A's Sign Ben Sheets: Pitching and Defense FTW
by Tyler Bleszinski on Jan 26, 2010 5:17 PM PST
294 comments
I've already talked a lot about how the A's have gone for almost exclusively pitching and defense this year. For years the Angels have regularly outperformed their projected record. There have been a lot of theories why they've done so, many of them centering around the Angels small ball way of playing offense. But others have said it's simply because their starting pitching and bullpen have been superior for many years.
I'm more in the camp that the Angels pitching has simply been superior for years. And last year, their offense was better than expected for a few reasons, one of the major ones being the emergence of Kendry Morales as an offensive force.
The A's I think are trying to follow that blueprint by beefing up on great starting pitching. The Ben Sheets signing makes a ton of sense (hell, it isn't OUR money, right?) if Sheets is anywhere near the pitcher he has been throughout his career. The A's rotation suddenly looks like this:
Justin Duchscherer
Ben Sheets
Brett Anderson
Dallas Braden
And a fifth starter battle between Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez and Vin Mazzaro (and Josh Outman once he's finally recovered from surgery). Now it can definitely be argued that the two top pitchers in the rotation have an "uncertain" status in the rotation. Both of them have pretty spotty injury histories and might not last long. But if the rotation can hold it together, I would be confident that this rotation, pitching at the Coliseum for half of the 162 games, is right up there with the best in baseball. Course, as always with the A's, that's one giant IF out there. You add in the fact that the bullpen was one of the best in 2009 and will likely get stronger if Joey Devine is healthy, then the A's have a great foundation. Add in the other fact that the A's defense behind these pitchers could possibly be the best in baseball, well then 2010 suddenly became a lot more interesting.
I still think that there are far too many issues to consider the A's true AL West contenders this season (mainly the lack of any kind of power in the lineup). The Ben Sheets deal strikes me as a signing to try and boost the team immediately, but more than that, to have some leverage come July 31, 2010.
I will say that while I love the gamble on a guy who could be considered one of the top pitchers in baseball if healthy, that I was kind of looking forward to seeing the A's go with the true youth movement and not just try and fill holes with guys who will essentially be one year fill ins. I realize that the market the A's exist in is a fluid one and they have to try to be competitive as possible while simultaneously building from within. And if they're going to be successful at attracting anything, it would be pitchers considering how pitcher friendly their home ballpark is. But I was getting to the point where I was excited about going with what the roster looked like rather than bringing in hired guns like Ben Sheets and possibly Johnny Damon, if you believe the rumors (does anyone else remember how poorly Damon performed in his last year with the A's?).
Then again, what will probably happen will Sheets will get hurt in spring training and we'll be back to what we thought we'd have any way. What? Are you calling me pessimistic? I've just been paying attention to the A's fortunes over the past four years.
Jeff Sullivan, who is now writing for SBNation.com's baseball page regularly, thinks that it could make the A's playoff contenders. What do you think? Should we just go back to the stock answer for the A's? There's still too many ifs.
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I like this move.
Braden may or may not be healthy next season.
A little more time in AAA can’t hurt Mazzaro and Cahill.
Outman might be coming back right around the trade deadline, so if we’re out of it, Sheets will make good trade bait.
He’ll be fun to watch, and he might bring us draft picks or a nice trade haul July 31st if he has a monster year.
"Sniff some krazy glue, and start a religion!"- The Reverend Billy Lard
REALLY?
Braden had really bad athlete’s foot which is why he was out last year. He has been cleared as healthy, so I have no idea how people see this as something that is a serious injury risk. It’s not like he has a bad back, elbow, shoulder, hip or knee. He had athlete’s foot for goodness sake.
I’m sorry, this is not specifically directed at you. It’s moreso a large amount of frustration having heard this same thing from so many other posters.
by nobodyinparticular on Jan 26, 2010 6:19 PM PST up reply actions
To the skin on his foot
Just got off the phone with A’s lefty Dallas Braden, whose breakout 2009 season ended with a bizarre series of medical mishaps; what started with a rash on his left foot turned into an infection, ultimately leading to some sort of “procedure” that left him with what might be permanent nerve damage.
He still can’t feel a couple of his toes, including the pinky toe (which affects his balance a touch), but he’s done some pain-free running and he’s now cleared to do everything anyone else preparing for spring training is doing right now
Again, I will say that this has very little to do with how he will perform. People act like Braden might throw a pitch and need Tommy John or rotator cuff surgery at any point. He has a lack of feeling, this is hardly a big deal and he is hardly an injury risk as Gaijin implies.
by nobodyinparticular on Jan 26, 2010 6:27 PM PST up reply actions
Not having feeling in a foot is kind of a big deal...
"We were shit, pathetic," Guillen growled early in spring training. "We hit too many home runs."
by lenscrafters on Jan 26, 2010 6:29 PM PST up reply actions
Toes
A couple of toes. Not a foot.
by nobodyinparticular on Jan 26, 2010 6:33 PM PST up reply actions
The little toe is incredibly important for balance
Affected balance can lead to all kinds of problems.
The monster at the end of this blog.
This is just flatly not true
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dizzy_Dean
Minor changes in balance can cause a pitcher to wreck his arm very easily.
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
will he be able to penetrate castles?
Sock puppets have never been able to successfully attack castles. -NM
by Leopold Bloom on Jan 26, 2010 7:16 PM PST up reply actions
perhaps...
but the real question is if you lost feeling in your toes, would it affect your sock puppetry?
Sock puppets have never been able to successfully attack castles. -NM
by Leopold Bloom on Jan 26, 2010 7:54 PM PST up reply actions
I've been running so much I can barely feel my toes or feet but
Mr. Hand is still telling me to do very bad things.
Dallas spotted at Stocton nightclub dancing his ass off
Braden looked pretty healthy at The Brickhouse Nightclub in Stocton last week. My brother said Dallas had a hot babe on the dance floor and showed no limitations in executing several dance moves. Listed among those dance stylings he performed were: Cabage Patch, Sprinkler, Cupid Shuffle, Moon walk, Harlem Shuffle and some basic Popping.
So, I’d say he’s probably OK for baseball.
by BlueMoon on Jan 26, 2010 6:34 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Oh hell, if he can do the Sprinkler, then he's fine.
Always the summers are slipping away.
Find me a way for making it stay.
Dallas had a hot babe
Accursed ballplayers get everything!
by ElQuesoCapitan on Jan 26, 2010 7:04 PM PST up reply actions
The gift that keeps on giving....
Sometimes you just gotta take one for the team.
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer
Jessica Alba can give me herpes anyday, thanks
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
That would be an honor
…
Of sorts.
"Smokey, this be not the foul jungles of the darkest East Orient. This be ninepins. We are bound by laws."
Slusser says we arent offering him arby
So we arent getting draft picks for him no matter what. Plus it would impossible for him to be a type A anyway, after missing an entire season. Perhaps a type B sandwich pick at best, but he’s either getting traded for a ridiculous bounty if he’s playing well and we arent, or if we’re doing well he’s staying for the pennant race.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/athletics/detail?blogid=21&entry_id=56119
Defense wins championships
…wait what sport is this?
Baseball
It’s the one where the guy with the stick hits the ball and runs really fast.
The Ultimate Opportunist
by Rated-R Superstar on Jan 26, 2010 5:23 PM PST up reply actions
Hurling fits that description, too
I have no idea whether defense wins hurling championships.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
by Nick on Jan 26, 2010 6:18 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Random sports fact:
Did you know that Aussie rules football uniform tops are called guernseys?
Why do the Channel Isles dominate our sports shirt nomenclature?
There is no "i" in Teamocil. At least not where you'd think.
by GreenNGoldSooner on Jan 26, 2010 6:54 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I don't know the answer to that question
but they’d butter not milk it
I suspect that you think tilting at windmills means something other than what it does.
