Comments on: Game 76, Blue Jays at Mariners

By: Karen

Karen — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 04:33:26 +0000

The guys who run this place probably already know, but... Jacoby Ellsbury, of Madras OR and Oregon State (although a year before they went back-to-back in the CWS), just got called up to patrol the outfield for the Red Sox while Coco Crisp gets healthier. To make room, none other than the slightly hobbled(?) Joel Piniero was put on the DL (saving him from possible further embarrassment?). He was one of the top prospects in the Sox farm system this past couple of years, and a lot of Red Sox fans have been looking forward to seeing him in Fenway. Good luck, kid.

By: Tuomas

Tuomas — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 04:28:56 +0000

161: Right symptom, wrong reason. Speed, as shown by the Juan Pierre signing by the Dodgers, among others, is generally overpriced relative to its value. Billy Beane, and by extension, the Moneyball guys, as they’re termed, have nothing against stealing bases. The problem is that the payoff is generally not worth the risk. Check out Rickey Henderson’s record season and you’ll notice that his stolen bases ended up being practically worthless.

By: Dave in Palo Alto

Dave in Palo Alto — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 01:30:28 +0000

The one book I’d add as a must read is Glory of their Times by Lawrence Ritter. It’ll bring a tear to your eye.

By: scott19

scott19 — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 01:15:09 +0000

157: Here, here on G-Will…don’t like his politics much, either, but the man knows his stuff on the game.

BTW, thanks for this list!

By: msb

msb — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 01:11:13 +0000

#162– just remember when reading it, that Lewis tends to fall hard for the subject he is currently writing about, and during that time it can do know wrong

By: msb

msb — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 01:09:21 +0000

man, if Chris didn’t have bad luck, he’d have no luck at all. what are the odds that the first baseman kicks you in the knee as you run past him?

B. Giles just came back from much the same injury, his caused by smacking his knee into the Wrigley bricks … his took about 70 days, not all of it on the DL.

By: gwangung

gwangung — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 01:03:42 +0000

Never read Moneyball. Don’t know that I ever will

Y’all should reconsider. Might discover what you THOUGHT the book was about ain’t what it is a’tall.

By: scott19

scott19 — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 00:50:14 +0000

159: Granted, there’s nothing necessarily wrong with that philosophy…and in fact, some teams have had to go that route out of fiscal necessity. It just seems to lend itself to a more “station-to-station” style of play where things like team speed are not emphasized…for example, besides Johnnie Damon’s one season there back in ‘01, Oakland hasn’t had a whole lot of guys in recent years who were legitimate base-stealing threats. I’ve got to think that’s by design – and it’s been quite evident there ever since Beane took that team over.

By: zackr

zackr — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 23:54:51 +0000

Doyle update from rotoworld:

“Athletics transferred outfielder Chris Snelling from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list. Snelling will still be eligible to return right after the break. How many more setbacks he has with his knee will determine how realistic that possibility is.”

By: planB

planB — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 23:53:52 +0000

157: You might want to reconsider. It’s not exactly “about statistics”, it’s about running a baseball team (as opposed to directly about playing baseball), making the most of a limited budget.