chw42

QUOTE (Jenks Heat @ Apr 4, 2010 -> 08:34 PM) I wish people would stop using Sabermetrics as the reason the Red Sox are good and look at the money. Last I looked Seattle was not good last year ...oh and they have two of the top pitchers in the game. Oakland is a sabermetric team and they suck. Is that why the Red Sox didn't pay Bay the money the Mets paid him? If they had so much money, they would have signed Bay, Cameron, and Beltre, but they didn't because they have limited funds, just like every other team out there. Seattle was damn good last year for such a weak offensive team. Just goes to show you that defense and pitching can go a long way. Oakland does suck now (mostly because Billy Beane is no longer alone in the school of sabermetrics), but did you forget when they won about 90+ games in the earlier part of this past decade?

QUOTE (Brian @ Apr 4, 2010 -> 08:36 PM) With all these obscene stats and numbers that people live and die by, why not just load the numbers into the computer and have them pick a World Series winner? Some of the stats are so stupid cuz they don't into effect certain things like weather and injuries and if a player knocks his girlfriend up. I have nothing against science in the game. It can keep players healthy and teach technique. Stats can never predict the true outcome, it's not perfect by any means and it can't take everything into effect. But you can't just ignore it because there's some deformities. It's like ignoring a girl at a club because she's too short for your liking. If she's a 90 on a scale of 100, are you gonna say, "nah, not good enough for me"? I honestly doubt it. You have to be a bit open minded about these things. And you can definitely predict health. You think all projection systems have Chris Carpenter throwing 230 innings this year? It's not all that hard to predict who will and who won't get injured as long as they have a previous history.

QUOTE (Brian @ Apr 4, 2010 -> 06:48 PM) Fixed. Fantasy baseball is not even on the radar of things wrong with the game. It's nowhere near the level of Fantasy football in association with the sport. How are sabermetrics ruining the game? You can argue either way about fantasy baseball, but how has sabermetrics ruined anything? Is mixing statistics, science, and sports wrong in your opinion? Are you tired of people bashing you over the head with things that are probably right? If it was so bad, why are teams like the Mariners and Red Sox using sabermetric methods to build their teams?

QUOTE (Cali @ Apr 4, 2010 -> 02:48 PM) Fantasy Baseball and Sabermetrics are ruining the sport. .02 Fantasy baseball is, sabermetrics isn't.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Apr 4, 2010 -> 12:52 PM) Cust's OPS the last three years: .912, .851, .773. That's a rapid decline right there. Still strikes out at a rate that would make Rob Deer point and laugh. Can't sniff a .250 BA most years. I'd much rather role with Kotsay/Jones. Cust is just terrible. And what says he can't go back to .851 hitting in a better lineup and a much better hitter's park? And it looks like the guys over at FanGraphs agree with me on this... "Cust could stay with the A’s if he clears waivers and accepts a minor league assignment. However, one obvious landing spot would be the south side of Chicago, where the White Sox are set to open 2010 with an underwhelming DH duo of Andruw Jones and Mark Kotsay. Jones and Kotsay project as sub-replacement-level at the DH spot, and Cust could be a two-win upgrade if he matches those offensive forecasts. Considering how tightly bunched the AL Central standings figure to be, Chicago shouldn’t let such a chance slip past them. Chavez, meanwhile, will try to pick up the pieces of a career that has been shattered by back, shoulder and elbow injuries. Entering the last guaranteed year of a six-year, $66 million deal that was entirely defensible at the time, Chavez will pull down $12 million in 2010. The memories might be hazy now, but the 32 year-old was once a force both in the field and at the plate, eclipsing the 5 WAR mark in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005. Chavez could be quickly relegated to spectator status by another injury, Jake Fox or Chris Carter, but it’s hard not to root for the guy. "

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Apr 4, 2010 -> 11:30 AM) way to be completely selective Thunderbolt, lets not forget that the guy also strikes out damn near 200 times a year and considers a .240 average to be a good year. Thome's WORST year would be considered Custs best year. And Mark Kotsay, at this stage in his career, can't even touch a .850 OPS. That's something that Cust brings.

It's Boras' fault (as it always is). We offered Maggs good money just before he got injured and he and Boras said no.

QUOTE (Jenks Heat @ Apr 4, 2010 -> 11:06 AM) so the worst offense in baseball cuts a player and the Sox should take a look Jack Cust isn't that bad of a player. Just keep him from playing defense.

