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.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
Don't Worry, Be Happy
By The Common Man
So you’re worried about your playoff team? The one that finished 2-8 over the last 10 games, and looked utterly and completely lost in the process? Well, The Common Man doesn’t blame you. It’s a discouraging way to back into the playoffs.
So, given its struggles, what chance does this team, The Common Man’s beloved Twins, actually stand in the postseason against the Yankees? What does history teach us about their chances?
So you’re worried about your playoff team? The one that finished 2-8 over the last 10 games, and looked utterly and completely lost in the process? Well, The Common Man doesn’t blame you. It’s a discouraging way to back into the playoffs.
So, given its struggles, what chance does this team, The Common Man’s beloved Twins, actually stand in the postseason against the Yankees? What does history teach us about their chances?
Random 2010 Predictions Revisited
By Bill
Because I believe in accountability, and/or because on the whole I think they worked out surprisingly well, here's a look at how some random predictions I made just before opening day turned out:
Because I believe in accountability, and/or because on the whole I think they worked out surprisingly well, here's a look at how some random predictions I made just before opening day turned out:
- Justin Upton will emerge as one of the top players in the National League. I'm thinking something like CHONE's rather optimistic projection, but with many more homers (maybe 35?). Well, not off to a great start. Upton took a huge step back this year, to .273/.356/.442 with about half as many HR as I called for above. He'll play most of 2011 as a 23 year old, though, so maybe 2011 is his year.
- Those punchless, defense-first Red Sox will finish in the top three in the AL in runs. Ding ding! There isn't a player on Boston's roster who didn't miss at least 190 games this year due to injury -- true story -- and yet that team that everyone said wasn't going to score enough runs with Theo's crazy "run prevention" theory scored the second most runs in the AL -- well behind the Yankees, but comfortably ahead of the Rays. The Sox' only real non-injury-related problem was that they still haven't figured out how to defend the walk; Sox pitchers issued 580 free passes, most in the AL.
SweetSpot Weekend Roundup 10/4
By The Common Man and Bill
Pro Ball NW (Mariners): 61-101
"I absolutely love this game, and even in a bad season for the team that I support, it’s still baseball, and it’s still spectacular."
Baseball Times in Arlington (Rangers): ALDS Things
Nobody in Texas is going to get to watch the ALDS because of early start times, some unexpected names are left off the postseason roster, and the wittle Angels got their feelings hurt.
The Ray Area: This is so ridiculous...
"Don’t get obsessed with the World Series. Just remember this moment. The worst franchise in the history of sports just went toe-to-toe with King Kong and Godzilla for three straight years. That doesn’t happen all the time. I don’t know what is going to happen in 2011, 2012, or beyond. But I know that right now, this club gave us a magical summer that we need to savor. Everything from here on in is just gravy."
Fire Brand of the American League (Red Sox): Resigning Adrian Beltre should not be a priority
An interesting take on the Sox' 3B position that hinges on Youkilis being able to hold down the Hot Corner for a full season.
Royals Authority: Almost Vintage Greinke
"There is just no way you could have watched any of Greinke’s starts over the last two months and not come away extremely frustrated. Thankfully, Thursday was different. And that’s what we’ll carry with us into the winter."
The Daily Fungo (Tigers): White Sox Season Series Recap
Mike with a nice reminder of how the Tigers knocked the Sox out of postseason contention. That makes me feel warm all over.
Nick's Twins Blog: What, me worry? Maybe a little
"I'm going to be grasping desperately for positive signs, because -- regardless of what the historical data says -- there's just no way I'm going to feel very confident heading into the playoffs with almost the entire team playing like absolute trash."
Sox Machine (White Sox): Pierre benefits from long scope
"This is one of my chief problems with the White Sox philosophy: their overemphasis on means instead of ends. You see it here with the sidestepping of Pierre’s production at the plate, and you’ll see it when they discuss how hitters strike out too much. It’s almost puritanical, like they believe runs count more if they have to work harder for them."
It's About the Money, Stupid (Yankees): The Grandy Man Can
Brien looks at Curtis Granderson, who quietly put up a very good season in The Bronx.
Capitol Avenue Club (Braves): Celebration Thread
Useful links for Braves fans to check out between the celebration hangover and NLDS Game 1.
The View from the Bleachers (Cubs): Three Reasons Why I Believe Mike Quade Should Get the Job
Quade certainly did about the most a guy can do to earn the job in 37 games. I'll add #4 -- the blind, drunken rage in Wrigleyville when anybody but Sandberg gets the job could be kind of fun.
