January 2019
but just how hard, zat is ze question
Posted by jemanji on 01/18/19
Posted to blog
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I had never bought much into the "wait for 2021" shtick that Dipoto has on the marquee, until Sherminator put it this way:
So you have Mitch for 4 years, but you're wasting 1, maybe two of them. Which by definition means that he is worth less to us than to someone else, someone competetive. For us he's worth .25 cents on the dollar next year, .75 in year two, and 1.00 in years three and four. So if he's worth 75% to us what he is to LAD, why not flip him for an easy profit?
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This is sound logic, as Sherminator is wont to offer us.
Well, sure, if you are TRULY doing that, if you are... Read More
Why, Who, When, What, How, Where Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 01/14/19
Posted to blog
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WHAT
Is Mitch Haniger gone too? Here's an article from Sodo Mojo that discusses the state of affairs. The idea isn't that they're so accurate it's as if they have an "In The Know" connection; the idea is that Haniger is available at all.
Haniger in 2018 hit .285/.366/.493 and had 4.6 WAR, making him upper-crust in OBP and in SLG both. This is what we're hoping for from Jerred Kelenick, our prized top-100 prospect, in three years. Nobody can argue his 50th-percentile is higher than .366 and .493.
Maniger's earliest free agency is in 2023. Let's tick that off: 2019 ... 2020 ... 2021... Read More
NYY vs Phil --- jaw-dropping quality
Posted by jemanji on 01/11/19
Posted to blog
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At Bill James Online, a reader sent in to Hey Bill and posted this YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRS6YppAFcg. It has 13 minutes' worth of the NYY ballgame and the video quality looks to me circa 1955.
(I had thought the first TV broadcast was of Hitler, ergo the late 30's, so have no idea who was recording this, how, etc. Maybe a Denizen can enlighten?)
At 12:20 is some footage of the Babe and the spry Lou Gehrig.
......
The reader asked if anything stood out to James about the play. We might play the same theme, everybody tossing in their own answer to that.
A couple... Read More
One brick at a time
Posted by moethedog on 01/10/19
Cody Gearin: Two tumbs up! He throw 60+ times a year, misses enough bats to get 8+ K's, doesn't give up a lot of hits and keeps it in the park. OK, he walks folks.....he isn't Mariano. But Gearin is a quality MLB reliever coming to a team rather short of them. This might not be a terrific signing, but it is a solid pickup, all the same.
Tim Beckham: He's basically free, is a quality glove all over the infield, won't be a FA until '21, and just two seasons ago hit 22 HR's. I feel like this one is a steal. I would prefer Crawford to be our SS from day one* (I hate dinking around with... Read More
Want to be Historic, Do You?
Posted by Bat571 on 01/07/19
Well, four days without SSI content means you get something from me to keep things somewhat going.
Let's look a bit harder at Bryce Harper as a potential Mariner.
Obviously, the Ms have not seemed to be a logical destination for him. New York, Philly, L.A., Chicago.... all of these have seemed more probable.
But think for a minute about something Harper and Boras know, that we might consider....
The best way to become an historic superstar (which Harper seemingly intends to be) is not to go to a contender and play well -- it's to go to a building team and MAKE them a champion. Putting up... Read More
Wouldn't be the weirdest thing to happen to us lately
Posted by jemanji on 01/02/19
Posted to blog
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Q. Felix as Closer?
A. It's worth a try. He's got one pitch, a curve, which is what Tom Gordon had. Why not give "Tom Gordon?" a whirl? ... after he gets detonated in April, of course.
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Q. Is it possible to run five lefties? Four? Can you go with even three?
A. Tracy Ringolsby does a great little piece right here that helps us with the heavy lifting. Yes, there have been playoff contenders that ran 5 lefties together for long stretches. Recent contenders.
....
(The Mariners' depth chart gives 1) Marco 2) Leake 3) Felix 4) LeBlanc 5) Elias 6) Justus Sheffield, the #1 org... Read More
Dipoto-watching: used to be "crazy." Now it's I dunno what.
Posted by jemanji on 01/02/19
Posted to blog
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You say yes, I say noYou say stop and I say go go go, oh noYou say goodbye and I say helloHello helloI don't know why you say goodbye, I say helloHello helloI don't know why you say goodbye, I say helloI say high, you say lowYou say why and I say I don't know, oh noYou say goodbye and I say hello(Hello goodbye hello goodbye) Hello hello(Hello goodbye) I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello(Hello goodbye hello goodbye) Hello hello(Hello goodbye) I don't know why you say goodbye(Hello goodbye) I say hello/goodbyeWhy why why why why why do you say goodbye goodbye, oh no?You say goodbye... Read More
Details still emerging.
Posted by misterjonez on 01/01/19
So it sounds like the Mariners and free agent pitcher Yusei Kikuchi have agreed to a 4 year deal. Sounds like an AMAZING contract, too: 3 years guaranteed with mutual options represented as a fourth year player option or, if the team exercises their end instead, a fourth-seventh year team option. So it's either a 3 year deal where both sides decline, a 4 year deal where the team declines but the player exercises, or a seven year deal where the team exercises. Beautiful, BEAUTIFUL contract structure which I HOPE serves as a model for upcoming mid- and top-shelf contracts rather than the player... Read More