 10 hits and an OPS of .639 in Toronto, and Billy Beane was alll over FT like a cheap suit.
Cust has nine hits and an OPS of .621. Oh, yeah, he also singled in the winning run today against King Felix.
Just as Toronto was intemperate with FT (for financial reasons), I believe you are being intemperate with Cust.
Incidentally, David Ortiz has an OPS of .611.
"My pitching philosophy is simple: Keep the ball away from the bat." -Satchel Paige
by ptbarnum on Apr 27, 2008 9:29 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Thomas very well may be a 3-4 week experiment himself
Beane could have told him the DH slot is his for a month – hit the ball and stay, don’t hit the ball and get released again (or maybe retire, he did say that he wanted to retire with the A’s)
interesting take mikev
never thought of it that way…hopefully he hits the ball
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
I bet that's exactly how it is...
"Good pitching will always stop good hitting and vice-versa."- Casey Stengel
by Gaijin_Suketto on Apr 28, 2008 8:30 AM PDT up reply actions
Cust's hit was off Morrow.
http://bocropleasestopswingingatbadpitches.blogspot.com/
by thejd44 on Apr 28, 2008 12:36 AM PDT up reply actions
Excuse me
I just realized Cust singled against Morrow, not Hernandez.
"My pitching philosophy is simple: Keep the ball away from the bat." -Satchel Paige
And I just saw this post after correcting you. Oops!
http://bocropleasestopswingingatbadpitches.blogspot.com/
by thejd44 on Apr 28, 2008 12:36 AM PDT up reply actions
I sincerely hope I'm wrong about Cust
but I seriously doubt it. I wasn’t disputing who would be better between Thomas or Cust but rather Bonds and Cust. Bust as it is, I would take Thomas over Cust any day of the week and twice on Sundays. Much more so if it were Bonds or David Ortiz!
Was. Many years ago. Not last year.
http://bocropleasestopswingingatbadpitches.blogspot.com/
by thejd44 on Apr 28, 2008 12:37 AM PDT up reply actions
Last year was a fluke.
At least thats my opinion. His recent performance seems to show why he has bounced around so many teams the last 7 years, and has yet to earn consistent playing time. The guy has just looked downright awful. What is worse is that the walks that are inflating his OBP are not making up for his terrible fielding and awful lack of contact. I don’t see a place for this guy on this team, especially in a month or so when Chavy makes it back. A healthy Chavez is something the A’s havn’t had in 2 or 3 years, his production will probably instantly exceed anything Cust does, and from the left side of the plate at that. If Cust isn’t stroking the ball by then it will be time to stop talking about him heating up, and time to give someone else a shot.
As for the future, I’m not sure how his contract stands, but if last year wasn’t a revelation, and he somehow goes on a terror and finishes the season with 40HR’s and 100+ RBIs is he really going to be someone the A’s can afford to keep around? (depending on contract length of course)
What about Barry?
"Barry who?" Forst said, and I felt like I was in the middle of a knock-knock joke.
He will be a 1st year arbitration player next season
so yes, the A’s will be able to afford to keep him until 2011.
I mean, yeah, he hasn’t been good this year—but I’d venture to say his upside for 2009 sizably exceeds that of the alternatives (the Broken Down Vet DH du jour next season being… what, Sheffield?) and, as I’ve said before, I just don’t really care about this year’s team losing games as long as it’s doing so in the right way (by using them as evaluation tools).
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
not to mention
Chavez’ (is that how you punctuate a “z” by the way?) return is completely and 100% totally unrelated to Cust.
Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.
I always add "'s" to denote the possessive
Not only does it not look stupid, it’s both clearer and pronunciationally correct.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
nice word PT
“pronunciatonally”
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
lol
I missed that. I sure hope that was unintentional especially after the grief he gave me about my grammar misuse
by petitceebee on Apr 28, 2008 12:26 AM PDT up reply actions
naw it was intentional
PT has a good sense of humor with that stuff
/fanboying
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
It's Chavez's.
But with singular nouns it’s generally based on pronunciation (I happen to think this is one of the rules of English that needs to be fixed). There’s also not really a standard, since different style manuals say different things. I guess a quick and easy rule of thumb is that the ”’s” won’t ever be totally wrong with singular nouns.