Redleg Nation: Titanic Struggle Recap: how does 91 wins sound to you?
The final recap of the regular season ends with a win, a red-hot Jay Bruce, and zero negatives. Good time to be a Reds fan.
Austin's Astros 290 Blog: Astros go out on a win
"Because of the success of young players like Chris Johnson, Jason Castro, Angel Sanchez and Tommy Manzella, I don’t think the problems will be quite as drastic as in the past. However, it does leave concern that there’s still a belief in the front office and dugout that what the teams needs to win is not an infusion of youth, but the grit of old age."
Dodger Thoughts: Looking back on 2010
Revisiting the best reader predictions from back in March.
Disciples of Uecker (Brewers): The text-to-vote MVP poll
Jack parses a Fox Sports poll offering four choices for team MVP, and gives you his choice. Then he helpfully points out that FSN somehow left off all three of the most obvious candidates.
Mets Today: Game 162: Loss to Nationals
"Finally, it’s over. Meaning, the game — which lasted 14 wretched frames — the season, and the Omar Minaya / Jerry Manuel regime."
Crashburn Alley (Phillies): During Playoffs, Phillies Need Both Romero and Bastardo
Two kind of marginal lefty relievers that Bill thinks can help the Phils in different ways this postseason.
Ducksnorts (Padres): Second Verse, Same as the First
We'll skip the letdown of Sunday and appreciate the exhilaration and bewilderment of Saturday. "If I were a fan of the Braves or Giants, I would be livid. The Padres have no business being in this race, but they won’t take the hint. Even if the Padres don’t pull off yet another miracle, one senses that the prevailing emotion among the survivors will be one of relief and not of triumph."
Bay City Ball (Giants): Magic Happens, Giants Win NL West
Back in July, Chris didn't think they could do it. He's very happy to have been wrong.
Fungoes (Cardinals): Reds' title doesn't validate Jocketty's "system"
Murray Chass (and evidently some other people, but has anyone else ever agreed with Chass?) is saying that the Reds' success proves that Jocketty's "'evaluate over analyze' system" works better than the Cardinals' (I presume) geeky moms'-basement style. Pip finds all sorts of problems with that.
Nationals Baseball: World War Lannan 2010: The Aftermath
"If this isn't just a half-season fluke it would mean Lannan has completely changed his recipe for success. He's gone from keeping righties from hitting the ball hard, to dominating lefties. He's gone from being the odd duck, to winning with more traditional southpaw skills."
Today on The Platoon Advantage: Bill looks at how his random 2010 predictions turned out. The best ones both involved sticking it to the anti-Theo, run-prevention-mocking Red Sox media.
Friday, October 1, 2010
3 Questions Complete List
For the 2010-2011 offseason, Bill and The Common Man will be asking three questions about each team and their plans for the coming season. This is a complete list of all of the 3 Questions entries for easy reference:
Arizona Diamondbacks
Atlanta Braves
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
Cincinnati Reds
Cleveland Indians
Colorado Rockies
Detroit Tigers
Florida Marlins
Houston Astros
Kansas City Royals
Los Angeles Angels, etc.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Milwaukee Brewers
Minnesota Twins
New York Mets
New York Yankees
Oakland A's
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants
Seattle Mariners
Tampa Bay Rays
Texas Rangers
Toronto Blue Jays
Washington Nationals
Arizona Diamondbacks
Atlanta Braves
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
Cincinnati Reds
Cleveland Indians
Colorado Rockies
Detroit Tigers
Florida Marlins
Houston Astros
Kansas City Royals
Los Angeles Angels, etc.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Milwaukee Brewers
Minnesota Twins
New York Mets
New York Yankees
Oakland A's
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants
Seattle Mariners
Tampa Bay Rays
Texas Rangers
Toronto Blue Jays
Washington Nationals
The Tenth Inning: A Skeptic's Review
By Bill
When I heard a year and a half ago that Ken Burns was planning an update chapter of his epic Baseball documentary, I couldn't make myself think a single positive thought about it. I remember parking on the couch and watching every minute of the original video marathon with my dad, and loving it. But that was different! I was fifteen. And frankly, I have the film on DVD and still love it, but it was a simpler time, and a different project. It was about history (all of it, really; the film had been finished well before the 1994 strike, so none of it really felt "now"); this one, meanwhile, would feel a lot more like current events. All I could imagine it being was several hours of crying about how the players make too much money and steroids have ruined the game. So I felt an obligation to watch it, but no particular interest.
