December 2016
SSI with yet another pleasant Saturday surprise
Posted by jemanji on 12/30/16
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You know that desperate feeling you get, when you are ransacking all the cupboards looking for painkillers, then cough syrup, then aerosol cans, and have to settle for ... well, no, you don't know that feeling. You're a Seattle Sports Insider denizen, not a feature writer at thedailykos. But Dr. D kind of knows the feeling, analogously, because he just scoured the entire blogosphere for linkage. Unless the esteemed Denizen wants an article about how Scott Servais is looking forward to sitting down and getting to know Jean Segura, we got nothin'.
You and I, amigo, have a quota of 10... Read More
You know you've arrived when this shtick can't make yer traveling squad
Posted by jemanji on 12/30/16
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Here y'go amig-O. Culled for your convenience. As y'know, we live to serve. The VERY FIRST QUESTION to Jeffrey Todd made the cut, though the answer did not:
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Sammyjw
2:18
Any news on the Mariners trying to add starting pitching?
Jeffrey Todd
2:18
Nothing really new on that front. Except they are still looking for value. I still like the match with Hammel.
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Looking for value. If you have the SLIGHTEST idea what that means, other than "We're not in for Quintana," please advise.
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Aidan
2:22
If Harper has another down year in 2017, do you still think he'd be in line for a huge... Read More
but at least he'll be really expensive
Posted by jemanji on 12/29/16
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Two posts today, one filed under "The Least of Our Worries" and the other one not. We'll leave you to decide which is which?
There is literature out there which repays nicely a careful re-reading ... To Kill a Mockingbird, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Dune, Jeff Sullivan on Edwin Diaz. This August 2016 fangraphs post is chock-full of infotainment. His chart below
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Has contact rate (on pitches within the strike zone) up-to-down; Diaz' is lowest. It has "challenge the hitter" left to right; Diaz challenges the most. If you wondered why Diaz "feels" so guaranteed, that's why... Read More
49 days till the KKKKarnivore reports. drooool
Posted by jemanji on 12/29/16
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Bill James was good enough to answer a question about KKKarns. Here's the link to the Hey Bill. The full Q and A was on Dec. 29th and the 25 most recent questions are always in front of the paywall.
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Karns' 75-pitch "drop your release point" syndrome was important enough that the M's TV crew, driven by their stats department, emphasized it a lot. As did Servais.
James himself put an asterisk in front of his answer, well, I'd have to know a lot more. But the essence of his reaction was "be careful about magic numbers" like 75-pitch threshholds. This has always made sense to me too... Read More
here's the deal-io
Posted by jemanji on 12/27/16
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Of course, we'd rather have Chris Archer in 2017 than take Jason Hammel. We'd rather have Drew Smyly, for that matter. But! supposing it is either Jason Hammel in the 4 slot with KKKarns 5, or it is to be Karns-Miranda and no Jason Hammel. Which way should M's fans root?
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LOOK OUT, Dept.
Here is an LL post with the subtle headline "Why Isn't Jason Hammel a Mariner"! Nestled within ye shall find the following points of order, among others:
1) He has thrown three seasons in a row with 160 innings
2) The objections to him aren't ironclad
3) Fangraphs says to get him
4) It's easy to see... Read More
that is Hammel's wife, so show some respect you mooks
Posted by jemanji on 12/27/16
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MECHANICS and SPORTS MOTION
Personally, I enjoy very much the chance to watch Jason Hammel throw a baseball. He reminds me of my childhood hero Len Barker -- gathers his hip nice and high, as though he were a Roman archer lurking behind a peripet. Oozes confidence. Uncoils down the centerline powerfully and smoothly. It's just pretty to watch.
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R/X
If the Mariners were REALLY going to be able to:
(1) Talk Hammel into a 1-year deal for $12-14M,
(2) Talk to him sweet in May and June, skip a turn in the rotation now and then, and
(3) Deal for a rent-an-ace to replace him when his arm... Read More
pictured below: the alternative to O'Neill, Lewis, Gohara and Edgar
Posted by jemanji on 12/26/16
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I/O: Last week, HBT did an All-Time Mariners Team.