It's probably a tax dodge
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
Because the islands were a top source of high-quality wool.
The wool is named for the place it comes from, and the sweaters were named after the wool. (Similar for “cardigan”.) Our use of the word “jersey” came from the jersey sweater. In Australia, guernsey sweaters caught on instead, and Australians now say “guernsey” in most contexts where we would say “jersey”.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
by iglew on Jan 26, 2010 9:11 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
There is no "i" in Teamocil. At least not where you'd think.
by GreenNGoldSooner on Jan 26, 2010 10:37 PM PST up reply actions
Hahahaha
I dunno if you can QOTM a picture but I will certainly try. QOTM QOTM QOTM!
"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin
by Helloooo 1st on Jan 27, 2010 1:10 AM PST up reply actions
I don't know what that picture is.
Is that ironic, or just sad?
I’m guessing it’s from a TV show.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
Insert horrified emoticon here
You really have never heard of “the more you know,” from NBC’s old public service announcements? I thought that was universally recognized. The network has been doing it for 20 years
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M14kAzkk9Qo&feature=related
BTW, loving the Hamlet quote in your sig. Hamlet FTW
I like mine better.
But your arrested development quote is pretty cool.
I still don't know the context, but
I like the original one better. Yours sounds nasty.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
last time i hurled
i didn’t need a stick
The A's. The SWINGING A's. That's right, the SWINGING A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Jan 26, 2010 8:16 PM PST up reply actions
I don't know if this makes us contenders or not
But it sure as hell makes us better!
"Tonto think Billy Beane need to make team full of squirrels and bears."
Excited
Being in Milwaukee I was able to watch him quite a bit, he has awesome stuff and can be a horse as far as taking it a complete game when needed (efficiently too). I remember the idea of him coming to Oakland was discussed on here last summer IIRC, interesting that’s how it ended up.
I have heard he was one of the worst conditioned guys on the Brewers about every year and have the feeling he is one of those guys who gets by on his stuff, not a real intellectual. This may be a good part of his injury prone reputation, a lack of getting in shape/prepared. Not ground breaking info, I’m sure people have heard it elsewhere before but it comes from a person who knows a Brewers trainer. Also have heard he is a nice guy (if that matters) and he obviously will be pretty motivated for another payday next offseason.
That said, win for us even if he only makes 25-30 starts. Gotta love our pitching staff.
Gas to Chicago- $23.87 A's/White Sox Tix- $28 Watching the A's whipping the Sox in July 05'- Priceless
hasn't the A's strength and conditioning coach been praised a lot for helping players get into shape.
I though maybe Anderson benifited from his workouts last season. Perhaps he will be good for Sheets.
You have to include smiley faces - Poppy
;- ) :- ) :-O : -> : -] : -}
Hope so!
I remember when Ginter came to the A’s, he made an underhanded comment to the lack of coaching the Brewers gave once on the MLB roster, opposed to the A’s staff. Not that that neccessarily relates to strength and conditioning.
Gas to Chicago- $23.87 A's/White Sox Tix- $28 Watching the A's whipping the Sox in July 05'- Priceless
Ah, Keith Ginter
The Bobby Crosby before Bobby Crosby. Good times, good times.
"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy." - Don Sutton
Cruz was available for peanuts a few years ago
A’s could have had him if they wanted.
"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy." - Don Sutton
Now is the Ginter of our discount tent.
There is no "i" in Teamocil. At least not where you'd think.
by GreenNGoldSooner on Jan 26, 2010 6:56 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Holy crap!
I was so thinking about that before I read your comment! Still the best baseball game available. Yes, a five year old game is still far superior to any of the 2k-craps or The Shows that come out every year. Damn exclusivity agreements with professional sports leagues! As much as I hate EA, they need to be allowed to make baseball games again.
by darooster on Jan 27, 2010 11:27 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Still one move away from being a contender though,
And that move is Orlando Cabrera. Who’s with me?
by Thefirstletterofthealphabet on Jan 26, 2010 5:32 PM PST reply actions
-1
"Sniff some krazy glue, and start a religion!"- The Reverend Billy Lard
by Gaijin_Suketto on Jan 26, 2010 5:34 PM PST up reply actions
that looks like a one armed ghost
Jack Cust: Nothing but true results….
by Athletics fan and runner on Jan 26, 2010 6:55 PM PST up reply actions
tofu whey simian sauce
?
Jack Cust: Nothing but true results….
by Athletics fan and runner on Jan 27, 2010 9:01 PM PST up reply actions
)) < > ((
forever
A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones."
-BB 07/27/05
Excellent movie reference
I am Ray Fosse's infatuations with Clay Wood and high-definition television.
by franks a lot on Jan 27, 2010 6:46 AM PST up reply actions
excellent movie
"I did nothing. I did absolutely nothing, and it was everything that I thought it could be." -- Peter Gibbons
I have a t-shirt with that on it
A couple of times I’ve been wearing it at work and someone asks what it means. Awkward…
Still one move away from being a contender though,
And that move is Tony Orlando Cabrera. Who’s with me.
"The ego, the super-ego, and the Ed" - danmerqury
(knocks three times)
But baseball! Fuck yeah! -- lynnzgal
by WaddellCanseco on Jan 27, 2010 12:49 AM PST up reply actions
Base knock three times?
In a game to help the team…
I thought you said "Orlando Cepeda"....
I’m getting old.
I am!
What’s wrong with the OC? (Orlando Cabrera or Orange County). He was a great cog in the Oakland machine last year. One of the only cogs that actually worked.
Jeff Sullivan is right....
… the Sheets signing may just make the A’s playoff contenders. This staff needed a stud, and Ben Sheets is one. I saw him pitch quite a bit for Milwaukee, and he’s very reminiscent of Roy Halladay. He’s also a leader.
As far as making the playoffs, check the rosters of the other AL West teams: every single team has a huge hole in their lineup. This A’s team has real good pitching, real good defense, depth, speed, and a long batting order. Their weakness will be power, but I’d trade power for defense every time.
pitching, defense, speed
not only does that sound like the 2010 Oakland Athletics, but also the 2010 Seattle Mariners.
Actually I also remember Damon performed very well in the postseason when he was with the A’s.
the A's rotation is potentially deeper than Seattle's
but only if health permits (big IF as stated by many others). Granted, Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez probably more than make up for the lack of depth. They would be better in a playoff series for sure.
You have to include smiley faces - Poppy
;- ) :- ) :-O : -> : -] : -}
AS constructed yeah
the playoffs schedule is a joke.
"The ego, the super-ego, and the Ed" - danmerqury
Why does everyone forget that Cliff Lee
was not nearly as good in the AL last season as he was in 2008?
2008: 223.1 IP, 34 BB, .253 BAA, 2.54 ERA
2009: 152 IP, 33 BB, .278 BAA, 3.14 ERA
Respectable numbers in 2009, but far closer to his career averages than his otherworldly 2008 season. His walks took a huge jump, as did his BAA.
He’s not an ace by any measure. A good pitcher and a solid No. 2, but I’d take Duke or Braden over him any day.
"A good pitcher and a solid No. 2, but I’d take Duke or Braden over him any day."
Oh come on…that’s just beyond homerism.
"We were shit, pathetic," Guillen growled early in spring training. "We hit too many home runs."
by lenscrafters on Jan 27, 2010 11:41 AM PST up reply actions
This is possibly the single most ridiculous statement I've read on this blog, ever.
I’m not being hyperbolic. I actually think it might qualify.
