JUSTgottaBELIEVE

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Nov 12, 2014 -> 12:23 PM) And that's a moronic, short-term outlook on the situation. Frankly, i'm not even sure the Bulls wanted him back. He wasn't going to help them beat the Heat and you're risking him getting hurt again. Can you imagine the uproar if he was hurt by being rushed back too quickly? Oh wait, no, i'm sure fans would be happy because he "gave it is all" and "put the team and franchise before his personal health and future" right? His career ending by a dumb move like that surely would be forgiven because what grit that guy showed! haha ok. Again, by all accounts he was healthy. How was he at a greater risk of getting hurt by playing last spring then he was last summer playing for Team USA? He was training, conditioning, practicing for the better part of the winter and you are telling me he was rushed back too quickly? What's your basis for that statement?

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Nov 12, 2014 -> 12:16 PM) Because as has been shown twice now, when you come back from knee surgeries and play, you can't just magically be All-NBA/MVP caliber from the start? You really want his first game action to be playoff basketball? If he was healthy, which by all accounts he was, then yes

How can someone defend a quote like this? "When I sit out it's not because of this year. I'm thinking about long term. I'm thinking about after I'm done with basketball." He didn't say he's sitting out because he has a sprained ankle and wants to get healthy for the rest of the season/playoffs. He wants to get healthy for when he's done with basketball. LOL. Or this... "Having graduations to go to, having meetings to go to, I don't want to be in my meetings all sore." What?

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Nov 12, 2014 -> 12:03 PM) Based on being held out (supposedly not his choice) for rolling two ankles, one of which we all saw on national TV? When else has he refused to play because of some small, but nagging injury? This dumb narrative that he doesn't play through pain/injury came out of nowhere. It's not based on any fact. He's injury prone. That's a fact. He's not a whimp who refuses to play through injuries. That's not a fact. And again, this is the cautious approach we and the media ALL WANTED the last 2 years. And yet here we are saying how terrible it is. This isn't something new. This didn't come out of nowhere. Why didn't he play last year in the playoffs after being medically cleared?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 12, 2014 -> 11:52 AM) To some extent, he is paid to put up with that stuff. That is why the guy is making $95 million over the course of the contract. There is a bigger burden put on to your star players. No one made him sign the contract. ^This. No sympathy here whatsoever

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Nov 12, 2014 -> 11:38 AM) This just goes back to holding professional athletes to some higher, near-impossible standard. And then people can complain when he doesn't reach that standard. Or complain when he's not open/honest enough. Seriously, the kid can't win. There are some things that shouldn't be said. If he has these feelings, they should be kept to himself. He's playing basketball, not football. This isn't a contact-based sport like football where concussions, spinal cord injuries, etc. are prevalent. Not to downplay a knee injury, but what's the worst that can happen? He tears his ACL again and requires surgery or needs a knee replacement later in life? Even if that happens, he will be able to walk again in 15 years. Yes he might be sore, but show me one person at the age of 40+ that isn't sore or aching in some way. I'm talking about the average human being, not just pro athletes. His statement comes off as extremely selfish. It's all about him. Fans don't want to hear that "honesty." He should have said I'm thinking about this long-term, playoffs, coming years as a Bull, etc. and this whole thing wouldn't be a big deal. But when you say you are taking nights off from your job because you are worried about your health post-retirement, well that's a problem. You are getting paid good money to play. If you are healthy enough to play, you play. No athlete is ever 100% healthy in season. There is always some type of ailment. I fear he has gotten to the point where he is unwilling to play through an injury in fear of getting hurt. This is exactly what happened last year in the playoffs when he was cleared to play and decided not to anyway. This rubs so many people wrong on so many different levels. IMO, athletes have too much power in all of the major sports, particularly in NBA, MLB, and NHL due to guaranteed contracts. They can literally hold franchises hostage if they want to.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Oct 17, 2014 -> 07:39 AM) Crowell has the best chance at a TD. That's gonna be a 65/35 or so split in the Cleveland backfield and Jacksonville is terrible stopping the run I'm leaning towards Bush because Megatron is out again and I think Bush/Tate are their only real receiving threats this week. I assume the Saints will score some points so the Lions will have to either keep pace or play catch up

QUOTE (JUSTgottaBELIEVE @ Oct 16, 2014 -> 09:37 PM) Crowell, Bush, or Floyd at flex this week? Standard scoring. Little nervous about Bush coming off an injury and his general ineffectiveness this season, Floyd has been boom or bust, and Crowell seems to have the most upside playing against the Jags but I don't know if he will get enough touches. What do you think? Any help here???