CRUNCH: Two of the greatest losses in baseball "history" -- for the purposes of this article -- were Randy Johnson and Alex Rodriguez. Dr. D will not take this opportunity to write his 9,007th jeremiad on the Big Unit. But never underestimate the attritive power of a front office that feels its fans are lucky to have a team at all.
Also: note that the "Mount Rushmore" 25 deep includes --- > Felix, Seager, Tom Wilhelmsen (?!) and the current hitting coach. Hey, just driving by here with a wave, do any of YOU guys have any GUESSES as... Read More
extra points for stride "extension" there, Mitch
Posted by jemanji on 12/26/16
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8 Comments
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This Dec. 22 Hardball Times article is cool for its --- > depiction of the way that ML coaches and players are reacting to 2017 data.
Kevin Keirmayer, for example, draws swooooooons at BJOL for his defensive prowess; the numbers love him but "I don't love them back," says Keirmayer. No, wait. That was Pillar with that exact quote. All of the managers and players say the same thing, though: they know what UZR is, they follow it, are well aware that (fangraphs) WAR is driven by UZR. But wayyyy too often it contradicts what they know to be true. As Bill James said, "If your defensive... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 12/24/16
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Among the things I'm thankful for, that intersect with our online Mariners bleacher section, anyway :- )
1) Our 2016 Poster of the Year, Moe Dog.
2) Our 2016 Poster Period, DaddyO.
3) Each and every one of the Denizens. As a completely separate issue, do you realize that since SSI started, we have not had to draw our magical sword on a single Troll? My suspicion is that the trolls fear the Denizens more than they do the moderator.
4) Our incoming TOR starter (citation needed).
5) Jean Segura, who gives the Mariners one of yer all time around-the-horn infields. If they put Nelson Cruz at... Read More
winter baseball chat: the epitome of self-aware hobby horsing
Posted by jemanji on 12/24/16
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Scout.com just put up a "spotlight" on Andrew Moore, who is not on the 40-man roster, but who WAS on Jerry Dipoto's list of 10 pitchers who could start in Safeco tomorrow. Naturally, that was eight Dipoto pitchers ago, so Moore's chances of a Day 4 start have dwindled.
Moore has a 176:33 control ratio in 202 minor league innings... as did John Halama, Ken Cloude and a bunch of guys. Still, there is something about the shorty Moore's profile that reminds Dr. D of Scott Bankhead ... no sooner had he made this connection, than he proceeded to listen to this ecstatic claim that Moore "just... Read More
one more piece in Dipoto's bimonthly subscrip to "Tweener OF" chess set
Posted by jemanji on 12/24/16
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Would be oh-so-easy to dismiss him with a contemptuous wave of the hand. More interesting is to credit Dipoto with a bit of savvy, and try to guess at what he's thinking. The guesses start with "stash him deeeeep behind Guillermo Heredia and hope that your Tacoma coaches can activate his Mitch Haniger lobe."
Waldrop had a weak year in his first attempt at AAA, age 24. Going INTO last year's weak season, BaseballHQ had said:
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Made MLB debut in 2015 despite sideways results. Has only showed glipses of raw power against live pitching. Length in swing was exposed by advanced pitching. ... Read More
Some Holiday Fun
Posted by DaddyO on 12/24/16
12 Comments
Merry Christmas to Doc and the faithful 39 at SSI!
This morning, Christmas Eve, I happened upon a factoid that startled me:
I am winding down a 4-year project playing out the entire 1966 MLB schedule using Diamond Mind Baseball, every game for every team. It helps me relive my roots as a young baseball fan. I just completed all games for September 16th, and looking over my replay batting leaders in the American League I decided to pull up the Wiki page of Tigers star infielder Dick McAuliffe, and reading it I encountered the incredible factoid.
McAuliffe In 1968, playing for the World... Read More
is it just me, or does he remind you of Ndamakong Suh
Posted by jemanji on 12/22/16
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6 Comments
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The deal was actually for 3 x $20M, and then a 4th year at $5M (cut) or $25M (makes club). We will call that the equivalent of 3/$21M and then a 4th year at $2M/$25M. Which is dead-on exactly what Fangraphs' crowd estimated, and dead-on exactly what Dave Cameron the FG editor estimated -- except for one thing. Encarnacion got only 3 years instead of 4, a big win for Cleveland. Which incidentally moved ahead of Boston, on paper, as the AL favorite next year.