On the other hand there are plenty of situations where the extra s is not only unnecessary, but usually considered wrong. As a general rule, nouns with a “normal” plural don’t need it.
http://bocropleasestopswingingatbadpitches.blogspot.com/
by thejd44 on Apr 28, 2008 12:52 AM PDT up reply actions
actually, many style guides say ...
... to leave off the “s” when the word that’s being possessivized (that comes right before “pronunciationally” in the dictionary) ends in either a “z” or a hard-s: Chavez’ bat, Ned Flanders’ mustache.
After all, when you pronounce such words, you don’t add the “s”: “Cha-VEZ bat,” not “Cha-VEZ-ez bat.” Right?
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
Not right
if you ask me… because I always pronounce the extra s.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
I bought some Pez's the other day
and Blez asked Perez whose Pez’s they were and Perez told Blez that they were Marquez’s Pez’s.
I'm here to talk about the past.
{standing O}
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
I'm new to posting on this site
but I’ve been following it daily for the last couple of years, mostly because I like reading Blez, Nico, et al, and my honest opinion is that A’s fans are probably the most intellectual sports fans I’ve ever come across. Just take a look at the Angels or better yet Red Sox fans site to see how emotional fanaticism inevitably leads to irrational arguments. I think (in my opnion) the rational, logical and stimulating arguments on AN are a reflection of the whole organization from top to bottom. From Billy Beane to Taj Adib, the Oakland A’s might have the finest collection of sabertricians (sp) in the country. That said, I don’t understand the irrational hatred and/or un-acceptance from a lot of A’s fans about Barry Bonds. The guy is a stat geek’s wet dream. And in baseball’s mortal world, I think he’s a god among men. I don’t care if he used steroids. I don’t care if he’s a jerk. The guy can flat out hit and he’ll definitely provide something our team sorely lacks.
by petitceebee on Apr 27, 2008 10:58 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm no stat geek either
but even I can see he changes the entire complex of a game single handedly. I remember a couple years ago when he was intentionally walked with the bases loaded. Geez, that’s insane! Who does that?!
by petitceebee on Apr 27, 2008 11:22 PM PDT up reply actions
i'm sort of willing to put up with people not wanting bonds
as long as they come clean that they just don’t like him. i don’t like people rationalizing that the a’s shouldn’t get him because a.) he’d make the team worse now or b.) he’d make the team worse in the future. Winning isn’t everything, but it’s insane to think he wouldn’t help them win. And as a fan I like watching Barry Bonds play baseball (though some others don’t)
Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.
How about the completely valid (and right) arguments
that actually look at the contributions he makes relative to his cost, factoring in who loses playing time and what the PR damage (a hard to quantify variable) might be?
Just because you want Bonds doesn’ t mean there aren’t plenty of completely legitimate arguments against signing him. It’s pretty uninformed of you to claim that the only possible reason to not advocate the signing is a dislike of the player.
http://bocropleasestopswingingatbadpitches.blogspot.com/
by thejd44 on Apr 28, 2008 12:55 AM PDT up reply actions
PR damage?
So, the A’s would only draw 9700 people vs the Rays on a Tuesday night, as opposed to 9900?
Or do you think that signing Bonds would go straight onto the Fremont NIMBY no-ballpark-permit petition?
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
well i've never said to sign Bonds at any $$$ cost
He’d have to accept an Oakland-sized contract. And he’d be costing Cust or Brown playing time, which has no long term impact on team chemistry etc. Almost all arguments against Bonds impact on helping the team win are either ad homonym attacks or hasty rationalizations as a result of dislike of the guy. And I repeat, it’s perfectly OK not to sign a guy for the sole reason of not liking him, just be honest about it.
Also, signing Bonds causing PR damage is pretty much a joke. Though there are lots of Bonds detractors everywhere now, Oakland and San Francisco are the last two places on Earth where signing Bonds would actually cause a net gain in local PR. Even if it just draws more Giants fans to A’s games, Barry Bonds would almost certainly be a net PR gain (if a controversial one) in Oakland.
Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.
I'll buy that
Would he help the team win more games?
Absolutely!
Do I want him in an A’s uniform?