Crowell, Bush, or Floyd at flex this week? Standard scoring. Little nervous about Bush coming off an injury and his general ineffectiveness this season, Floyd has been boom or bust, and Crowell seems to have the most upside playing against the Jags but I don't know if he will get enough touches. What do you think?

I went with crow. I'm super thin at RB right now after Demarco so hoping he steps up in a few weeks if Tate gets hurt again. I drafted a bunch of lower tier RB to try to fill RB2 hoping that one would emerge as a legit weekly play and they all have been mediocre at best (Vereen, TRich, CJ2K yuck)

Looking to add a deep sleeper at RB with big FUTURE upside. Who do I add? CJ anderson, storm johnson, or Crowell?

Foles vs NYG or Big Ben vs CLE?

QUOTE (JUSTgottaBELIEVE @ Aug 14, 2014 -> 12:34 PM) The Alex Gordon conversation has come full circle. This was my exact point when I stated that a LF's defensive ability should not swing a guy with Gordon's offensive numbers into the second highest WAR in MLB for the season, even if he is an elite defender. Frankly, LF defense just isn't that important, especially relative to positions up the middle (C, SS, 2B, and CF). If it was, you wouldn't find so many hacks playing LF. And the argument that they are bolstering their offense by putting a bad defender out there somewhat surprisingly isn't true either according to the average offensive statistics for AL LF posted by someone earlier in this thread. So it seems Gordon's WAR is inflated by 1. left fielders that as a whole can't play defense and 2. are putting up pedestrian offensive numbers. I know this conversation is dated, but I just now stumbled across this fangraphs article below. I guess I wasn't the only one questioning Gordon's true WAR value and I'd say I nailed it with the last two points in my previous post. I'd still take Abreu any day over Gordon even if he ended the season with a lower WAR. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/alex-gordon...-field-defense/

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Sep 23, 2014 -> 01:35 PM) There defense is still above average, imo. From a YPG perspective, sixth best in the league. Jets are 2nd in the league. Buffalo ranks 15th. All three teams we played are in top half of league defensively. I will caveat this by saying from a PPG perspective, it becomes a little more skewed with Buffalo being top 10 and Jets / 49ers ranking below. However, part of that is driven by 49er / Jet turnovers. Are we talking about the same "good" Jets defense that gave up 426 yards and 31 points to the Packers? They have a great run defense but average to slightly above average defense as a whole IMO. The Lions defense has actually looked much better than the Jets

QUOTE (Brian @ Sep 18, 2014 -> 08:51 AM) Can this week be the week where McCown starts feeding VJax? I'm playing him. If he doesn't produce this week I'm not sure you can count on him at any point the rest of the season. Third game with McCown, going to be playing from behind all game, favorable matchup, perfect weather (dome), and he torched them both games last year. So yea, if he turns in another 50 yard and 0 TD effort I won't be playing him the rest of the season unless he develops a rapport with McCown later in the year. I'm thinking he goes for 100+ yards and a TD but maybe I'm just being too optimistic

QUOTE (JUSTgottaBELIEVE @ Aug 8, 2014 -> 10:20 PM) Up to 37% now. He's going to make a run at Flowers' 38% this year. No walks in 19 ABs. He better slug .450+, otherwise I foresee Cubs' fans getting fed up with his act rather quickly. Even at .475, he's going to have a tough time posting an OPS of better than .800 because I don't see him putting together an OBP of greater than .325 (I'd say he's closer to .280-.300, at least for the next few years) Geez I guess I was being generous with the .280-.300 OBP. He's gonna be lucky to break .250 over the next few years, looking like big time bust potential. He has an awful approach at the plate.

QUOTE (DrunkBomber @ Aug 29, 2014 -> 01:22 PM) I ended up with Kaepernick Lacy, Vereen Marshall, Keenan Allen Gronk Crabtree Nick Novak Chiefs DST Pierre Thomas, Reggie Wayne, Freeman, Shorts, Mike Evans, Deangelo Williams Probably should have drafted a backup for Gronk but you only yolo once. That looks solid for a ppr. Hell it looks good for standard too. What do you think of my team above? Should I try upgrading any positions by trading away some rb depth?