Minor observation: if Jean Segura had "signed" for only 2 years, that would be taken as a huge win for the Mariners. Of course he... Read More
son, wait here while I put your mom through that thing
Posted by jemanji on 12/22/16
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Dipoto said something interesting on Mariners.org:
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"With trades, you're acquiring players that fit your roster," he said. "It gives you the ability to fit a puzzle piece in with some degree of precision, because you identify the pieces and move forward. With free agents, you're in the market competing with 29 other teams. You have to fit the puzzle piece, but also sell your team, stadium, manager, city, the money. Each step gets more complicated."
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MORE precision in trades? Than just going shopping for exactly the player you want?
Well, yeah. It sounds counterintuitive. But this has... Read More
specialty tools are annoying ... until you need them
Posted by jemanji on 12/22/16
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We've been talking about the M's bullpen, who goes behind Edwin Diaz and all that jiazz. One guy who definitely is in there, 8th inning, is Mark Rzepczynski. At his salary he takes the new Charlie Furbush role. End of story. No matter if he pitches good or pitches bad, he's in there for the 7th and 8th. Well, within reason it's no matter whether he does good.
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PLAYING THE "Z" ON A TRIPLE LETTER
PITCHER A - $1,600,000 for 2016 - Charlie Furbush salary (11 strikeouts, 2 walks per 9 innings, .139 AVG vs RIGHT hand hitters in 2015)
PITCHER B - $10,000,000 for two years TO CLOSE GAMES!!,... Read More
chew on THAT, low minors
Posted by jemanji on 12/20/16
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6 Comments
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What would be cool, would be if the Mariners had three Edwin Diazes, two right and one left. Hey, it could happen. It did that one year when we had two different 15-game winning streaks.
But failing that, and assuming that Jerry Dipoto is not crazy about the idea of spending $1xx,yyy,zzz.00 on a second Edwin Diaz, we're left arguing about where the 8th inning stands. Tony Zych doesn't count because he just had a surgery that Dr. D has never heard of.
So the 8th inning depth chart, at least in SSI's virtual universe, is:
(1) Steve Cishek - sighhhh - nominally serviceable if targeted... Read More
the balls don't always fall in, but the bat always does
Posted by jemanji on 12/19/16
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1 Comments
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Bat571 sez,
If you want to edit these comments into a main article, feel free.
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As y'know, we live to serve...
... ourselves, that is. Who is Dr. D to pass up a driveby post like this. mwahaha Console yerselves in the Editor's Choice benefit crumbs that we pacify the masses with. ... No, seriously, when a comments section is as provocative as this one was, it becomes an interesting sub-topic.
Eliminating the easy variables first:
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I like the immigration paperwork on E. Encarnacion far better than Joey Bats. - Billy Zoom
IFF you're going out to get one more big bat, I'd rather they... Read More
not ALL baseball players are pacifists
Posted by jemanji on 12/19/16
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1 Comments
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Jason Churchill had an interesting take on Thyago Vieira, that he is likely to start at AA "and move quickly" if he fulfills certain conditions. The Mariners have been prone to this idea before...
Ryan Divish wrote Vieira up a couple of days ago and the quotes are can't-miss stuff. I especially liked the ones to the effect that Vieira pitches "violently":
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“It’s intimidating,” said catcher Tyler Marlette. “He’s a really big dude and he gives it his all and he’s coming at you with every pitch. It’s very violent. It’s very nerve-racking for hitters. I think that’s what makes him so... Read More
chix dig the downhill shtix
Posted by jemanji on 12/17/16
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17 Comments
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Baseball Prospectus' top 10 Mariners prospect list is out, and I'll give it to you straight. There's no point in beating around the bush. Tyler O'Neill and Kyle Lewis are #1 and #1a. So sorry you had to get that from SSI.
A consensus has also jelled, on seven continents, that Luis "CC Sabathia" Gohara is #3. But as to who is #4 ... at SSI we'd have had Mitch Haniger there, or a few amigos would have Dan Vogelbach, and one guy has Ben Gamel, and who knows what G-Moneyball would put #4. Our supplemental pick next year, probably.