No friggin way.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."
--Bilbo Baggins
by kaweahkaweah on Apr 28, 2008 9:30 AM PDT up reply actions
Bonds
The upgrade he brings over Cust is absolutely undeniable. Heck, Bonds, if healthy, is probably an upgrade over just about every other AL team’s DH as well. For some reason though, no one has signed him, and there has to be a little more to it than him being a jerk or former steroid user. There are plenty of other guys that carry that same baggage that are starting all around the league. Personally I don’t like Bonds as a person, he’s cocky and a pretty big a-hole, but I wouldn’t mind seeing him on the A’s. I think there is a bit more resentment on AN just for the obvious fact he played for the Giants, I mean is Bonds really worse than Bradley attitude wise? Bonds, Thomas, and Chavez linked together in the order would be pretty dang awesome IMO. Part of me says I’d be just as happy seeing CarGon or Linden get a shot out there than Bonds carrying the team to victories, but on the other hand it would be pretty badass to have some legit power in the lineup back to back to back.
What about Barry?
"Barry who?" Forst said, and I felt like I was in the middle of a knock-knock joke.
Well, no.
Last year, Bonds, has a WARP3 of 6.4. Jack Cust had a WARP3 of 6.2
Unless Barry Bonds is going to sign for about $500,000, it’s easily deniable that he’s more valuable than Cust. There is nothing to suggest that Bonds will A) stay on the field B) put up decent numbers or C) not be a bad investment with the PR damage he may cause.
I know I’m a broken record in this thread, but it’s absolutely obnoxious that people are making ridiculous absolute claims without doing any actual research. I expect better of people here. I’ve read all the arguments, and I still haven’t really seen any that sell me on Bonds being a smart option unless you assume Jack Cust is going to hit under .200 all season (and Bonds will play for a million bucks or less). Nothing I’ve seen tells me that’s actually going to happen.
http://bocropleasestopswingingatbadpitches.blogspot.com/
by thejd44 on Apr 28, 2008 1:00 AM PDT up reply actions
Last year
Jack Cust got to play DH, while Bonds had to play LF. That’s why Cust looks good in WARP. Things will be different this year. If Cust has to play a whole season in the OF, even if he duplicates last year’s offensive production, he’s going to have a worse WARP.
Using just pure offensive metrics, Batting Runs, Cust produced 33 offensive runs above average last year in 124 games. Bonds produced 46.1 offensive runs above average in 126 games.
By Batting runs above average from Baseball Prospectus, Bonds 43 runs above average, Cust 31.
Or if you prefer a comparison to replacement, Bonds produced 55 VORP, Cust produced 32.6 VORP.
So, using offensive measures, whether relative to average or replacement, Bonds was clearly better. And it’s not easily deniable that he’s not more valuable than Cust.
PECOTA projects
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
Freaking SBN 3.0
Ignore that last line. It was supposed to go in another post.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
Does this count as a triple-negative?
And it’s not easily deniable that he’s not more valuable than Cust.
It's Rhodes Scholar Night at the Coliseum tonight.
Great Moments in Unintentional Irony
I’m tired of the strikeouts I know is inevitable every time he’s up in a crucial situation.
You mean like “tie game, bases loaded, none out, 8th inning”?
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Not saying he doesn't have his moments
but I still rather have Barry Bonds.
by petitceebee on Apr 27, 2008 10:13 PM PDT up reply actions
BTW
didn’t he have the same situation in the 4th inning?
by petitceebee on Apr 27, 2008 10:16 PM PDT up reply actions
How should I know?
My entire exposure to this game, courtesy of CSN, was the AN recap.
(Looking it up: yes, that’s correct. So his bases loaded AVG today was .500. Still seems OK.)
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
No, I'm sorry
I’m not letting you off the hook yet.
You DID say he doesn’t have his moments. Clearly. In so many words.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
You're right
but I was exaggerating to make a point about my exasperation. But kudos to you for the grammar check. I’ll make sure to be literal in my points from now on.
by petitceebee on Apr 27, 2008 10:23 PM PDT up reply actions
Sorry, just a pet peeve of mine
There’s no reason to say something is always true when it’s true most of the time. Saying it’s true most of the time is good enough to make your point.
