Japan

As Bill James put it, age-arc projection for batters is basically a simple thing.  Past age 30, they are skiing down a slope towards replacement level, and how long it takes them is merely a function of how high up the slope they are when they start.

• Fielder's age-arc projection is more complicated than for most hitters, in my view:
• He'll only be 28 (!) at the start of his contract -- won't turn 28 until next May.
• His top eight B-Ref comps averaged 10 years of cleanup hitting from here.
• Out-of-shape hitters DO seem to age quicker:  Luzinski, Dunn, Hrbek, Cecil Fielder, Mo Vaughn, Boog Powell.

Adam Dunn, if this be his crash year (?!) hit it at age 31, but I doubt that it is.  Anyway, he'd be quite an outlier in this group; the comps include Eddie Murray who had 15 ! years left at age 27, Strawberry, Will Clark, Juan Gonzalez, etc.

... and that 175-122 is with the A's using:

=== Keep Your EYES On It, Kid ===

Problemo is this:  he's pulling his head off the ball early, in his greedy attempts to hit home runs.

Bladestunner found a video of Ichiro pitching in 1996.  With the attention Ichiro gets, how did we never hear of this?  Am I the only one who missed it?  :- )

  Q.  Is cash the only motivation that Bud Selig has for changing MLB's playoff structure?

A.  Selig talks a lot about hope for the have-nots.  He's sincere about that part, I think.