Baseball Prospectus went with ... wait for it ... Max Povse... Read More
and what's wrong with Encarnacion for LF
Posted by jemanji on 12/17/16
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It warms Dr. D's heart to see that the beat writers are flailing wildly down the home stretch to keep up with SSI's wisdom. Here, in Big Bad Bob's article on Jose Bautista, he acknowledges the inevitable:
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... Here’s the necessary disclaimer: There’s been little, if any, indication from the Mariners that they are interested in such a move. No whispers last week at the Winter Meetings near Washington, D.C. Nothing.
But Kansas City general manager Dayton Moore once said the trades and free-agent signings that actually happen are usually the ones you don’t hear about until the last minute. ... Read More
yes way, jose
Posted by jemanji on 12/15/16
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40 Comments
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Q. Do you rate Jose Quintana higher or lower than the rest of the world does?
A. If the rest of the world rates him a Grade A starter, signed cheap for 4 more years, then about the same. There's a real shortage of Opening Day starters throwing for Seth Smith money.
Hard to imagine a lot of pitchers who are a better bet to get 20 WAR the next four years. This guy's floor is way up there. Well, maybe he's a little scrunchy on the delivery compared to a loosy-goosy tall left hand horse like James Paxton.
... kidding. But the number one factor in reliability (REL) is whether you've shown... Read More
the weekly wonk, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 12/15/16
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9 Comments
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With a donut-box full of Stars pastry one cubicle to your left, here is a complementary (and complimentary, too) carafe of Scrubs java to go with.
... Hardball Times just put up a very wonk-able study on minor league power and how it translates to MLB power. CLICK THIS LINK. Exec Sum: you can probably be more confident than you thought you could, if you want to use a player's AAA or AA fly ball distance --- > project big league homers out of it.
In particular, guys in AA (double-AA, not triple-AAA) who could hit the ball out of an airport's chain link perimeter have been turning out... Read More
in other news, Jean Segura doesn't have to SLG .500 for us
Posted by jemanji on 12/14/16
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... or so Dipoto told this youngster at LL. Eminently readable fanpost after Dipoto chatted with an LL fan at a mall appearance. Apparently JeDi never got to that age where you morph from the LL-aged "jumping at any sound coming from your phone" mode into the SSI-aged "screen the call through slits in your fingers" mode.
And do not doubt the fact that we Denizens are grateful. Jack Zduriencik used to treat the Rainiers' depth chart as if it were a Russian hack target; Jerry Dipoto laughs "the Red Sox aren't trading Pomeranz to us" to random fans at the mall. Also:
(2) Segura bats #1,... Read More
whoa, I think we drove the green on that one, lads
Posted by jemanji on 12/14/16
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1 Comments
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Blengino's paradigm is to cut up the batted-ball pie into fifteen great-gramma sized slices. From there, he filters out "noise" to photograph a phantom-like image of who a batter 'really' was.
It's a worthy paradigm, keeping in mind that --- > (1) the paradigm BEGINS, AFTER we have left the strike zone in the rear view mirror, and (2) what a player does next year (or the year before) is not captured. Ron Shandler's trendline focus need not apply.
But still. The ghost picture resolves on camera, and it likes the look of Danny Valencia's bat. CLICK THIS FANGRAPHS LINK
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Points of... Read More
Dr. D isn't sure the Denizens are going to like the price on Jose Quintana
Posted by jemanji on 12/13/16
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13 Comments
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Jerry Dipoto's terse comment this week: "Our current team needs are starting pitching."
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Q. The Mariners were connected to the Reds yesterday. Is Dr. D higher or lower on the Reds' starters?
A. Anthony DeSclafani is one of those guys who looks so good on paper, right now, that --- > you figure if you are "seeing" him correctly, then his trade value is going to be Brad Miller, Logan Morrison and a ten-strikeout setup man. The GM's and top scouts understand the potential of a Nate KKKarns long before we do. So, we will see.
The only quibbles I can even imagine with Nate KKKarns are... Read More
If you have to ask the price of an F-35, you can't afford it
Posted by jemanji on 12/13/16
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5 Comments
That sparkling tweet nicked off @BillJames. He's a pretty funny guy in Tweet mode.