I’m sure it wasn’t your intent to irk anyone (and in deference to ricky, it’s certainly not my intent to drive you off—we’ll take anyone who a. is good at starting discussions and b. commands the English language to a reasonable degree).
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Steriods.
Since it hasn’t been mentioned yet. Cust was a known user, I wonder if his bat speed is down at all this year.
What about Barry?
"Barry who?" Forst said, and I felt like I was in the middle of a knock-knock joke.
known HGH user
and lots of studies that HGH ranges somewhere from placebo to negative impact.
Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.
Known Steriod User
“At the beginning of the 2003 season, Cust and Larry Bigbie were both playing for
Baltimore’s class AAA affiliate in Ottawa. Bigbie’s locker was next to Cust’s. Cust eventually
asked Bigbie if he had ever tried steroids. Bigbie acknowledged he had, and Cust said that he,
too, had tried steroids. Cust told Bigbie that he had a source who could procure anything he
wanted, but Bigbie informed him he already had a friend who could supply him.
In order to provide Cust with information about these allegations and to give him
an opportunity to respond, I asked him to meet with me; he declined. “
per mitchell report.
Whats next ricky, roids have a placebo effect?
What about Barry?
"Barry who?" Forst said, and I felt like I was in the middle of a knock-knock joke.
While it's quite possible that Cust used steroids,
the Mitchell report segment on him was about the worst case of character assassination based on hearsay that I’ve ever seen. There wasn’t a single figment of tangible evidence.
In a lot of countries (not the US, however), it would have gotten George Mitchell sued for libel.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Would Mitchell be the one sued
or would it be Larry Bigbie?
Mitchell is reporting facts: Larry Bigbie said something happened. Mitchell never actually says Cust was guilty of anything. What he’s reporting is, technically, true.
Of course, Cust could never win a slander suit against Bigbie since he can’t prove that the conversation didn’t happen and he can’t prove Bigbie said what he said with the intent to damage him.
http://bocropleasestopswingingatbadpitches.blogspot.com/
by thejd44 on Apr 28, 2008 1:02 AM PDT up reply actions
steroids, not steriods
sorry but you spelled it wrong twice…i couldn’t help it
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
No one cares about walks
Cust will have a top 5 BB-rate, there is no doubt about that. Led the league last year, leads the league this year. He really has to be terrible otherwise to render that useless. So far, he has been that terrible. But it’s only been a month and he’s not been that terrible his entire career! Not even close! It would be extremely surprising if he doesn’t start hitting more HRs. He’s done it his entire career.
The A's colors are green and gold.
i like walks.
but even matching his last year total in a full season might not be enough HRs. but whatever, even if he gets his slugging up to only like .420, he’ll have a good .800 OPS as opposed to a craig monroe-like .300/.500 bad OPS.
Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.
A week old, but...
it belongs in this conversation.
http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/insider/columns/story?columnist=neyer_rob&id=3356491
What about Barry?
"Barry who?" Forst said, and I felt like I was in the middle of a knock-knock joke.
So nobody's keen on my idea of Davis
as the starting center fielder? I say give the guy 25 games and see if he couldn’t do better then Sweeney’s .260 avg. I’m sure he can get that just with his legs.
Naw, Davis doesn't project as a starter in any universe.
Might as well see what Sweeney can do in a little bit of an expended spell, and if he can’t hack it, get Carlos Gonzalez in that spot and send Sweeney down. Davis is a classical nice 4th OFer, late inning defense and pinch-running extraordinaire.
Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.
Davis can play good D
in CF. He is a starter in CF, defensively. Ryan Sweeney, hits like a CF, but can’t play D there. He is a CF starter, offensively. They’re both 4th OFers.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
i mean the defensive issue is moot...
gonzalez can play decent center (would play RF if Davis were the starter, admittedly), so it’s just a matter of seeing if either one of them could hold down a starting offensive bat over Brown for when it was determined to bring up Gonzalez.
Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.
Davis has had one good game. Why would you want someone the Giants DFA'd to
get playing time over Denorfia or Sweeney – legitimate prospects.
by 33SwisherSweet on Apr 28, 2008 10:23 AM PDT up reply actions
Precisely,
BECAUSE the Giants DFA’d him?