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
"I'm not being hyperbolic" is the new "literally"
With stout hearts, and with enthusiasm for the contest, let us go forward to victory. ----Hero Defector Montgomery
what
"The A's get some action but they do not score..." -Glen Kuiper
"Anyone who calls themselves the Angels Angels should have to start over and ride the short bus." -timmeh from McCovey Chronicles
We even have a Suzuki!
Unfortunately, he’s not projected to have a wOBA in the .350 range.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
The A's Bullpen Can Make Sheets a VERY Hot Commodity:
With Devine, Ziggy and Bailey in the pen, Sheets can go 5 or 6 regularly when the season starts and then should be primed when July kicks in.
If he is peaking and so is the rest of the team, we can keep him and then some nice draft picks in the off-season. If he is peaking and the team is squeaking, he should be able to fetch a nice prospect or two from a desperate team.
If he falls apart, who cares, it Fischer’s Money, NOT ours. This team is bettre NOW, because of this move…Period.
Thanks Oakland Braintrust!!!
It is all about coming together as a team. At the end of the day, the team is all we have. - T. Branch 10-14-09
by Raymond St. Martin (Saint) on Jan 26, 2010 5:38 PM PST reply actions
Hey it's Saint!
But baseball! Fuck yeah! -- lynnzgal
by WaddellCanseco on Jan 26, 2010 5:55 PM PST up reply actions
Wassup Si?
It is all about coming together as a team. At the end of the day, the team is all we have. - T. Branch 10-14-09
by Raymond St. Martin (Saint) on Jan 28, 2010 9:02 AM PST up reply actions
Hey Saint!
For a second there, I thought you said, “Thanks Oakland Bratwurst!”
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
HAHAHA!!! Those BIG Brats do get me through the summer!!!
It is all about coming together as a team. At the end of the day, the team is all we have. - T. Branch 10-14-09
by Raymond St. Martin (Saint) on Jan 28, 2010 9:02 AM PST up reply actions
god I can't wait for tailgate brats...
They call their best player "Kung Fu Panda" and they complain that people aren’t taking them or the game seriously enough? -Nick
.
m*****f***ing c***s***ing peanut butter and jelly!! f*** f*** f***!!!
by JediLeroy on Jan 26, 2010 9:09 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
asvd
Sock puppets have never been able to successfully attack castles. -NM
by Leopold Bloom on Jan 26, 2010 10:19 PM PST up reply actions
Hey buddy!
Nice to see ya back on the train…..not the D-Train mind you….sorry just had to make light of a previous thread!
:)
Zeigler to Geren…."A-Rod? He’s my bitch." -alox
Just MOSTLY dead
It is all about coming together as a team. At the end of the day, the team is all we have. - T. Branch 10-14-09
by Raymond St. Martin (Saint) on Jan 28, 2010 9:03 AM PST up reply actions
Bum Bum Bum Bum BUM!!!
It is all about coming together as a team. At the end of the day, the team is all we have. - T. Branch 10-14-09
by Raymond St. Martin (Saint) on Jan 28, 2010 9:01 AM PST up reply actions
Whaddup Saint!
Hey bro I haven’t seen you since yesterday! Let us know what you think of the Jackson choice for OC on S&B.
"-i never said half the things i said." --Yogi Berra
I was shocked by this! Pleasantly
1 more bat and I really think we could be a playoff team
Thank you Al Davis for Michael Crabtree!!!!!
again -(∞)
He is definitely not the bat we need..
One word
No.
"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy." - Don Sutton
He said "bat"
I don’t think he meant of the vampire variety, either.
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
they both kinda suck, though
I suspect that you think tilting at windmills means something other than what it does.
I found this person's name
and reply very appropriate. Good work sir (or ma’am).
"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin
by Helloooo 1st on Jan 27, 2010 1:15 AM PST up reply actions
Two words: Impetuous aardvark
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
Ahhhhh - relying on strong pitching to get us in the win column reminds me of the heyday of the "Big Three"
The good old days when an awesome pitching staff won many a game for us. This makes me hopeful as an A’s fan – but the more I hang out here the more I am learning that the team will need to have balance in other areas as well. I think Billy HAD to make a move like this b/c the Mariners might be scary this season. They added to their pitching staff and having someone like Sheets takes some pressure off our good young arms. I am far more optimistic than I was a month ago – that’s for sure and any who knows me knows I am THE eternal optimist. So it’s all good as far as I am concerned.
Sheets Shell She Shells by the Sheshore
"Tonto think Billy Beane need to make team full of squirrels and bears."
by OptimistPrime on Jan 26, 2010 7:27 PM PST up reply actions
I hope Sheets knows that his smile in that picture simply does not pass muster
The Official Athletics Nation Smile and Attitude Review Board is unimpressed, sir. Expect us to blog-picket around early March when it becomes abundantly clear you hate Oakland.
"Smokey, this be not the foul jungles of the darkest East Orient. This be ninepins. We are bound by laws."
by Joey C. on Jan 26, 2010 5:55 PM PST reply actions 2 recs
He is clearly drunk
I suspect that you think tilting at windmills means something other than what it does.
It does too pass muster
because he chose to be here. Unlike our big acquisition last year whom Peter Gammons recently reported, complained to team mates in STL about the Coli and the atmosphere.
I can kinda understand
Going from 15k crowds in an old stadium hacked up for the Raiders to consitant sell outs in a new stadium in STL for a Playoff team, I could undertsand a bit of it. Not that I doesn’t rub me the wrong way a little, but I understand.
Gas to Chicago- $23.87 A's/White Sox Tix- $28 Watching the A's whipping the Sox in July 05'- Priceless
Hey, at least he is smiling!
Unlike Holiday
"Tonto think Billy Beane need to make team full of squirrels and bears."
by OptimistPrime on Jan 26, 2010 7:28 PM PST up reply actions
I think Holiday is the most overpaid player in baseball
makes Zito’s deal look like a bargain
Thank you Al Davis for Michael Crabtree!!!!!
Holliday, unlike Zito, is very good at baseball
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
He's paid basically the same as Holliday is.
They call their best player "Kung Fu Panda" and they complain that people aren’t taking them or the game seriously enough? -Nick
A little. 18.5 vs 17M
They call their best player "Kung Fu Panda" and they complain that people aren’t taking them or the game seriously enough? -Nick
Wow
2 players that are getting paid way more than they are worth IMO
Thank you Al Davis for Michael Crabtree!!!!!
Not really.
Well, I mean yeah, even league minimum is “too much” for playing a game for a living, in a meta sense…
But, if you look at Holliday’s fangraphs page and scroll to the bottom and look at the Value section, you’ll see the comparison of WAR vs Salary. Long story short, WAR tells you how many “wins” a player was worth all by himself. There’s a lot more to it, but you can basically think of it that way in this context. Then figure that 1 win worth of value costs about 4.5 million bucks on the free agent market, and Holliday as a 5.7 win player last year was “worth” 25.6 million, while only being paid 13.
So basically, if he keeps up the exact same level of play that he’s been at last year, he’s actually UNDER paid relative to his performance. However it’s pretty likely that the 5th, 6th, and 7th years of his contract will probably be pretty bad.
They call their best player "Kung Fu Panda" and they complain that people aren’t taking them or the game seriously enough? -Nick
If "league-average contract worth" makes him the most overpaid player in baseball, then sure, I guess.
No love for Vernon Wells? Soriano? Zito?
Always the summers are slipping away.
Find me a way for making it stay.
No, but Toronto's still paying BJ Ryan $10MM.
And Bill Hall’s still collecting $7MM from Milwaukee.
Always the summers are slipping away.
Find me a way for making it stay.
(does anyone else remember how poorly Damon performed in his last year with the A’s?)
as opposed to which other year with the a’s?
A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones."
-BB 07/27/05
His first one.
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 believe he performed equally bad in both.
But also just as good.