QUOTE (scs787 @ Aug 28, 2014 -> 11:25 PM) If Vereen is the starter in NE (Pats beat writer is projecting Ridley to be cut, but I HIGHLY doubt that) Murray/Vereen isn't a bad RB tandem at all. To go back to the Brady discussion, the addition of Tim Wright could be huge for Brady. If they stay healthy, and Wright gets utilized like Hernandez, then a Gronk, Wright, Vereen, Edleman, LaFell etc. is a solid group to throw to....But then again health is of course a concern. so you're saying I have a chance?! haha

horrible draft. waited too long on the top RBs in an auction draft and ended up grabbing murray and a bunch of third tier RBs in hopes that a couple hit. and then later rounds missed my nomination turn and got stuck with yahoo defaulting a kicker and IDP leaving me with $5 on the table that I planned on spending towards another WR3/4 (guys like decker and sanders were still available, that hurts)... 10 team standard scoring, think I stand a chance? To me it's looking like a 6th/7th place type of team... QB - Foles RB - Murray RB - Bush/J. Bell WR - Jeffrey WR - Brown Flex - VJax TE - Davis DEF - SF Bench WR - Floyd RB - Richardson RB - Tate RB - CJ2K RB - Vereen

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Aug 13, 2014 -> 08:39 PM) Baez up and down roller coaster continues, at least he's entertaining to watch....coming at a time when Abreu's really going through an August funk. 900 OPS, 2 doubles and 4 HR's in 40 AB's, 13 K's....still no walks yet The Cubs would definitely be okay with a 30-35% strikeout percentage IF he can start taking some walks and maintain that XB rate. Baez K rate sits at 38.8% now, that's brutal. Still no walks in 49 AB. What's the record for most plate appearances to start a career without a walk? I'm guessing it might be over 100 but probably not by much. Alcantara meanwhile is now flirting with the Mendoza line. Looking overmatched at the plate.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Aug 14, 2014 -> 01:04 PM) I don't believe this has come full circle at all, and I do think defense in left field is important. Just because teams put bad defenders in left field does not mean you can not find a competitive advantage by putting a good defender in left field. The 2005 Sox outfield defense was much better and saved a lot of runs because they had a speedy guy who could cover a lot of ground in Podsednik out there. I fully believe the 2010 White Sox almost won 90 games partly due to Juan Pierre having gold glove range out there. A lot of balls get hit out to left field. The Royals are in first place in the AL Central and part of that reason is undoubtedly due to their defense, and Gordon provides great defense out there. I think saying that having good defense is not important is virtually the exact same thing as saying having good defense at 3B is not important. Of course it is, but if you're Robin Ventura right now, do you want to play a mediocre defender in Conor Gillaspie at 3B to get his bat in the lineup, or do you want to put Leury Garcia over there who, while playing much better defense, will also put up a .550 OPS? You are going to choose the bat. Frankly, I think good defense at every position is incredibly important, but beggars can't be choosers. There are only so many guys who are good to great defenders at all these positions but the number of guys who hit well is even less than that. Teams value good hitting more than they value good fielding because it's much more difficult to find. I never said defense isn't important, I just don't believe that LF defense is nearly as important as you are making it sound. To me, defense up the middle is very important particularly relative to the corner positions. There is no doubt that defense has played a large role in the Royals' success this year. They have an average offense, very good pitching (esp. bullpen), and great defense. However, I would argue that their record would be even better if they had average defense, very good pitching, and a great offense (i.e. 2013 Boston Red Sox).

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Aug 14, 2014 -> 12:30 PM) If we are referencing mental with regards to positioning, then it's still quite important. Most defensive positioning is dictated by the coaches or pre-game scouting reports. Let me put this another way. I bet I could name many more examples of a player displaying average defense and dramatically worse offensive numbers in a given year (by that given player's historical standard) than a player displaying average offense and dramatically worse defense in a given year. I.E. Chris Davis, De Aza, Viciedo, etc. Or on the flip side, more examples of a player displaying average defense and dramatically improved offense than a player displaying average offense and dramatically improved defense. Why is that? How do you explain the greater standard deviation in a guy's offensive numbers when compared to his defensive numbers? Why is defense relatively consistent when hitting is not? Did a guy change his entire swing from one year to next? Is he just getting unlucky for an entire season? Did he just forget how to hit? Most guys hat make it to the big leagues, have refined their mechanics to a point that minimal changes are made over the remaining course of their career. More often than not, it's between the ears. Confidence is very important. Right now you can just see that a guy like Beckham completely lacks confidence at the plate. It doesn't matter how many changes he makes to his mechanics, he won't succeed until he gets his mind right (thus the change of scenery concept).