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
The Giant's DFA is one thing amongst many reasons why sweeney and denorfia should get
more PT than Davis.
by 33SwisherSweet on Apr 28, 2008 11:50 AM PDT up reply actions
Wasn't Frank Thomas DFA'd? Just because someone is DFA'd, doesn't always have
to do with the talent, but the circumstance, most of the time it is just a numbers game. The teams usually believe the person will clear waivers and remain a part of the organization.
by theblackpearl on Apr 28, 2008 12:55 PM PDT up reply actions
Big Hurt was DFA'd - I agree. However, just as you say, he
was DFA’d for different reasons than Davis. Davis was 1-19 on a shitty Giant’s team looking for a youth movement. He couldn’t cut the mustard in their depleted talent pool so why bring him over here. Hopefully, he proves me wrong, but I’m just not seeing it now.
by 33SwisherSweet on Apr 28, 2008 1:11 PM PDT up reply actions
That Giants
team looking for a “youth movement” is still starting Ray Durham and Rich Aurilia, 2 of the worst starting players in MLB this year AND last year.That Giant’s team looking for a “youth movement” was starting Dave Roberts, while allowing Fred Lewis, Davis et al to rot on the bench, and Nate Schierholtz to rot in the minors.
Bruce Bochy loves his vets. While manager of the Padres, the Padres FO had to cut Vinny Castilla to prevent Bochy from stubbornly starting Castilla everyday.
Why bring him over? Because a team AND a manager, both of whom are notorious for their fetish for veterans, cut him.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
You missed out on the fact he was hitting 1 for 19. I'm not trying to suggest
the Giants are run by a “brain-trust,” but I do know that they are playing young players like bocock, velez, lewis, bowker, holm, ortmeier, and burris. Albeit, they are still playing some grizzled vets they are clearly trying to run out the young guys as well. In their opinion Davis is worse than those 7 players listed. The only two I’d take a flier on would be Lewis and Velez. In other words, Davis in no bueno.
Like I said, I really hope I am wrong, but I believe that Sweeney and Denorfia have far more upside than Davis and that the addition of Davis really will stunt their development.
by 33SwisherSweet on Apr 28, 2008 2:05 PM PDT up reply actions
It might just be the pro-Giants bay area media nonsense
But I’m actually a fan of Fred Lewis.
I’d take him over Denorfia, Davis, or Brown.
So, you'd judge him on 19 at bats?
Albeit, they are still playing some grizzled vets they are clearly trying to run out the young guys as well. In their opinion Davis is worse than those 7 players listed.
Really? Aaron Rowand is the starting CF. Randy Winn is starting in one of the corners. Until Roberts got injured, he was starting in the other corner. Aurilia is starting mostly at 1b. That leaves one corner OF slot for Lewis, Davis, Bowker, Ortmeier, Velez.
The only two I’d take a flier on would be Lewis and Velez. In other words, Davis in no bueno.
Bowker would be a better choice than Velez. Velez is fast. That’s it. He’s poor offensively, and while he is versatile, it seems the only position that he can play well is corner OF. His offense is way too poor to be a corner OF.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
Freaking AN 3
Even if Davis was the worst of the lot, he still should not have been DFAd. Not when the likes of Ray Durham and Rich Aurilia are starting.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
What's that tell you? Davis couldn't start over a bunch of chumps, is what
it tells me. I love getting you stat guys fired up.
by 33SwisherSweet on Apr 28, 2008 4:23 PM PDT up reply actions
Velez, you wouldn't happen to be judging him on a small sample
size now would you?
Velez > Davis all things considered due to his versatility. Speed is about equal. What’s impressive about Bowker? I think the KNBR is getting to you as Davis and Bowker were 2007 and 2008’s respective KNBR man-love players. Both are nothing to get too excited about
by 33SwisherSweet on Apr 28, 2008 4:28 PM PDT up reply actions
just a few grammar errors in there sorry... trying to work and
do AN at the same time = no bueno.
by 33SwisherSweet on Apr 28, 2008 4:29 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm judging Velez' offense
based on his very poor minor league numbers.