"To tell the truth, I'm not excited to go to Cleveland, but we have to. If I ever saw myself saying I'm excited going to Cleveland, I'd punch myself in the face, because I'm lying" - Ichiro
by Philip Christy on Jan 26, 2010 8:57 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
YES YES YES YES YES YES
hells yeah.
1- if you want to look at WAR, he doesn’t have to pitch a full season to be worth his contract.
2- Worst case scenario is A’s aren’t contending and Sheets is hurt. Even then, he’s not crippling the team beyond 2010. He has no effect on the A’s ability to keep anyone beyond arbitration, etc.
3- If he pitches, period he keeps Cahill and Mazzaro both in AAA. That’s always awesome. The years of service time saved (and the improved performance since they have time to refine their stuff) should be worth the 10MM in and of itself unless they both turn into busts.
"I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it" ~ Mae West
Absolutely right...
… who else was out there? Garland, Looper, Wang? For $10 million Beane has three outcomes and you outlined them all. Love it. Great move. And be honest… I mean, really really honest…. does anyone really truly think he is going to pull another 13-9, 3.09 ERA in 31 starts? No… so if he does… well holy hell! It’s a typical late off season roll of the dice.
by Tim Blekicks on Jan 26, 2010 7:02 PM PST up reply actions
I know 2004 is a while ago
but he had an 8.0 WAR season that year, if he somehow repeats that, then we leapfrog over the M’s Lee+Felix projected 12, and can clearly grab the title of best rotation in the division.
Hm, well, Magglio Ordonez had an 8.8 WAR season in 2007
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
Beltre had a 10.0 WAR season in 2004!
"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy." - Don Sutton
That season was interesting.
Started 32 games, ended up with a 2.70 ERA, 264 strikeouts and 32 walks. And…he was 12-14.
Always the summers are slipping away.
Find me a way for making it stay.
Nor gant.
But baseball! Fuck yeah! -- lynnzgal
by WaddellCanseco on Jan 27, 2010 12:53 AM PST up reply actions
but there's always a lemke
"I did nothing. I did absolutely nothing, and it was everything that I thought it could be." -- Peter Gibbons
I highly doubt either of them turn into busts
"Tonto think Billy Beane need to make team full of squirrels and bears."
by OptimistPrime on Jan 26, 2010 7:29 PM PST up reply actions
This makes me very happy!
(Did I mention that I used to wear number 21 in little league?)
There is no "i" in Teamocil. At least not where you'd think.
by GreenNGoldSooner on Jan 26, 2010 6:57 PM PST reply actions
No, you did'nt
"Tonto think Billy Beane need to make team full of squirrels and bears."
by OptimistPrime on Jan 26, 2010 7:29 PM PST up reply actions
Well then it's gonna cost good ole' Ben at least $10,000!
Zeigler to Geren…."A-Rod? He’s my bitch." -alox
He just signed for $10M. I'd hold out for $50K.
But baseball! Fuck yeah! -- lynnzgal
by WaddellCanseco on Jan 27, 2010 12:53 AM PST up reply actions
Sweet deal for Sweeney
Collect $50,000 for surrendering #15 in February. Get #15 back for free in July!
Good chance, but hopefully not.
He could just wear #51 with his shirt inside out.
by LoneStranger on Jan 27, 2010 9:56 AM PST up reply actions
#21
"One time Rickey Henderson ran so fast that Rickey Henderson went into the future."
#51 is the reverse of #15...
see what I did there?
by LoneStranger on Jan 27, 2010 2:56 PM PST up reply actions
21 is the visual reverse of 15...
TomB had it right….
except it would be a bitch to find the right font…
"Sniff some krazy glue, and start a religion!"- The Reverend Billy Lard
by Gaijin_Suketto on Jan 30, 2010 10:22 AM PST up reply actions
Another reason to like the signing that I think has gone unmentioned
The A’s are trying to move to ??
The places that they have territorial rights are coming up empty so they are seriously looking at MLB for help. Does showing they will sign players and spend money tp try and always produce a winner help this cause? Maybe, Maybe not. However with the players union calling out the Marlins on revenue it sure doesn’t hurt. The A’s were never called into question on this but owners showing they are willing to continually go for it, I think helps the case to get to SJ.
Plus having a #1 starter never hurts. Great signing
I immediately thought of this as well.
It’s almost like the opposite of the movie Major League, in which the owner tried to field a terrible team to lower the attendance so they could move to Florida.
In this case, the owner is trying to field a competitive team to show the attendance is still shitty, so they can move the team to San Jose.
by Thefirstletterofthealphabet on Jan 26, 2010 7:18 PM PST up reply actions
I had heard Drew Silva mention on twitter
That this signing was the exact same as what happened with FLA in their extensions and non-trading of Uggla. I kind of disagree in that we have been trying to buy players ever since about Nov 2008.
Agree with your point
It doesn’t really make sense, when we traded for Matt Holiday and signed several FAs last year, and reportedly bid high for Scutaro and Beltre. Seems like they can’t hold the players refusing to take our money against us.
Sheets!
(Golly!)
"You know, a long time ago being crazy meant something. Nowadays everybody's crazy."
-Charles Manson
Always thinking of the future, that's our Captain
"Smokey, this be not the foul jungles of the darkest East Orient. This be ninepins. We are bound by laws."
Think what you may about the signing...
but I’m suddenly a lot more interested in the 2010 Athletics.
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer
the contract may be $10 million including the incentives
not $10 million plus incentives, at least according to Urban
the A's website
say it was $10 + incentives.
You have to include smiley faces - Poppy
;- ) :- ) :-O : -> : -] : -}
so who's right: Mychael Urban or Jane Lee?
(by the way, the A’s don’t have a say on what the MLB.com writers write. It’s MLB’s website, not that of the team.)
good question
I guess we will have to wait for the offical press release right? unless that is already posted and they didn’t say.
You have to include smiley faces - Poppy
;- ) :- ) :-O : -> : -] : -}
Desme.
They call their best player "Kung Fu Panda" and they complain that people aren’t taking them or the game seriously enough? -Nick
Desme wasn't on the 40-man anyway.
One of Hairston/Cunningham vacated that 40th spot.
Always the summers are slipping away.
Find me a way for making it stay.
I've already alluded to the Braden thing above, so I won't repeat it here
Instead, I feel obligated to again attempt to correct a prevalent misperception about how Pythagorean record works. Although now reading Blez’s post, I’m not actually sure he’s fallen victim to it. But it’s sufficiently ambiguous that others reading it might, so eh, I spent a while typing this and I’m letting it fly anyway.
A differential between a team’s W/L record and its Pythag record cannot be caused by something that simply makes the team better at scoring or preventing runs. Such things will impact the team’s Pythagorean record. Having good pitching makes you allow fewer runs.
If one could (in a vacuum) design a strategy to “beat” Pythag, it would have to involve distributing your runs scored and allowed in a more optimal way. A team that scores 4 runs every game, while giving up 2 runs 3 days out of 4 and 10 runs every 4th day, will win 75% of its games despite having a pythagorean record that suggests that it will win only 50%.
Merely preventing additional runs, without more, will not change the Pythagorean differential (very much, anyway— there are some minor effects caused by shrinking the denominator of the fraction, but they don’t really impact anything).
The partial explanations that I have seen for the Angels’ positive performance versus Pythagorean record are:
First, that they have had a widely divergent set of bullpen pitchers (from a skill standpoint) such that important situations are pitched by good pitchers and unimportant situations are pitched by horrible pitchers, resulting in them giving up a lot of meaningless runs,
Second, that they’ve had slugging-heavy (as opposed to OBP-heavy) offenses and those offenses tend to be slightly more even in the way they distribute runs from game to game.