Well...I'm very, very glad I did. In my opinion, Burns' new work, while far from perfect and nowhere near as endlessly fascinating and joy-making as the 18-hour original article, was done almost exactly as well as he could possibly have done it. He certainly didn't shy away from the controversies and other nonsense, but they were dealt with realistically and even-handedly. There was probably too much of a couple silly and generally uncomprehending journalists who shall not be named...but the editing was so good, they rarely got the chance to say anything really upsetting. I was prepared to hate it, and frankly, I loved it. Not as much or nearly in the same manner as the original miniseries, but "love" is still the right word. The still and moving images were beautifully chosen and arranged; In Keith David, they had the greatest narrator of anything, ever (give or take). There was some truly insightful commentary, and on and on. If you stayed away for the same reasons I was tempted to stay away, give it a shot.
The nice thing about watching "The Bottom of the Tenth" on DVR a day late, and writing the review a day late, is that I've already gotten to see a number of other reviews and gotten a pretty good idea of what other people are thinking about this thing. (If you read only one kind of negative review, please God let it be this one.) So the rest of this will be heavily based on things that bothered other people:
When I heard a year and a half ago that Ken Burns was planning an update chapter of his epic Baseball documentary, I couldn't make myself think a single positive thought about it. I remember parking on the couch and watching every minute of the original video marathon with my dad, and loving it. But that was different! I was fifteen. And frankly, I have the film on DVD and still love it, but it was a simpler time, and a different project. It was about history (all of it, really; the film had been finished well before the 1994 strike, so none of it really felt "now"); this one, meanwhile, would feel a lot more like current events. All I could imagine it being was several hours of crying about how the players make too much money and steroids have ruined the game. So I felt an obligation to watch it, but no particular interest.
Well...I'm very, very glad I did. In my opinion, Burns' new work, while far from perfect and nowhere near as endlessly fascinating and joy-making as the 18-hour original article, was done almost exactly as well as he could possibly have done it. He certainly didn't shy away from the controversies and other nonsense, but they were dealt with realistically and even-handedly. There was probably too much of a couple silly and generally uncomprehending journalists who shall not be named...but the editing was so good, they rarely got the chance to say anything really upsetting. I was prepared to hate it, and frankly, I loved it. Not as much or nearly in the same manner as the original miniseries, but "love" is still the right word. The still and moving images were beautifully chosen and arranged; In Keith David, they had the greatest narrator of anything, ever (give or take). There was some truly insightful commentary, and on and on. If you stayed away for the same reasons I was tempted to stay away, give it a shot.
The nice thing about watching "The Bottom of the Tenth" on DVR a day late, and writing the review a day late, is that I've already gotten to see a number of other reviews and gotten a pretty good idea of what other people are thinking about this thing. (If you read only one kind of negative review, please God let it be this one.) So the rest of this will be heavily based on things that bothered other people:
SweetSpot Roundup 10/1
Austin's Astros 290 Blog: Reasons to keep watching the Astros
Austin's got four good reasons. Though one of those four is dependant on not finding Brett Myers repugnant.
Disciples of Uecker (Brewers): Draft Standings Entering the Final Weekend
Pittsburgh has clinched the top spot, but the Brewers could end up picking anywhere from 7th to 16th next year, depending on how things break.
View From the Bleachers (Cubs): Thursday Randomness
Includes an update on the career status of Matt Murton, Slugger of the Orient.
Dodger Thoughts: "Fernando Nation" to air on October 26
Jonathan previews ESPN's 30-for-30 documentary on Fernando Valenzuela.
Mets Today: Which Mets to Keep, Which to Trash
"Bottom line is this team is in dire straits — in much worse shape than they were in 2004. Who they keep and who they jettison during this offseason will have a significant impact on the team’s success or failure over the next 5-10 years."
Crashburn Alley (Phillies): GM Amaro Considered Blowing Up 2010 Squad
"While the sentiment of blowing up the team may surprise you, it wasn’t that unreasonable. The Phillies had to go on a ridiculous run to get to where they are now. On July 21, they were 48-46, in third place, and seven games back of the Atlanta Braves."
Redleg Nation: Aaron Harang
Harang continues the tradition of former Reds aces who couldn't make it to the promised land when their team finally got there.
Fire Brand of the American League (Red Sox): Should Jon Lester Win the AL Cy Young Award?
Charlie asked this question about Buchholz the other day, and the readers demanded Lester. Charlie's a man of the people.
Sox Machine (White Sox): Guillen flirting with new kind of bullpen
A lot of us have been saying for a long time that a manager should stop chasing "saves" and use the best pitchers in the best spots for them. A lot of casual observers probably wouldn't figure Ozzie to be that guy, but that's what makes them casual observers.