Defensive, maybe I’m too harsh on him. But, the D metrics don’t rate him well at 2b, and every time he’s played there, he’s looked really bad.
I don’t listen to KNBR.
What’s impressive about Bowker? Or at least more impressive than Velez? He hit 307-363-523, 886 OPS with an extreme pitcher’s park as his homepark in AA at age 23. Velez did have a very good year at age 24, 926 OPS, but that came at A; beating up on much younger players.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
AN 3.0 ate more of my post
Holm is a catcher. Burris and Bowker are SS. Velez can play multiple positions.
So, it was actually more of Davis vs Lewis, Bowker and Ortmeier.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
Even if that is the case, it tells that in the Giant's eyes
Davis is significantly worse than the other 3 because they were willing to part ways with him as opposed to sending down Ortmeier or Bowker and keeping Davis up to get some PT.
by 33SwisherSweet on Apr 28, 2008 4:31 PM PDT up reply actions
The Giants are idiots
There’s no scenario under which Dan Ortmeier is a better keep than Rajai Davis.
That being said, Rajai is still not a starting-caliber outfielder. It’s just that unlike Ortmeier, he’s actually a useful bench player.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Gosh, in reading my posts you'd think I'm some sort of nitwit. I apologize
for the poor grammar, diction, tense, etc. today. Just not a good day.
by 33SwisherSweet on Apr 28, 2008 5:36 PM PDT up reply actions
Davis ALSO has a noodle for an arm, akin to
Shannon Stewart.
by 33SwisherSweet on Apr 28, 2008 6:14 PM PDT up reply actions
No one's arm is akin to Shannon Stewart
apart from Albert Pujols when he had the injured elbow.
FWIW, THT’s Outfield Arms metric actually rated him as a net-plus arm in center last year.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
It should not be
Davis vs Lewis vs Bowker vs Ortmeier vs Velez. Aurilia, Durham, Roberts should all be DFAd. It should not have Davis who was DFAd. It should have been Aurilia.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
This is how retarded Sabean is
Kevin Frandsen is still not on the 60-day DL.
He tore his Achilles tendon in March. Recovery time for that is 6 months, minimum. And yet he is not on the 60-day DL.
They didn’t have to lose anyone. If they had their hearts set on Burriss playing in the majors all they had to do was send down one of the guys with options.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Frank Thomas was released
He was never designated for assignment.
When a team is clearing a roster spot (as happened with Davis) they will generally choose a player who is out of options and whom they view as expendable. It’s a pretty bad mark on a player’s talent level.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
correction - Hurt was released.
Davis was DFA’d. Thanks for catching that Paul
by 33SwisherSweet on Apr 28, 2008 1:37 PM PDT up reply actions
Oh, I forgot to mention
[Insert standard rant about Street being a really frigging good pitcher, and small sample sizes, and the worthlessness of blown saves, not that he’s actually blowing very many]
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
by PaulThomas on Apr 28, 2008 12:09 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
I don't know about anything about
small sample sizes, worthlessness of blown saves, etc, but I do know I smoke way more cigarettes then I usually do whenever he takes the mound. I miss the days of Eck when I can basically turn off the TV in the ninth when we have the lead.
by petitceebee on Apr 28, 2008 12:16 AM PDT up reply actions
Street's never caused me to smoke one cigarette
Maybe you’re just addicted.
http://bocropleasestopswingingatbadpitches.blogspot.com/
by thejd44 on Apr 28, 2008 1:04 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Nah, you got it wrong.
Street’s allowing you to smoke more.
He’s an enabler.
It's Rhodes Scholar Night at the Coliseum tonight.
Street's a fine pitcher and a nice guy...
and as irrational as it may be, I have to say I will never be comfortable in the 9th inning until we have someone closing who is as lights out as Eck was, or Gagne during his good years. Of course, we’ll probably never have anyone that good again, so I’ll have to file it away with the other unavailable things I fiend for, like Nacho Cheese Chee-Tohs (discontinued 25 years ago) and my favorite Mexican restaurant that burned down…
"Good pitching will always stop good hitting and vice-versa."- Casey Stengel
by Gaijin_Suketto on Apr 28, 2008 8:44 AM PDT up reply actions
I know.