Jack Cust was DFA'd. I'm wondering if Kenny will take a chance.

Best. Gamethread. Ever.

I'm surprised he ranked our bullpen first... You'd think he'd put the Red Sox somewhere in there at least.

QUOTE (Ozzie Ball @ Apr 3, 2010 -> 03:05 PM) By which point it will be an extremely outdated metric. True, which means ESPN will never truly catch up.

Not working right... Doesn't let me do anything after I signed up.

QUOTE (Brian @ Apr 3, 2010 -> 09:17 AM) I always agreed with him and his comments on Sabermetrics on his podcast. He is spot on. Hope he isn't turning to the darkside. Everybody has to turn to it at one time or another. In 5-10 years, ESPN will be comparing WAR values of players for actually how good they are.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Apr 3, 2010 -> 12:58 AM) I must be one of the few who sees the Yankees as an aging team that is due to see some injuries rear their ugly head, esp with guys like Sabathia, Pettitte and Burnett. And Boston has some big health concerns with Beckett, Dice-K and Lackey (who has a nasty habit of getting hurt). Injuries are always a wild card and can strike any team, but older teams certainly seem more prone. Plus, people are expecting Vazquez to put up an ERA near 3.5, if not lower. People get fooled by one good year all the time... He's back in the AL, where his resume has been crap and to add onto that, he's pitching in Yankee Stadium. A ERA to expect is one around 4, but some people don't listen. Vazquez says he's matured. I don't believe that for a second when the guy's in his 30s and he was still lacking the balls to pitch just two years ago.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Apr 2, 2010 -> 04:37 PM) Twins have been talking about trading Ben Revere (Top prospect) for Heath Bell. Is he the great decedent of Paul Revere?

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Apr 2, 2010 -> 12:59 AM) Imagine how Cleveland fans feel. Heartbroken thrice.

QUOTE (joeynach @ Apr 1, 2010 -> 07:55 PM) Dude couldnt even make the Royals roster as a backup. Looks like his time is up, though for some reason the royals did sign Pods and Ankiel. To be fair, the Royals did have like 10 outfielders trying to make the team.

Mr. Robotic's the first big name guy to actually give us some damn credit...

Sounds like an April Fools joke.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Apr 1, 2010 -> 11:03 AM) WAR. What is it good for? Absolutely something.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Apr 1, 2010 -> 12:30 AM) There's is some obvious slurpage going on, but it's a fantasy based site and Beckett has still been a pretty damn good fantasy pitcher over the past 4 seasons. He's going to get double digit wins and usually 15+, he strikes people out at a decent clip, doesn't walk people, puts up a respectable ERA, and puts up a good WHIP. He gives up more than his fair share of homers, but overall, he's a great fantasy pitcher. They do believe that Peavy is going to put up an ERA in the 3.50 range this season, and I just don't see that happening. They talk about his struggles on the road, but he pitches in Arizona and Colorado for a few starts each year, and in 2008 when he put up a 4.28 ERA on the road, he pitched at Arizona twice, at Colorado once, at St. Louis (4th best offense in the NL), at Yankee Stadium (not a great offense, but a good one), and at Wrigley (best offense in the NL). Not that is justifies how "poorly" he pitched, but those are 6 games he pitched on the road against good offenses or in hitters parks. And, other than 2008, he really hasn't been a poor pitcher on the road compared to how he pitched at Petco. Peavy's a damn good pitcher, and while I expect his ERA to rise this year due to pitching in the AL and pitching in more of a hitters park, I don' think it's going to rise astronomically. (not that I wouldn't take a 3.50 ERA, I just don't think they are being necessarily fair to Peavy) I think 3.5 is fair for him as a projection.

QUOTE (knightni @ Mar 31, 2010 -> 10:08 PM) He's been average or below in three of his last four years in Boston. He's accumulated 17 WAR the past three years. Outside of 06, he's been pretty good...

That bullpen is a joke. Unless the Cubs offense hit like they did in 2008, this is a .500 team at best.

QUOTE (Jenks Heat @ Mar 31, 2010 -> 10:06 AM) Well we know when Vizquel will lead off and DH. There was a time when I thought Sowers might have been something, a lesser Mark Buehrle maybe. But that never panned out...