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JEAN SEGURA
Dipoto has a video up on the M's website. Well, it's a figure of speech, but still. His opinion of Segura is interesting here ... he had Segura in Anaheim before the 2012-13 trade. (That means the Terminator has detailed files, LrKrBoi29.) 2014-15 taught Segura how tough the game is, both emotionally and on the field technically. 2016 was the result of Jean Segura evolving and finding his true self.
Which would be okay with me. I'm willing.
Stat of the day: Segura slugged .499 last season... Read More
Some rumors and rumblings.. Drew Smyly?!
Posted by Taro on 12/12/16
5 Comments
#Mariners have been in contact with #Rays and #Reds recently in an effort to acquire a starting pitcher. -via Jon Morosi on twitter
Hard to say who the Ms might want from the Reds, but MLB Trade Rumors speculates Anthony DeSclafani or Dan Straily. Personally would be nervous about an NL MOR starter moving over to the AL.
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More interestingly though from a Marc Topkin article (Tampa Bay Times):
Though they talked plenty about Archer, the Rays put sooooo much value in the combination of his skills, upside and contract (five years of control for $38.5 million) that there doesn't seem to be any... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 12/09/16
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Taro's article, a cubicle or two to your right on the virtual 71st floor that is Seattle Sports Insider, puts the problem in Zen-simple relief:
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$60 ~ $90 Million: "Theoretical" Cost of what the Cubs PAID for 3 months of Chapman's services.
$80 ~ $110 Million: "Theoretical" Cost of what the Indians PAID for 1.5 years of Miller's services.
$86 Million: ACTUAL Cost of Chapman's services for 5 YEARS. Paid by the Yankees in Free Agency.
Why are Chapman and Jansen getting sub $100MIL offers when you can recoup that value in trade at any point in time during the duration of their contracts?
.... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 12/09/16
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At Hey Bill there is a detailed answer to the question of "Why do a PTBNL? Why not just name a player?" The answer is in front of the paywall, so go check it out. The Exec Sum:
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(1) The teams DO name a player, and send it in to the Commissioner's office. If there's a later dispute, then the PTBNL will be this player.
(1b) But teams make a good-faith effort to leave the other team happy in PTBNL situations. Due to "small-town business ethics" that Bill describes neatly.
(2) Often you're giving the other team a player ... later. But you need to use him for a little while first. (Not... Read More
Record contract for closers is actually a market inefficiency?
Posted by Taro on 12/09/16
15 Comments
7/25/16: Yankees send Aroldis Chapman from New York to Chicago in exchange for Gleyber Torres, Adam Warren, Billy McKinney and Rashad Crawford.
$60 ~ 90 Million: The suplus value of the package of prospects. Gleyber Torres alone was more highly considered than any M's prospect.
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7/31/16: Indians acquire Andrew Miller from the Yankees in exchange for Clint Frazier, Justus Sheffield, Ben Heller and J.P. Feyereisen.
$80~$110 Million: The surplus value of the prospects. Frazier alone, also more highly rated than any M's prospect currently.
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12/8/16: Aroldis Chapman and the Yankees agree on... Read More
mmmmmm, Hot Stove shtick
Posted by jemanji on 12/09/16
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9 Comments
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Q. Do the M's have an Addison Russell to trade away for Jake Odorizzi?
A. Don't need one.
We always refer back to the M's deal for Cliff Lee, which required Tyson Gilles, Phillippe Aumont and J.C. Ramirez. You could line up many such trades. The sportswriters speak in terms of glamor names, but half of the superstar deals turn out to be for low-minors guys that fans don't recognize.
Just this last week a Times beat writer flatly stated that the M's cannot compete fpr Quintana. He was -- what's the term -- taps chin -- ahhhh, mistaken. If you do something for a living, you should... Read More
mmmmmm got any crushed red pepper? Maybe in the 9th inning?
Posted by jemanji on 12/08/16
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17 Comments
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Dr. D loves spaghetti, for realz. If he had to eat it five times a week, from now on, he'd be great. Once per week he would demand spicy Italian sausage therewith, as they do at Olive Garden. :: slurp ::
He is also very comfortable with spaghetti against the wall in the lineup ... assuming, obviously, that he already HAS four 7 RC/27 players in the bank. He'd have been fine with pasta after the 3-4-5 hitters the 1927 Yankees had. Some things are just sabermetrically beyond inquiry.