Unless we get and/or develop one of the best closers EVER, I will be nervous in the 9th. Every time Street gives up anything in the 9th, there’s a part of me that says “here we go again…”
Formerly known as K56 and SPWC, in case anyone cares...
by Gaijin_Suketto on Apr 28, 2008 10:41 AM PDT up reply actions
So are you completely irrational in all aspects of life?
by methodrampage on Apr 28, 2008 1:54 PM PDT up reply actions
I try to be...
...rational thought is the devil’s playground.
Formerly known as K56 and SPWC, in case anyone cares...
by Gaijin_Suketto on Apr 28, 2008 5:36 PM PDT up reply actions
I wouldn't want to sign Barry
But again, it is becoming increasingly more likely that last year was the aberration, and the many, many years of being a minor league player are the norm. Is he better than most AAA players? Of course, but in the majors, pitchers know what they are doing, and until Cust learns to make adjustments, he’ll cut undercut-swinging his way to no homers and few RBIs.
Might as well Jump! - Van Halen
Answer: Yes
I am tired of the Cust experiment but have no desire to see Barry Bonds in the A’s lineup. Buck will return healthy and ready to take Cust’s place in the lineup.
I don't know how much shin splints hurt hitting
I’ve never had them, but I would imagine they’d be something you could fight through at the plate, even if they hurt really really really bad. I just don’t know if Buck can hit?
Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.
They hurt immensely.
I have them.
When they’re just painful, they’re damn near crippling. Imagine being stabbed in the side of the leg, right where the shin bone (okay, tibia) stops and the calf muscle starts. It has an effect on simply walking, let alone hitting baseballs and doing so at a major league caliber level.
At worst, shin splints become stress fractures and microfractures of the tibia. If that were to happen, it’s goodbye season for Buck.
Now, if while on the DL the A’s aren’t sending Buck to orthopedic specialists to evaluate his running and his footstrike and either changing the type of cleat he wears and/or custom making insoles for him, I’ll throw a fit.
The only things that seemed to help my legs were a) rest, and b) switching from cleats to turf shoes. Distributing the pressure evenly throughout my foot as opposed to having 9 or 10 high pressure spots (think of cleats and how certain cleats are longer) reduced the impact quite a bit.
There are also quite a few stretches you can do to help shin splints, but the biggest helper is rest/ice/ibuprofen.
Yeah I just assumed that if he was trying to play through them before
He at least ought to be able to swing the bat with the rest/ice/ibuprofren approach. He might not be able to safely make it out of the batter’s box of course. He’s just a good candidate for 2nd-year suckiness—A nice rookie story who has a nice season out of relatively nowhere, quickly regressing to the mean in year #2 through the bigs. But I am rooting for him of course!
Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.
That could very well be true
I wasn’t really in favor of Buck making the team out of ST last year, but he performed (when he was healthy)
Well, shin splints is a very generic term
that basically covers any injury to shin area. Just from the term “shin splints” it’s not possible to tell just how serious the injury, and how bad the pain is.
A definition of “shin splints” :
Pain in the shin may be related to overuse or stress of the muscles within the extensor or flexor groups, stress fracture, or induced ischemia within the muscular compartments leading to compartment syndrome. (Ciullo, 1994)
If it is just some temporary accumulation of fluid ie induced ischemia withn the muscular comparments, “shin splints” is a fairly mild injury. Though even that can become serious. Noah Lowry had to have surgery for the compartment syndrome he had in his forearm. If it is a stress reaction leading to a stress fracture, or worse, already a stress fracture, that’s much more serious.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
Lowry's injury is really, really crappy.
Compartment syndrome is super painful, too. Fixable, though, which is good for him.
Having once had it,
albeit a mild case of it, hell yeah, it’s painful.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
The surgery to fix it is crazy, too.
Compartment syndrome, I mean.
They basically just open up your forearms and cut lengthwise slices into them so that there is room for everything to expand when the lactic acid and blood fill up your muscles.
It’s actually a very common surgery for motorcycle racers.
maybe he should play barefoot
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
There's actually a lot of truth to that article
That’s why I switched to wearing turf shoes instead of “normal” baseball cleats, actually.
It might seem strange
but that article is correct in many ways. It’s nice to see such an article in a mainstream mag,.