However, a large part of why they’ve outperformed their Pythagorean record in the last few years has been that their hitters have hit much better in high-leverage situations than otherwise. Every study that I’ve ever seen on the ability of hitters to hit better in “clutch” situations than otherwise has returned either no effect at all or an effect so small that it takes years to show up and is only really provable once a player’s career is over. Given these studies, it is basically reasonable to say that most of the reason that the Angels have overperformed their Pythagorean record in the last few years has simply been luck.
The 2009 Angels team was a legitimately good one, albeit one that it was difficult to see coming, because they basically had 7 of 9 guys in their lineup perform better than projected (and one other guy basically perform to his projection) which is a different kind of luck, really more “meta-luck” in the sense that their guys turned out to be better (at least in 2009) than anyone really expected them to be.
I don’t know that they really look that good in 2010 though. They have an aging roster, very little rotation depth, and a lot of players who just had career years and are in line for regression to the mean. And they lost two of their better options to free agency. I don’t expect them to win the division (though admittedly I don’t really expect the A’s to either).
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
by PaulThomas on Jan 26, 2010 7:29 PM PST reply actions 11 recs
So...ummmmm
what you’re saying is that basically, it’s a crap shoot?
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer
i had a crap shoot this morning
"You know, a long time ago being crazy meant something. Nowadays everybody's crazy."
-Charles Manson
by kaweahkaweah on Jan 26, 2010 9:50 PM PST up reply actions
I'm on board with this.
I’ve never read the Pyth theory of win totals, but I can imagine the x axis is offense, and the y is defense/pitching, so I agree the Angels have been lucky the last couple years, and the A’s have been very unlucky. Didn’t the A’s break a record for DL stint in 2008, then meet or break it in 2009?
Simply put, the A’s have been horribly unlucky with injuries and low level performance, while the Angels have performed above their potential. There is no logical reason this trend continues.
by Thefirstletterofthealphabet on Jan 26, 2010 7:49 PM PST up reply actions
Injuries are another form of meta-luck
inasmuch as they impact a team’s runs scored and allowed (eg it’s somewhat obvious that a team with Alex Rodriguez starting at 3B will score more runs than one with Wilson Betemit starting at 3B).
They do help somewhat to explain teams over- or under-playing their projections, however, because those are made based on guesses about playing time that may not reflect ultimate reality.
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
Good post; rec'd and turned green
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
Excellent explanation,
but for what it’s worth, I don’t think Blez was talking about pythag at all. I assumed he was talking about the Angels doing better than commentators and experts predicted them to do before the season. That’s how I read “projected record”, and it’s a totally separate discussion from why they outperform their pythagorean record.
(Incidentally, since I don’t pay much attention to preseason projections, I don’t actually know if the Angels do consistently outperform their projected record. Do they? I was just taking Blez’s word for it that in recent years they have.)
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
Yeah, I'm not sure about that either
hence the inserted-after-the-fact disclaimer in the first paragraph. I wasn’t exactly sure what he meant.
They’ve definitely overplayed projections the last two years; before that, I’m not so sure.
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
You had me at I've PT
Another great write up, thanks.
"-i never said half the things i said." --Yogi Berra
I'm a fan of your writing Paul, but I disagree with your thoughts about the Angels...
Without getting into a debate on ‘luck’, just because no (or little) evidence can be found as to the Angels success at defying their pythagorean record (be it divergent set of bullpen pitchers, clutch hitting etc) I don’t think its fair to chalk it up to an abstract notion (luck) that the Angels are not in control of. Consistently beating the pythagorean record is a trend for the Scioscia Angels. In any case, this debate has happened countless times, and no one is the wiser (also in the grand scheme of things it just doesn’t matter as much: focusing on what has actually happened then what was supposed to is far more beneficial in my humble opinion).
Which leads me to the main issue I have with your analysis.
They have an aging roster
Well, the average age of the four 25 man roster AL West teams (I happened to look into it a couple of weeks ago, just for the reason that many ‘claim’ the Angels have an aging roster):
Angels: 29.48
Mariners: 28.08
Oakland: 28.00
Texas: 28.08
The Angels are ‘old’ in the bullpen (which is the one place you don’t mind having older players due to playing time etc) and in starting outfielders. Our back up outfield and future starters – Terry Evans (28), Reggie Willits (29), Chris Petit (25), Pete Bourjos (22). But the ‘old’ tag is applied although the average age of our roster is 1 year or so more than the rest of the AL West. The Angels are older, yes, but not by that much. Perception musn’t get in the way of facts.
very little rotation depth
Starting Rotation: Weaver, Kazmir, Santana, Saunders, Pineiro
Back up: Palmer, O’Sullivan, Bell, Ortega, Reckling.
The Angels have actually quite a bit of rotation depth. A solid 1-5 and with young kids, Bell (23), O’Sullivan (22) and Ortega (24) who got a taste of the big leagues last year. Then we have Palmer who pitched a little better than replacement level (I think he’s the definition of replacement level pitcher!) and our top pitching prospect in Trevor Reckling. How good is our depth? Well, I’ll hazard a suggestion that it is no worse than many teams and actually with quite a far bit of upside. Just like last year we will only rely on it if we suffer serious injuries (last year: Lackey, Santana, Adenhart and Moseley were injured and we kept our heads at or just below .500).
a lot of players who just had career years and are in line for regression to the mean
Who do you mean? I know you’re referring to Torrii Hunter, and I concede that. But who else is going to regress to their ‘mean’? if its Bobby Abreu, well then I expect him to perform even better than last year. Realistically he should be expected to show further signs of age, however it hasn’t really shown with any large statistical degree yet. Last time Juan Rivera had a semi-full season (2006) his bat was twice as valuable (fangraphs batting value) as in 2009. We know his defense cannot be as good as advertised last year, but then LF is the second least important defensive position according to Bill James and others. Napoli and Izturis performed as expected, Figgins who had a ‘career year’ is no longer on our team. And Brandon Wood could be many things.
Morales and Aybar both had career years. But they don’t have a mean, as their careers have just started (first full year as starters for both). And actually their true talent potential indicate both are capable of repeating. Morales was one of the big ‘prospect mistakes’ by the major prospect publications, this is a widely held view within the Angels organization. He was just overlooked. Angels scouts, management (and many fans, myself included) were very bullish on Morales. To expect regression with both is to equate projection with expected performance. We now have a full year from Aybar and Morales, and they have displayed considerable talent. They of course could regress, but it wouldn’t be to a mean based on projected past performance.
Similarly with the pitchers. A healthy Santana (not suffering from injuries and the Verducci effect) projects in numbers and talent to pitch much better than last year. The numbers for the last couple of months in 2009 were very promising. I would love Kazmir to regress to his mean (there is a lot of hope he will this year, and put up big numbers). Likewise he had a good 6 games with the Angels in 2009. Nothing is suggesting Weaver is getting worse for his age 27 season.
I just have a problem with your reasons for the Angels not looking good in 2010. The only legitimate attack (from my perspective) you levied against the Angels is that they lost two better options (Lackey, Figgins). But the Angels have faith in their top prospect from 2005-2008, Brandon Wood, replacing Figgins (Aybar, Izturis will replace him at the top of the lineup).
And our rotation in spring training 2009 looked like this:
Lackey, Santana, Weaver, Saunders, Moseley
It now in 2010 looks like:
Weaver, Kazmir, Santana, Saunders, Pineiro
Losing Lackey hurts, but the Angels have adequate replacements. Weaver will be expected to continue his improvements as our no.1, but we have a solid and better supporting staff than in 2009.
I don’t expect the Angels to win the division, but I would say we are short price favorites (on paper and on past performance), just ahead of Texas. It will be very competitive this year, I think we can both agree on that.
by TheQuestforMerlin on Jan 27, 2010 4:28 AM PST up reply actions
I think you make some good points
I never rule the Angels out until the post-season starts (kind of how the A’s used to be).