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Aug 14, 2014 -> 10:38 AM) 1. Show me these people that use WAR are their primary criterion. If you read and follow FanGraphs at all, any citation of WAR is backed heavily by supporting arguments showing why a player's WAR (or UZR or what have you). If there are people who say "so and so is better because his WAR is better," I will not agree with them until they make an argument supporting that assertation. But if you ask me who I'd prefer between Abreu and Gordon, I'm probably not going to use WAR at all to justify who I think the Sox should take. 2. He may be a bit bird brained out there, but he's still a talented player. This suggests that his arm is weak, he has above average range, but he doesn't have sure hands out there. Given his skill set - above average speed with shaky hands and a weak arm - I don't think the assertion is far off, especially since this has been the type of player he's been since joining the White Sox as a full time player. For all intents and purposes, he's an average to slightly above average defensive player from a quality perspective. It also suggests that, as the #11 overall defensive player in LF, that teams are putting bad defensive players in LF, likely in an attempt to bolster their offense. The Alex Gordon conversation has come full circle. This was my exact point when I stated that a LF's defensive ability should not swing a guy with Gordon's offensive numbers into the second highest WAR in MLB for the season, even if he is an elite defender. Frankly, LF defense just isn't that important, especially relative to positions up the middle (C, SS, 2B, and CF). If it was, you wouldn't find so many hacks playing LF. And the argument that they are bolstering their offense by putting a bad defender out there somewhat surprisingly isn't true either according to the average offensive statistics for AL LF posted by someone earlier in this thread. So it seems Gordon's WAR is inflated by 1. left fielders that as a whole can't play defense and 2. are putting up pedestrian offensive numbers.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Aug 14, 2014 -> 10:26 AM) Not sure if you're agreeing or disagreeing, but just to clarify my statement -- I'm claiming that hitting and defense are both very "mental." There is certainly a mental aspect to both but the mental aspect to hitting is a much greater factor than it is to playing defense. I'm not sure how this is even debateable.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Aug 14, 2014 -> 08:43 AM) Regarding Caple's argument, he says he doesn't like that people are using it as "THE definitive evaluation of a player's worth." No one involved in sabermetrics uses it this way. I personally felt that Trout deserved the MVP the last two seasons because he was an incredible all around offensive player plus he played very good defense. I felt his contributions were worth more to his team than Cabrera's were. I have no problem with the other argument and had no problem with Cabrera's MVPs. He then says it's too complicated. That's a pretty terrible argument against something, and really, it's not. Here is FanGraphs easy definitions: "Offensive players: Take wRAA, UBR & wSB, and UZR (which express offensive, base running, and defensive value in runs above average) and add them together. Add in a positional adjustment, since some positions are tougher to play than others, and then convert the numbers so that they’re not based on league average, but on replacement level (which is the value a team would lose if they had to replace that player with a “replacement” player – a minor leaguer or someone from the waiver wire). Convert the run value to wins (10 runs = 1 win) and voila, finished! "Pitchers: Pitchers – Where offensive WAR used wRAA and UZR, pitching WAR uses FIP. Based on how many innings a pitcher threw, FIP is turned into runs form, converted to represent value above replacement level, and is then converted from runs to wins." http://www.fangraphs.com/library/misc/war/ That doesn't seem overly complicated to me. It may be time consuming and tedious to manually calculate individual WARs, but it's not complicated. His next argument is that there are multiple WAR statistics. That's because the two primary sites - B-R and FanGraphs - use two different sets of data, neither of which are wrong, to compute WAR. Consider how you rate the best NFL offenses and defenses in the league. Some people will use yards per game and some will use points per game. It's essentially the same exact process. Yards per game will give a better indication of future success - if a team puts up 450 total yards and doesn't turn the ball over, but only scores 19 points through 4 field goals and 1 touchdown, you would assume that, so long as they continue putting up 450 yards, they'll score points - but total point scored will tell you how often they have actually done it to that point. It's the same difference between fWAR and bWAR, especially for pitchers. Regarding the 3rd link, you are letting a pre-conceived notion bias your opinion again. Just because a guy does not seem like he should be there doesn't mean he shouldn't be there. Some of it likely has to do with Kansas City's park and pitching style - Gordon leads left fielders on balls going into his zone, but he also leads all left fielders on plays made out of his zone. Look at how the fans have scouted him though - very good instincts, good first step, OK speed, good hands, great release, good arm strength and incredible accuracy. Per those calculations, the fans scouting reports says Gordon has saved 16 runs in LF. These are good tools to have. As has been said ad nauseum, these are not the end all, be all, but they do help us see a broader picture. 1. Who are these people? Folks that work for fangraphs? BMLB GMs? Just trying to understand the definition of "those involved in sabermetrics." It is cited endlessly as the primary criterion in player performance evaluation, and very rarely used as a "complimentary" statistic in conjunction with other statistics by the countless articles I have read on ESPN, SB Nation, etc. as well as forums on this site. 2. How is it pre-conceived that De Aza is poor defensive LF? I have watched the guy play the position all season. According to the link, he's actually an ABOVE average defensive LF. Just sayin