For some additional references on the utility of shoes whether in sports or not, look at:
Caspersen C et al, The incidence of injuries and hazards in recreational and fitness runners, Med Sci Sports Exerc 16:113
Clarke T et al, The effects of shoe cushioning upon selected force and temporal patterns in running, Med Sci Sports Exerc 14:144
Robbins S et al, Overload protection: avoidance response to heavy plantar surface loading, Med Sci Sports Exerc 20(1) : 85-92
Basically, there’s a much lower incidence of running injuries among barefoot populations (Robbins et al, 1987)
Several studies have shown that there is no correlation between the amount of shoe cushioning and impact absorption by footwear during movement (Robbins et al, 1988; Clarke et al, 1982). Epidemiological studies have failed to find evidence that modern sports footwear enhances protection from injury in the legs (Caspersen et al; Powell et al)
And the shock absorption capabilities of the foot and the ankles may actually be severely compromised by shoes with various arch and foot supports( Robbins).
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
I think we should sign Santa Claus
Believe in him or not, I think he would bring major presents to the batting order.
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
By sleighing opposing pitchers?
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."
--Bilbo Baggins
by kaweahkaweah on Apr 28, 2008 10:15 AM PDT up reply actions
with nine robdeer
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
Jaha is the Man
Respet.
Cust is the new Jaha.
by johnjahafanclub on Apr 28, 2008 11:43 AM PDT up reply actions
I'm tired of it.
But Bonds isn’t the answer. PaulThomas had it right when he said that the results this year aren’t the big thing—it’s using this year for evaluation purposed. In that vein, the only answer if Cust keeps stinking it up in LF is to replace him with the best internal option available…and we all know who that is.
So it goes.
I hope you're talking about Aaron Cunningham...
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
No...
but I can see how one would make that mistake. It sounds an awful lot like “Carlos Gonzalez.”
So it goes.
Oh--I assumed he was playing CF anyway
No, I actually thought you were referring to Todd Linden.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
If this year was nothing more than evaluation, Emil Brown wouldn't have been signed
and he definitely wouldn’t have 24 games played.
The outfield would be Sweeney, Denorfia, Buck (now Davis too) with Cust DHing and Linden as a 5th OF.
If something ain't broke don't fix it
We’re in first place right now and tied for the best record in the AL. You say “why not go for the whole thing?”, we’re doing better at going for the whole thing than 12 other AL teams right now. As for the closer role, Casilla is definitely better but the 8th inning is just as important as the 9th so it doesn’t bother me having Street close and Casilla come in at more important times like bases loaded in the 7th
Good Point.
I think it actually works better with Casilla coming in during the earlier innings. He seems to be the better pitcher right now so it would seem to make sense to continue bringing him in during crucial situations with men on base. Street’s job has probably actually been easier than Casilla’s this far, and when I think about it, Street coming entering the game in the same situations that Casilla has been given is down right frightening.
What about Barry?
"Barry who?" Forst said, and I felt like I was in the middle of a knock-knock joke.
OK, so
when it’s Cust vs. Thomas, track record is important.
But when it’s Casilla vs. Street, track record is totally irrelevant and one month’s sample size is enough to indicate that Street should be replaced.
Have I summarized the situation fairly?
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Actually it's quite unfair
Bringing logic to your argument and all.
I'm here to talk about the past.
Comical irony of this post
is that two years ago I’m sure their were screeds exactly like this—or hundreds of in-game comments, at least—about Frank Thomas. You know, the guy who went on to have a season that had us chanting “MVP” in September. Now, sure Thomas wasn’t really worthy of being the MVP, but he had a hugely significant year for us.
And this was just two years ago. Will we ever learn? Can we just relax a bit, be patient, and see how this plays out? It wouldn’t be in our interest at all to cut ties with Jack Cust. That’s just silly at this point.
Not sure about that.
There are a lot of emotional outbursts and declarations on any blog or forum, and surely there were probably people getting on Thomas. Cust is a lot different than Thomas though. Thomas actually has/had a track record of solid consistent performance. Cust, not so much.
What about Barry?
"Barry who?" Forst said, and I felt like I was in the middle of a knock-knock joke.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 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.