@worldblee on Twitter.
I've said this before but it bears repeating,
beating one’s pythagorean record is not necessarily a good thing.
If you accept the luck theory, then you can argue that the pythagorean record is the truer measure of a team’s skill and they were lucky to have a W-L record that is better.
But as soon as you say that it’s a skill, you’re saying that the pythagorean record is not an accurate reflection of the team’s true ability, in which case it’s just as possible that the skill is in pushing the pythagorean downward as pushing the W-L upward.
To illustrate with an absurd extreme, one sure strategy for always beating your pythagorean is to deliberately give up more runs every time you fall far behind in a game. (Or to approximate this by having a really really bad reliever who comes in in such games.) A team that did this consistently would easily beat it’s pythagorean record, but it wouldn’t make that team any better.
I sense that, in spite of PT’s green comment above, some people still are confusing beating one’s pythagorean with beating one’s projections. And still others are confusing either with just being good.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
Angels are successful due to a mixture of good managing, hustle, latin swagger and luck.
In other words, what Billy Beane would call total malarkey.
Having said that, the loss of Lackey is going to be considerable. Lackey was a preeminent big game pitcher. If you needed to win one game, he is one of the last people you want pitching against you. Torii Hunter will come back to Earth from his crazy-good 2009, and Morales will not have enough protection in the lineup. Plus, our nemesis Figgins is finally gone, which will also hurt the Halos.
We have more to fear from Seattle than the Angels, take it to the bank.
So you agree with my last sentence, then.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
As far as I'm concerned, you aren't allowed to argue that the Pythagorean differential amounts to something other than luck
unless you can come up with some plausible explanation for how it could be. I already outlined the few explanations that we currently have, and they might account for 2 or 3 games a season. Other than that, though, the discrepancy is at least unexplained, if not unexplainable. And the part of it that’s based on clutch hitting is almost certainly luck.
The Angels are ‘old’ in the bullpen
Everyone is old in the bullpen. Bullpen pitchers are, with a handful of exceptions, players who couldn’t hack it as starters. They routinely start MLB careers later than other ballplayers.
The Angels have actually quite a bit of rotation depth.
Two of those three “prospects” did not make an appearance in John Sickels’ prospect book this season; the third was graded at a C+. Palmer is, as you say, replacement level. Reckling’s gotten some better pub but a. I think he’s seriously overrated given his low strikeout rate, and b. even if he isn’t, he’s clearly not MLB ready in 2010.
This is substantially weaker depth than even the Mariners (who can turn to the second and third options of Garrett Olsen, Luke French and Doug Fister as their injury fill-ins) whose rotation is fairly top-heavy.
Who do you mean? I know you’re referring to Torrii Hunter, and I concede that. But who else is going to regress to their ‘mean’?
Check the CHONE projections for the current Angels lineup. Aybar, Morales, Hunter, Abreu, Rivera, and Napoli are all projected to hit worse next year than this year; the only returning starter projected to hit better is Howie Kendrick. Maicer Izturis is projected to hit worse. Wood projects worse than Figgins’s 2009 (in fact, by wOBA, he even projects slightly worse than Figgins in 2010). Matsui projects slightly better than Vlad’s 2009.
CHONE isn’t the be-all-end-all of projection, but it’s a good exemplar of similar systems.
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
I bought some jeans at the Gap in 1990 so
it is MY money that Fisher is spending on Sheets. I’m fine with this purchase though.
What part of "not selling jeans" don't you understand?
"The ego, the super-ego, and the Ed" - danmerqury
by Future Ed on Jan 26, 2010 7:45 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Pretty much all of it
I wore those jeans kind of tight and it cut of the blood flow to my brain my entire senior year of high school.
don't you wear khakis?
Sock puppets have never been able to successfully attack castles. -NM
by Leopold Bloom on Jan 26, 2010 7:59 PM PST up reply actions
Now you know why I wear khakis Bloom
I haven’t worn jeans since my last day of high school in 1992 (I had to be cool… and it turns out the jeans didn’t help). My braan ita wurkuneen rilly good noue
huh
i just saw a picture of past ed in high school with tight ass jeans
"The ego, the super-ego, and the Ed" - danmerqury
I burned all the pics of past sirbed in tight jeans
that’s something no one should have to see especially my girlfriend since I’d like to stay together with her.
Wait. Tight jeans cut off the blood flow to your BRAIN?
Do you wear your jeans around your neck, or is your brain located below your waist?
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
what about never-nudes?
Sock puppets have never been able to successfully attack castles. -NM
by Leopold Bloom on Jan 26, 2010 10:22 PM PST up reply actions
There are literally dozens of us
"Smokey, this be not the foul jungles of the darkest East Orient. This be ninepins. We are bound by laws."
and I’m not being hyperbolic.
Sock puppets have never been able to successfully attack castles. -NM
by Leopold Bloom on Jan 27, 2010 8:47 PM PST up reply actions
Not answering that last bit.
Always the summers are slipping away.
Find me a way for making it stay.
Quit analyzing
This is clearly a win. Downside is that he is not healthy, but the upside is that he is the pitcher he was. We seem to now be the place hurt players go to rehab their market value but I am fine with that. If we contend with Big Ben leading the staff – freaking fine. If we lose as we have lately – and he is healthy we trade him to a contender mid season for SWAG. Fine. Very little downside and big upside. Love this.
Baja been here
WTF would we do if we were to quit analyzing?
Just enjoy the games? Don’t be ridiculous.
But baseball! Fuck yeah! -- lynnzgal
by WaddellCanseco on Jan 27, 2010 1:16 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
And he didn't cost Street or Gonzalez.
Such a deal!
But baseball! Fuck yeah! -- lynnzgal
by WaddellCanseco on Jan 27, 2010 1:17 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Oft-overlooked Sheets stat:
He has made at least 31 starts in 4 of his 8 seasons. The glass that is half empty is also half full.
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
Except the glass is ALWAYS half full for an A's fan
Not myself, but I get scared away from reading AN due to the pessimism.
by Thefirstletterofthealphabet on Jan 26, 2010 8:59 PM PST up reply actions
You think THIS is pessimism?
I’d suggest trying out blogs for teams that are run by idiots, such as McCovey Chronicles or Rany on the Royals. AN is a sunny and happy place, because the team (by and large) does things that actually make sense.
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
No.
I think Sheets will make 30 starts, and think the A’s are one of the best run franchises in baseball.
by Thefirstletterofthealphabet on Jan 26, 2010 10:26 PM PST up reply actions
Rany can't be a happy camper.
I hope he’s never my doctor.
But baseball! Fuck yeah! -- lynnzgal
by WaddellCanseco on Jan 27, 2010 1:18 AM PST up reply actions
I don't remember who said it earlier but I'll be running with their idea.
I’m taking their shouting of “Holy Sheets!” to a whole other level: I’m making a sign.
Oh yes, I’m making a sign (for his first start at home and we’ll go from there).
"You're just jealous. You wish you had a rally animal..." -CardinalWraith
Grant Desme says:
“It’s a sign!”
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 a sign"
That I like children more than ballplayers.
by Thefirstletterofthealphabet on Jan 26, 2010 9:00 PM PST up reply actions
So you're also a priest?
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
A sign made from a sheet!
Like the old Eric Byrnes Fan Club one?