The B-List Indians Blog: The B-List Lite: 9/29
Cleveland sweeps Detroit; the best bunt in the world; Shelly Duncan steals a base?
Royals Authority: Can We Trust Zack and Luke?
The Royals look to Greinke and Hochevar to lead the rotation for at least the next two seasons.
Nick's Twins Blog: Longoria and Price's Comments Bad for Business
Nick reflects on the Rays stars' comments and compares the Trop to his formative years in the mid-nineties Metrodome. (I was older, but I was there all the time, too. And it sucked.)
It's About the Money, Stupid (Yankees): An epic Rosenthal rant on replay
Jason riffs on Ken Rosenthal's exasperated take on instant replay (which you know will be popular around these parts--Rosenthal's excellent piece exonerated him in my mind for his ludicrous Delmon-as-MVP-candidate post from a month ago, and he and I had a little chat on Twitter about it).
Pro Ball NW (Mariners): The King Rests
Connor on the Mariners' decision to skip Felix's last start. Felix's health is obviously vitally important, but he's made it through 34 starts (and 68 going back through 2009) with no problems. How sure are we that avoiding the marginal added risk of one more start is really worth more than (a) adding some interest to the final game of the M's dismal season and (b) the chance to strengthen his Cy Young case even further? Unless Felix has some identified issues I'm not aware of, I don't get this. (But I've become convinced that he's going to win the CYA regardless.)
Austin's got four good reasons. Though one of those four is dependant on not finding Brett Myers repugnant.
Disciples of Uecker (Brewers): Draft Standings Entering the Final Weekend
Pittsburgh has clinched the top spot, but the Brewers could end up picking anywhere from 7th to 16th next year, depending on how things break.
View From the Bleachers (Cubs): Thursday Randomness
Includes an update on the career status of Matt Murton, Slugger of the Orient.
Dodger Thoughts: "Fernando Nation" to air on October 26
Jonathan previews ESPN's 30-for-30 documentary on Fernando Valenzuela.
Mets Today: Which Mets to Keep, Which to Trash
"Bottom line is this team is in dire straits — in much worse shape than they were in 2004. Who they keep and who they jettison during this offseason will have a significant impact on the team’s success or failure over the next 5-10 years."
Crashburn Alley (Phillies): GM Amaro Considered Blowing Up 2010 Squad
"While the sentiment of blowing up the team may surprise you, it wasn’t that unreasonable. The Phillies had to go on a ridiculous run to get to where they are now. On July 21, they were 48-46, in third place, and seven games back of the Atlanta Braves."
Redleg Nation: Aaron Harang
Harang continues the tradition of former Reds aces who couldn't make it to the promised land when their team finally got there.
Fire Brand of the American League (Red Sox): Should Jon Lester Win the AL Cy Young Award?
Charlie asked this question about Buchholz the other day, and the readers demanded Lester. Charlie's a man of the people.
Sox Machine (White Sox): Guillen flirting with new kind of bullpen
A lot of us have been saying for a long time that a manager should stop chasing "saves" and use the best pitchers in the best spots for them. A lot of casual observers probably wouldn't figure Ozzie to be that guy, but that's what makes them casual observers.
The B-List Indians Blog: The B-List Lite: 9/29
Cleveland sweeps Detroit; the best bunt in the world; Shelly Duncan steals a base?
Royals Authority: Can We Trust Zack and Luke?
The Royals look to Greinke and Hochevar to lead the rotation for at least the next two seasons.
Nick's Twins Blog: Longoria and Price's Comments Bad for Business
Nick reflects on the Rays stars' comments and compares the Trop to his formative years in the mid-nineties Metrodome. (I was older, but I was there all the time, too. And it sucked.)
It's About the Money, Stupid (Yankees): An epic Rosenthal rant on replay
Jason riffs on Ken Rosenthal's exasperated take on instant replay (which you know will be popular around these parts--Rosenthal's excellent piece exonerated him in my mind for his ludicrous Delmon-as-MVP-candidate post from a month ago, and he and I had a little chat on Twitter about it).
Pro Ball NW (Mariners): The King Rests
Connor on the Mariners' decision to skip Felix's last start. Felix's health is obviously vitally important, but he's made it through 34 starts (and 68 going back through 2009) with no problems. How sure are we that avoiding the marginal added risk of one more start is really worth more than (a) adding some interest to the final game of the M's dismal season and (b) the chance to strengthen his Cy Young case even further? Unless Felix has some identified issues I'm not aware of, I don't get this. (But I've become convinced that he's going to win the CYA regardless.)
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