Also, Dr. D is fine with rotation spaghetti against the wall after he's got James Paxton. He's fine with... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 12/07/16
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6 Comments
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Never saw him pitch. Ten minutes' research. Cheap at twice the price; refunds at 1-800-ELLISON
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Here is a vid of the 9th in his 2015 no-hitter. Here is a signature 77 MPH slider to Jose Altuve. And here is a series of pitches on a good day:
Pitch 1 = changeup down-in to LH, which pitch is Bizarro World and which Heston seems to enjoy
Pitch 2 = "burner" fastball at 91 MPH, looks like 88, but on the black
Pitch 3 = Nintendo slider, this one he must have snagged the laces open with his fingernail
Pitch 4 = overhand change curve
Pitch 5 = Low-away change with nice bite
Pitch 6 = MLB must... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 12/07/16
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3 Comments
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This space available for rent
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Ryan Divish is doing a good chat today. As he sees it, the Mariners will deal for a #3 SP which --- > leaves Karns, Miranda, Heston, and Whalen competing for the #5 SP slot. The idea is that KKKKarns will get serious about pitch efficiency if his job depends on it.
As we all know, a baseball team uses 12 starters during a season, not 5. It will have 8 guys getting double-digits games started. So Heston will be in there. More on him in a few minutes.
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Another takeaway from Divish' chat ... you have to filter Divish' personal preferences, and you... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 12/07/16
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2 Comments
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So there have been some Mariners fans, offsite we're sure, who want to know about the possibility of dealing Seth Smith and Jesus Sucre for a 17-game winner. Bill James' analysis today --- > speaks to that indirectly.
VERY indirectly, as it pertains to Seth Smith. If you get what I mean.
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Comments on the Sale trade? I don't know much about the minor leaguers Chicago got back. As a White Sox fan, I hated the idea of trading a Top 5 starting pitcher who is still young and on a good contract. Bill, without getting yourself in trouble, what can you say about this deal?
Asked by: Jeff... Read More
Unfortunately the results are not similar
Posted by jschario on 12/06/16
As we try to withstand the dropping December temperatures, and after the selection committee has selected their field of four for the College Football Playoff, we wait. Chris Petersen's Huskies did their thing on the gridiron, and now we have to wait until the end of the month to see how they stack up against the the evil empire Nick Saban has built in Tuscaloosa at the University of Alabama.
However, just a few steps from Husky Stadium Lorenzo Romar's Huskies are getting started on the hardwood. Unfortunately they do not have any Jake Browning equivilents that might carry them into the NCAA... Read More
now THAT's what I call flexibility of mind ... ummm
Posted by jemanji on 12/06/16
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13 Comments
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The first baseball site I hit, other than youse' guys Think Tank and BJOL, is the Mariners' own site. Greg Johns has good judgment. He's got several interesting articles up. One of them was:
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MARK TRUMBO
Here is the link. As Johns points out, Dipoto has two GM gigs on his resume and he has shed Mark Trumbo as many times. And as you know, this roster has no use for has little need for Mark Trumbo. Therefore, Dipoto believes that Trumbo has leaped a major plateau, that Mark Trumbo is now a much better hitter than he used to be.
Here's the kicker: Trumbo is looking at a 4-year deal! ... Read More
Need 'em both. But how do you keep 'em straight?
Posted by jemanji on 12/06/16
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15 Comments
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So Dipoto ran on a "run prevention model," more "athleticism in Safeco" and all the rest of it. Once he took office, he Twittered the M's into the #2 offense in the American League:
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Batter
Runs Created per 27 Outs
Remark
Segura,ss
7.1
lf
Cano, 2b
6.5
Cruz, dh/rf
7.1
and it was 8.0 the year before
Seager, 3b
6.2
1b
rf
4.9
Trade bait sez they
c
5.5
don't count on a repeat, but he's got upside
cf
With the two good-looking kids, Gamel and Haniger, vying for the two slot. Heredia, Ruiz C and the SS (couldn't be Freeman, could it?) being the bench.