It's the fans that make the game fun. -- Rickey Henderson, July 26, 2009.
by Englishmajor on Jan 26, 2010 9:07 PM PST up reply actions
The Blacksox.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
by Nico on Jan 26, 2010 9:35 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
QOTM
I must be in a good mood tonight…
"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin
by Helloooo 1st on Jan 27, 2010 1:34 AM PST up reply actions
No incentives in the contract and A's cant offer arbitration
In fact, by the time Piñeiro signed his two-year, $16 million deal with the Angels last Wednesday (but announced Saturday), the A’s were well on their way to getting their deal. Plus, they had reached their take-it-or-leave-it-threshold; with the Sheets deal (which does not include $2 million in incentives), they are in Beane’s words, “right up against the (payroll) limit.”
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/26/SP0L1BNOJI.DTL#ixzz0dmu3wXZO
Ratto is such a fucking downer.
They call their best player "Kung Fu Panda" and they complain that people aren’t taking them or the game seriously enough? -Nick
pinero?
sheets is better than pinero. sheets’ contract is better. does ratto know anything about baseball?
"The ego, the super-ego, and the Ed" - danmerqury
He basically does the same thing as Lowell Cohn, etc
Rips on moves Beane makes, and keeps recycling the same BS “points” over and over
- A’s don’t keep their players
- Fans can’t root for guys
- Beane trades away everyone
STFU.
They call their best player "Kung Fu Panda" and they complain that people aren’t taking them or the game seriously enough? -Nick
Wow, this guy writes for a living?
And people actually read this? No wonder news papers are hurting.
"-i never said half the things i said." --Yogi Berra
He should focus on doing something he's actually good at for a living
Like eating.
"Smokey, this be not the foul jungles of the darkest East Orient. This be ninepins. We are bound by laws."
Man vs. Man vs Food
"The A's get some action but they do not score..." -Glen Kuiper
"Anyone who calls themselves the Angels Angels should have to start over and ride the short bus." -timmeh from McCovey Chronicles
he's also a idiot
Vestibular neuritis, also known as labyrinthitis, also known as a swollen inner ear that causes vertigo and other balance issues
He has no fucking clue what he is talking about here. Labyrinthitis is an entirely different monkey than Vestibular Neuritis. Vestibular Neuritis is also essentially a phenomenon that doctors can’t figure out. It’s possible it’s hereditary, can be chronic (although in Sheets case it seems to have only happened once), and is very difficult to treat and likely has no lasting effects, except for perhaps fear of it occurring again.
I’ve seen someone very close to me go through it 3 separate occasions, and it sucks, but for him to put it up there as if the “balance issues” will come back to affect him is just downright reckless journalism. It basically feels like a terrible hangover that won’t go away for anywhere from a week to a month…
"Did you know you can comment on Athletics Nation from your phone or PDA? SB Nation has launched mobile commenting. Check it out next time you’re at the game or bar and have something to say."
by stranahanahan on Jan 26, 2010 10:58 PM PST up reply actions
Yeah, what you just said!
"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy." - Don Sutton
You're wrong
VN and L aren’t entirely different monkeys. The question is whether he had some hearing issues, otherwise they aren’t that different.
It's entirely a matter of opinion then
VN has no proven lasting effects while Labyrinthitis does. To me, that is a HUGE difference. Labyrinthitis is also caused by a virus. Point is, Ratto basically said they are one and the same, and they aren’t, there’s no way around it.
"Did you know you can comment on Athletics Nation from your phone or PDA? SB Nation has launched mobile commenting. Check it out next time you’re at the game or bar and have something to say."
by stranahanahan on Jan 28, 2010 2:57 PM PST up reply actions
They're both collections of symptoms
They’re almost identical. They’re both caused by infections. Often, the only way to know what is causing the symptoms would be an autopsy. I doubt doctors are as diligent as you would like in differentiating them.
I do not understand why these "can't offer arbitration" contracts are being given out by teams, or for that matter, approved by the league office
They’re a blatant undermining of the compensation scheme set up in the CBA. It’s like the owners have just given up the ghost on that issue without even an effort to get a counter-concession from the players.
Weird. Certainly makes the complete death of compensation look very likely in the next round of bargaining.
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
Watered-down compensation isn't the same as no compensation.
Teams might still want it in case they lose Albert Pujols or something.
But baseball! Fuck yeah! -- lynnzgal
by WaddellCanseco on Jan 27, 2010 1:21 AM PST up reply actions
I've been wondering about this... I'd write a fanpost on it had I more time.
How prevalent are those types of contracts? A cursory google search didn’t turn up much for me, but I have to think the A’s aren’t the only ones doing it; though they do seem to be offering them very frequently as of late.
Beane might be happy to give this to the guy since he might be planning on flipping him at the deadline anyway.
The question is whether or not the contract is worded so that the receiving team can’t offer him arb either, or if it’s just the A’s.
by LoneStranger on Jan 27, 2010 10:02 AM PST up reply actions
I assume that the league office has concluded
that the compensation scheme that is being undermined is flawed and they’ve made a determination not to defend it. Rather than officially abolish it, they just allow GMs to contract around it.
I have no opinion on the politics behind that or whether it’s a smart move, I just think that’s the conclusion one has to draw from the evidence.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
"Right up against the payroll limit" means that Damon will have to play for peanuts.
Stomper won’t like that.
But baseball! Fuck yeah! -- lynnzgal
by WaddellCanseco on Jan 27, 2010 1:19 AM PST up reply actions
For that price, he'd better be mentoring the young pitchers
and probably is. I hope he has a positive impact on the kids. We need a knockout draft in June, and it might have been better to save this money for that. If we’re willing to spend it anyway, that’s fine.
Really we need a salary cap in baseball, but that isn’t going to happen. With Beane, we’d win damn near every year on an even playing field.
Can I just say I love this, and leave it at that?
I LOVE THIS SIGNING! Stay healthy, BS! (Oooh, good initials)
"Bobby Crosby at third is a bit of an adventure. And not like, here’s some hidden treasure, what fun. More like, gah! poison ants!" --alea iacta est
Hey remember the Dugout?
Because I think this signing calls for another Dugout-style ripoff post, full of sweeping generalizations, rap music lyrics and nonsense logic in the name of humor! Like, now:
YO, I AM A RICH MOTHERFUCKA!!!! KNAWMEAN? I GET MONEY BITCHES, YOU SUCKAZ AINT EVEN GUNNA FRONT ON MY GRIND, BUH-LEE DAT. 100 MILLION HERE, 100 MILLION THERE, 100 MILLI FUCKIN EVERYWHERE. YO, YOU DAWG, YOU WANT SOME OF THIS GUAC B?
Mmm, no thank you.
/signs with Boston for $18 million dollars less than what Lew offers him.
WHAT THE FUCK B, NEXT THING YOURE GUNNA TELL ME IS THAT THE COLD KRUSH WAS RIPPING OFF ALL THEIR ARTISTS
…
YOOOOO MARCOOOO SEN, WHATS REALLY GOOD DOGG? I MEAN LIKE WHATS REALLY REALLY REALLY GOOD DOGG? WANT A NICE 2/12 DEAL ON THE DOUBLE-OH’S, KNAWMEAN
Uh, no. Im gunna stand over here.
AW CMON G, YOU KNOW YOU LIKE THE GREEN AND GOLD, ESPECIALLY THE GREEN PART AND I AINT EVEN TALKIN ABOUT DOLLARS AND SENSE PLAYBOY, IM TALKIN ABOUT THE ILLY SOUR DIESEL SEN, YEAH DAWG THE KINDEST HERB I KNOW YOU SMOKE DUDE JUST LOOK AT YOUR PIC
SEE, NOW YOU ALL QUIET
/proceeds to do a laugh like Jadakiss HEHHEEAAAAH
SO GET DOWN OR LAY DOWN SON, LETS DO THIS HOOD STYLE. ARFARFARF!
