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POTD Hiroyuki Nakajima - Safeco

As far as the park-and-fit...

I'm leery of adding a RH hitter who relies on HRs in Japan that he won't get here, and that we can never EVER replace regardless of his performance.

There is no guarantee that Nick Franklin is gonna be the SS we really need him to be, but adding Nakajima makes Franklin instantly the greatest trade bait we are willing to dangle.  His position would be blocked off for the next half-decade with us, at least.

George Springer vs. The Pitchers

Our gracious host no doubt feels somewhat dumped upon after expressing his preference for George Springer, OF, UConn, as the #2 pick in the 2011 draft, assuming Anthony Rendon is taken by the Pirates in the #1 spot.  (He did not express a preference for Springer over Rendon, despite some of the comments to that effect.) (And, I guess, the Ms have not technically clinched the #2, but they are 2.5 GB Baltimore with 3 to play.)

The result was a good debate: is there a point where there are too many strikeouts in and of itself, or do you always have to compare K to BB?  I can't speak for Taro, but it seemed that he was making the argument that Springer's 70 K rendered him unacceptable just on that basis.  Doc countered that 70 K was just fine in light of the 60 BB (we're talking about 64 G and 243 ABs here).

I think they both have valid points.  What I'm trying to get at is this: not whether George Springer is a fine player or a top-10 draft pick, BUT is George Springer enough of a sound bet to justify passing over the very talented pitchers at the top of the draft?

Virtual Girlfriends

By anonymous (not verified) | 9/1/10 8:34pm |
0 Comments

Some Japanese young men instead of playing games in which they blow up stuff, defeat monsters, and defend the planet earth against an alien threat, are playing a video game with the goal of maintaining a relationship with a virtual girlfriend, and like comic-con caters to sci-fi and comic book geeks, a resort hotel in Japan is catering to these dudes with their virtual girlfriends The resort is called 'Love Plus' R

Image: 

In other news . . .

--- Draft standings ---

1. Pittsburgh 39-74   4 GB Ms

2. Baltimore 40-74   3-1/2 GB Ms

3. Seattle 44-71   --

4. Arizona 46-69   2 G ahead of Ms

5T. Cleveland 47-67   3-1/2 G ahead of Ms

5T. KC 47-67   3-1/2 G ahead of Ms

7. Cubs 48-66   4-1/2 G ahead of Ms

8. Houston 48-65    5 G ahead of Ms

9. Washington 49-65   5-1/2 G ahead of Ms

Well, Baltimore has crawled out of the cellar with its hot streak under Schowalter.  AZ has also been hot, giving it some space ahead of the Ms, but the rest of the pack -- which was a full 6 games in front of the Ms just a couple weeks ago -- has been inching back as the bottom-feeders except Pittsburgh have been winning some.  Last time the range for the Ms was pretty much 2-4.  Now, in theory anyway, it could be anywhere from 1-9 depending on how they respond to Brown.  Somewhere in the top 6 still seems almost certain, though.

 

--- College arms (& bats) ---

Wrapping up the world tour of Team USA Collegiate National Team at the World University Championships in Japan:

Semifinals vs. Team Japan:

Sonny Gray (Vandy): 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K -- USA 4, Japan 2

Finals vs. Team Cuba:

Gerrit Cole (UCLA): 7.0 IP, 10 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K -- Cuba 4, USA 3

Heartbreaking loss in the final.  1-1 after 9, USA scored 2 in the 10th (using the bizzaro international overtime rules where two men are on base to start the inning), only to have Cuba hit a 3-run walkoff HR in the bottom of the 10th.

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