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COHERENCY AND OPPORTUNITY
Dr.... Read More
good soldier, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 12/06/16
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4 Comments
Mojician sez,
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What Grizz said. The Sawx gave up "Robinson Cano but faster" and the 105 mph kid, plus two other guys. The Rays will think that they need to be paid like that too. Of course the Rays aren't trading three years of Chris Sale.
I'm willing to part with Tank for a new pitcher. I'm guessing that JeDi is too, based on his statement that Tyler O'Neil is so good his service time needs to be protected. That smacks of a JeDi mind trick meant to manipulate simpleminded GM's.
The Mariners need to make the post season worse than they need a good future left fielder. Make a trade... Read More
Mantis! You need more suddenness
Posted by jemanji on 12/06/16
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23 Comments
Originally published 11/23/16. There are a lot of Denizens with beatific looks on their faces about this player. Here are those media links again for your enjoyment. Comments section is also well worth a re-read. :- )
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Q. What is the difference between Ackley-Smoak-Montero, versus Vogelbach-Haniger-Gamel?
A. About 8 or 9 OPS points in their final pre-MLB seasons?
No, actually, it's amusing that Dipoto now has his own trifecta of AAA POY noodles to throw against the wall. They lack the class-A ball pedigrees, but also lack the Michael Pineda-esque price tags attached. Jack Zduriencik... Read More
Looking for his lost shaker of Safeco
Posted by moethedog on 12/06/16
20 Comments
There are some clear signs out there in the Rumor-Net that Tampa Bay is actively fielding offers for Chris Archer. There is also some indication that Jake Odorizzi could be had, for the right offer. To this I say, let's free him from the land of beaches, bikinis and Buffett and bring him this way!
If you've not watched some Odorizzi video, here you go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beRpPc7AMQU
The guy brings a Simple Simon old-school motion to the mound and basically duplicates the performance of our man Jimmy Paxton. Paxton has a career line that is 1.28 WHIP, 8.7 H/9, 2.8 BB/9 8 K/9... Read More
Or maybe it's the offensive line
Posted by jschario on 12/05/16
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That was the performance the Seattle Seahawks had been looking for out of their running backs all year long. Sunday we saw a running back run the rock in the quintessential Seahawk style that we got used to with Marshawn Lynch in the back field.
Thomas Rawls ran with purpose, and looked as good and healthy as he has all season. He sought contact, gained yards after his first hit and was as agile as he was before his broken ankle suffered last year against the Ravens. Looking back, it is almost shameful that Pete Carroll and the rest of his staff would try to pull the wool over our eyes and... Read More
Posted by jschario on 12/04/16
As soon as you begin to savor the first Husky Pac-12 championship since 2000, you have to turn around and start worrying about their next opponent. You can barely celebrate because the Alabama Crimson Tide are that good. They have been that good, Crimson Tide freshman arrive on campus in Tuscaloosa expecting a National Championship as if it was their birthright.
Another challenge posed by playing 'Bama in the Chik-Fil-A Peach Bowl is that the Crimson Tide will essentially have home field advantage. That's because the Peach Bowl is played in Atlanta, which isn't even a three hour drive from... Read More
One point never felt so sweet
Posted by jschario on 12/04/16
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OOOOOWWEEEEE!!! Sergio Ramos to the rescue again.
The new el capitán, (can we call him that now?) earned his band in this one. You wonder how he could earn more in endorsements from one sponsor than many players in the league earn in total salary. Well, it's with goals like the one he scored in the latest Clásico today.
It looked like Barcelona was about to make the La Liga race tighten up a bit with a hard fought three points. Ramos however, who maximizes his talent based on sheer competitiveness the most of any player in Spain, kept the race as tight as when they arrived in Barcelona. With... Read More
Posted by jschario on 12/02/16
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This game had to be circled on the calendar for the Seahawks at the beginning of the year. After all, the Panthers last year in a way took the Seahawks' throne as darlings of the NFC with a 15-1 record, Cam Newton seemed to have displaced Russell Wilson as the young quarterback du jour with his play and radiant smile; oh, and the Panthers beat the Seahawks twice last year.
The first time was early in the regular season, and it drove Seattle into a state of deep crisis as Greg Olsen hauled in a Cam Newton pass for the winning touchdown with little time remaining. Then in the NFC Divisional... Read More
some irrational fears are more rational than we realize
Posted by jemanji on 12/02/16
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BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT (BLUF), Dept.