Hey, do you play baseball? I heard your name mentioned on my wiretap on Beane’s phone (lol) and this Beltre guy seems pretty decent so I’d figure why not go for two? Two for Theo—-HAHAHAHA I AM THE FUNNIEST MAN ON EARTH. LAUGH NOW. DO IT!
Yes yes, for the love of Desme please get me out of here, youre insane but nowhere near like that other guy.
/signs with Boston for less money than Oakland offered him.
WE GOT DAT 100 MILLION DOLLAR MONEY, WE DA BEST! WE GOIN AVATAR ON THESE BITCHES IN OH-TEN!!! BIGGEST MOVIE EVER!
/Avatar beats Titanic in ticket sales and revenue
BUHHHRR BUHHRRR IM SO ICY! BUHHRRR MARCO SCUTARO DISSED ME YESTERDAY, WHAT I SUPPOSED TO DO GO CRY? STUPID WILD STUPID WILD DATS MY STYLE, EVERY SINGLE NIGHT IM BALLLLIN! YOOOO ITS MY SOUTH AMERICAN CONNECT, WAS GUNNA SET ME UP WITH SOME KILOS BUT INSTEAD GET A BALLPLAYER TO SIG UP AND RE-UP CHYEAH.
Lets do the furs, his and hers, started gettin on my nerves so I hit em with a BUHHRRRRRRRRR
/hair flies back, knocks him over
Hustlers love me, all the haters hate me/They brothers wanna fight me, They sisters wanna date me. I tell her bless it baby/ You could be my bust it baby, But stay in your place, I need my space. Don’t suffocate me, Back black approach us/Clack clack gats in holsters/Cops in black control us, treat us like rats and roaches. But the blue Benz, Got the blue lamps/And your wifey, what we use her for food stamps/Ain’t no big deal, but she keep the fridge filled/Eggs scrambled, cheese, grilled, cold juice and grits Kill! Don’t forget veal, Italiano, Gallardo, yea the big wheels/Like milk and wig spilled/We’ll rush in ya spot, Knock Knock, snock of the glock, It WOLFFY’S turn, Huh?, You gon’ suck it or not?
FINALLY!!!! SOMEONE FINALLY CAME CORRECT! THAT FLOW WAS THE SHIT!!!! MVP! MVP! YO, WILL YOU JOIN THE ILLEST HIT SQUAD IN THE GAME? I AM CHANGING THE NAME TO THE OAKLAND ATHLETICS MAJA LEAGUE HUSTLA ENTERTAINMENT! SOUNDS ILL, AMIRIGHT?
Word, I’m down as hell man no homo.
REALLY?
NAWWWWW.
/signs with the Reds.
GODDAMNIT. SHIT! GODDAMNIT…..
Look, I was just trying to appeal to give back to the game son…
/sniffs
ALL I WANTED WAS TO BE ACCEPTED!
/starts sobbing
WOULDNT YOU, LIKE TO GIVE ME, BEN SHEETS, A JOB?
NAH, IM JUST SO BUMMED RIGHT NOW. IM SUFFERING FROM A LACK OF CONCEPTS, ORIGINALITY, MY FLOW IS WEAK AND I GOT NO STYLE.
HELLO I AM BEN SHEETS AND I WOULD YOU, MR. WOLFFE, TO GIVE ME, MR. SHEETS, A JOB. BEN SHEETS!
BEN!
SHEETS!
/puts hand on Wolffe’s shoulder.
Ruh-really? You want to get down? You aren’t going to go to the Mets or anything.
/wipes eyes
NO SIR, I AM BEN SHEETS. I DONT LISTEN TO MUSIC, DO YOGA OR LET A WOMAN DRIVE THE CAR, AND I ENJOY CHICKEN WINGS. WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO TO WINGSPOT? WE SHALL EAT SO MANY.
WORD LIFE SON! BACK IN THE GAME BABY!!! L.W. SMOOVE IN THE PLACE B! WE GETTIN IT REAL REAL RAW UP IN THIS.
YES FATHER. WE SHALL EAT SO MANY WINGS TOGETHER AND THEN I WILL TELL YOU HOW WE ARE GOING TO WIN SO MANY GAMES THIS YEAR.
WE GOIN ALL OUT ON EVERYBODY THIS YEAR AINT WE? I KNEW IT! WE GOIN AVATAR ON THESE BITCHES FOR REAL….BIGGEST MOVIE EVER
/Avatar makes $10MM more while you read this.
INDEED. WINGS SOON. WINNING LATER.
by PL78 on Jan 27, 2010 12:58 AM PST reply actions 18 recs
That fucking Lew Wolff face.
Oh man. The expression on his face just got funnier every time I saw it. Also,
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO TO WINGSPOT? WE SHALL EAT SO MANY.
Always the summers are slipping away.
Find me a way for making it stay.
+1
Also,
HELLO I AM BEN SHEETS AND I WOULD YOU, MR. WOLFFE, TO GIVE ME, MR. SHEETS, A JOB. BEN SHEETS!
BEN!
SHEETS!
Is this the real life-
Is this just fantasy-
Caught in a landslide-
No escape from reality-
And why is Sheets calling him father?
LOL
Is this the real life-
Is this just fantasy-
Caught in a landslide-
No escape from reality-
If I had written this I would be a genius
"Tonto think Billy Beane need to make team full of squirrels and bears."
by OptimistPrime on Jan 27, 2010 4:11 PM PST up reply actions
Winner,
winner, chicken dinner!
"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin
by Helloooo 1st on Jan 27, 2010 1:46 AM PST up reply actions
ROTFLMAOWTFBBQ!
哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈！
"Twenty minutes," says Jack Sr. "Thank god for Billy Beane."
"Any fan that wants us to do that is going to be disappointed because that just isn’t us." - Wolff
by ST on Jan 27, 2010 5:20 AM PST up reply actions
I like the Beyonce, Jay-Z pic.
good stuff. too bad this didn’t all rhyme, that would have been epic instead of great.
You have to include smiley faces - Poppy
;- ) :- ) :-O : -> : -] : -}
Did you notice the kid with the smashed face sitting behind Jaz-Z?
Probably got beat down by Jay-Z’s security for asking for Beyonce’s autograph.
by Thefirstletterofthealphabet on Jan 27, 2010 6:27 PM PST up reply actions
I do remember the Dugout
I remember also that I miss it. So you need to do more of these. Please.
"Smokey, this be not the foul jungles of the darkest East Orient. This be ninepins. We are bound by laws."
I don't think you've ever had a better post. Ever.
They call their best player "Kung Fu Panda" and they complain that people aren’t taking them or the game seriously enough? -Nick
That's a bingo!
Is that how you say it? That’s a bingo?
tldnr
Sock puppets have never been able to successfully attack castles. -NM
by Leopold Bloom on Jan 27, 2010 8:48 PM PST up reply actions
I LOVE THIS!
Its about time we start getting some well known players to teacher our youngsters how to play. This is going to help our rotation in more than jkust wins hes gonna be able to be a mentor to guys like brett and dallas and show them how to be elite pitchers (hopefully).
love this signing.
and just because i don’t want to post anything to the chron, ain’t fat lazy ass ratto a total joke? did you see his column? punk ass dweeb.
what is the deal with that hack?
what a bedwetter.
So you're saying he's pissing all over Sheets?
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
I Pee What You Did There
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
This is an excellent signing for the A's
A healthy Sheets gives the A’s a bonifide ace atop the rotation. And if the A’s have another down season in 2010, Sheets could be a great trade chip.
I think this signing puts the A’s into contention in the division. Then again, it was already figured that the AL West was up for grabs in 2010.
Ack!
They’re populating in this state!
Run!
Sock puppets have never been able to successfully attack castles. -NM
by Leopold Bloom on Jan 27, 2010 8:49 PM PST up reply actions
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