Tuesday, October 5, 2010

SweetSpot Roundup 10/5

Austin's Astros 290 Blog: Astros go out on a win
You'd think this would make Austin happy...

Capitol Avenue Club (Braves): On the Postseason Roster
Chris breaks down the Braves and picks his 25 to go up against the juggernaut Giants.

Disciples of Uecker (Brewers): Ken Macha Out as Brewers Manager
"So now, the Brewers begin looking for another figurehead that we can heap undeserved praise on in a winning season or make the goat in a losing one. Surely, people will already be calling for his head. My take?...  To bother ourselves with managerial choices, something we know absolutely nothing about, is utter insanity."

Fungoes (Cardinals): Pujols Abdicates Total Bases Crown
Doesn't matter.  Still awesome.

View From the Bleachers (Cubs): 2010 Cubs Report Card, Catchers
Geovanni Soto hit .280/.393/.497 and got a B+.  Sheesh, tough room.  "A"s are apparently reserved for circa '98 Sammy Sosa only.

Dodger Thoughts: A year like this...
Dodger fans, make this your mantra.

Bay City Ball (Giants): Why the Giants Have Been Better Than Expected...
Would you believe part of the answer is "awesome defense?"  I wouldn't have either.

Mets Today: Will the Sun Come Up on Monday?
"… as Wilpon walked away, a Post reporter asked if Minaya would remain the team’s GM beyond this year.  'Is the sun going to come up tomorrow?' Wilpon answered."

Nationals Baseball: Lucky or Unlucky?
Was this a good year, or a bad year in the Nation's Capitol?  The answer isn't as cut and dried as you think.

Ducksnorts (Padres): Game 162
Geoff liveblogged the Padres' last game of 2010.  This is what a heart breaking looks like on the Interwebz.

Crashburn Alley (Phillies): Reds-Phillies Preview
Bill comparies the Phillies' and Reds' lineups.  Pitching to follow later.

Redleg Nation: Dusty in 2011-12
"I’m still not 100% comfortable with Baker as a manager.  He seems to have a great relationship with the players, but his in-game managing is mediocre, at best.  His patience with talented young players has been great, but that same patience has often been excruciating when it relates to veteran position players on their last legs."

B-List Indians Blog: B-List Lite
Fausto Carmona's strong finish.

Baseball Time in Arlington (Rangers): Rethinking Ron Washington and the Tactical Game
"All in all, Washington is still the same manager he was five months ago: very good on the relationship/communication side, and mediocre to weak tactically ... but, again, what we perceive as 'weak' next to our idealized version of a baseball manager may actually be nothing out of the ordinary when compared to the actual managerial talent pool."

The Ray Area: Previewing the Postseason
Mark breaks down the upcoming Rays/Rangers showdown.

Fire Brand of the American League (Red Sox): Who is most important for the Sox to bring back in 2011?
Who should the Sox bring back next year?  The choice, as they say, is yours.*

*The choice isn't actually yours; this is just an internet poll.

Royals Authority: So long 2010
"Someday, October will mean something to us Royals’ fans, but 2010 ended up being another year when the vast majority of us turned our attention to football…in August."

The Daily Fungo (Tigers): News Galore on the Way Out the Door
Mike looks at the moves announced by Dave Dombrowski on what the Tigers might look like in 2011.

Nick's Twins Blog: Gardenhire and the playoffs
"I find the criticisms of Gardenhire based on his lack of postseason success to be shallow, at best. In no way does a 6-18 record in a tiny 24-game sample outweigh the manager's .550 record in almost 1,500 regular-season games."

Sox Machine (White Sox): Saying goodbye and thank you to 2010
Some notes on the end of a good run on the South Side, and a goodbye to one of the last organists in the MLB.

It's About the Money, Stupid (Yankees): Let's Get Ready to Rumble
"The Twins are a worthy opponent, and the Yankees have their work cut out for them. But not so surprisingly, the Yankees are favored in this matchup."  Regardless of who is favored, Will is hereby invited to shut the hell up.  Bring it on, "Bombers"!

And on The Platoon Advantage, some historical perspective for Twins fans freaking out about a 2-8 finish. Also, TCM, Bill and Lar of Wezenball.com recorded a special playoff preview edition of their regular podcast last night.  You can listen here.

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