There are certain fears that are totally irrational, except for the fact that they are hard-wired into our neural nets. Clowns make us nervous because we know that they're about to do something objectionable and we know the smile is fake. Dolls can be creepy because our peripheral vision* processes them as babies but they're dead. ... with their eyes open ...
Mark Rzepcynski isn't an SSI fave because liking somebody for his handedeness is bigoted, and liking somebody for their "establishment" history is comparable to liking mosquitoes for living in a... Read More
Diaz, the QO, Andrew McCutchen, various & sundry
Posted by jemanji on 12/02/16
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King Corran Sez,
I'm more interested in watching JeDi at work than trying to generate my own roster ideas. (Not that I've completely stopped the latter, you understand - just a shifting of priorities). If you know me at all, that probably shocks you.
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Half the time that's how I feel about it too. Rather than pleading for the family doctor to see reason, as with Bavasi and Zduriencik at times, we've got a doctor whose every word is instructive. How sweet it is. As Denizens we're livin' the dream.
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KONSPIRACY KORNER
Here is the SSI index to all KK's of the last coupla years. The... Read More
the paranormal studied scientifically? Careful what you wish for
Posted by jemanji on 12/02/16
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When you're typing fast, you don't have time to mix in all the caveats, cautions and quid pro quo's. This leaves you wide open to people who know what they're talking about:
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You've mentioned in previous Konspiracy Korners about Rupert Sheldrake and idea of a legitimate 6th sense. Extending ki, long body, collective conciousness, perhaps these are all concepts describing different parts of the same elephant. I don't think it's mumbo-jumbo. We should entertain ideas until difinitively proven incorrect. It's no slight to give credence to an idea that someone else thinks is impossible. That'... Read More
not pictured: Schumer and McConnell arguing Cabinet confirmations
Posted by jemanji on 12/02/16
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PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
We've been talking about restoring the "persistent" Shout Box, and adding a forum, and the admins are talking to the programmers about it. As we've said several times, Klat's first priority has to be their tech innovations, but a very close second is their desire to maintain happy customers ... even at $0.00 per month subscription rate ;- )
Will keep you posted. The Shout Box hasn't been my *personal* favorite, but it is for most Denizens, so we'll see what the Shot-Callers go with. From my point of view the quality of the conversation has been more... Read More
more aiki-waza. Blame Nathan for this one!
Posted by jemanji on 12/01/16
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Nathan sez, in response to Dr. Detecto's psychobabble shtick,
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Questions For Doc But Any Of Ya'll Can Chime In
...Segura is a socially-awkward, rather shy person when he's in unfamiliar settings. ... Such people can do better-than-expected when comfortable and worse-than-expected when unappreciated. [Dr D]
Doc, this comment struck me because it describes myself to a T and I had never made the better-than-expected vs. worse-than-expected connection in my own life. From where did you glean the insight to be able to generalize this info? Experience? Suuuuper curious.... [Next subject... Read More
not pictured: any UFC fight ever recorded
Posted by jemanji on 12/01/16
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Let the pitch arrive at its own pace, and be there to greet it [Dr D][claiming credit for O Sensei's teachings, but don't tell anybody]
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I recently listened to a podcast interviewing Steven Kotler from the Flow Genome Project. It strikes me that this quote lends itself to a mindset that would allow an individual to more easily fall into "the zone" which just might be one of the more important and understudied(?) skillsets that might be able to be cultivated delibrately.
How many other koans do you know that might provoke an individual's mindset toward being 'in the zone?' Is it possible... Read More
Thursday morning Tazoberry, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 12/01/16
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BPJ sez,
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This site desperately needs a forum. It's my favorite site to read and comment, but the Shoutbox doesn't appear to be effective and the topics that get comments die down because they slide down the page.
If SSI had a forum where we could read/post thread topics, you couldn't drag me outta here.
All these comments going on an Aiki Mechanics thread because it's just the easiest way to find new comments, for example..
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Forwarded, amigo. As y'know, (1) Dr. Detecto live to serve and (2) he just serves here. Though he loves comments threads, he sympathizes with y'all's longing for... Read More