MLB - 2010 Spring Training!

[Fve Crathva]

Fair enough, and get the **** out of your ass.

SP

[Imran Siddiqui]

Facts are inconvenient things .

[Berzerker]

Trent Oeltjen - the awesome Aussie

I even spent one of my last remaining picks in the auction league to get him

now lets see if I jinx him, I have this uncanny ability to turn a HOT streak into a slump

oh yeah, Mark Reynolds is amazing! With Montero at C the Diamondbacks are starting to look real solid on offense.

[Fve Crathva]

Facts are inconvenient things .

I considered fact checking, but I didn't care enough. Still, I'm pretty sure there was at least a fairly significant span in 2007 where they were one of the top few teams in walks and near the bottom in runs. I remember it getting commented on on the television box.

SP

[snoopy369]

These two in a row is actually funny as Hell. You realize that Rios' best season was an OPS+ of 122, right (and then slowly went down the two seasons afterwards)?

As for Swisher's first month being taken out... he's still really good? He slid in May, but had an OPS+ of 140 in June, 108 in July (not a great month, but above average), and 136 so far in August:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?n1=swishni01&year=2009&t=b

As for "he walks a lot and that's swell" . Obviously you don't realize that OBP is the stat most closely correlated with scoring runs. And scoring runs is kinda the aim of the game. Talking walks in any position in the lineup is helpful.

Oh, btw, Swisher has 70 BBs this year. Pujols... 84 (granted, Pujols has ~70 more PA's).

I believe Baseball Prospectus showed that in Barry Bonds' best years, that the Giants would score far more runs if Bonds was walked every at bat than if he hit as he did. There is something about being on base all the freaking time that tends to result in your team scoring runs.

Fairly sure my posting history will show I'm aware that OBP is good. I'm just not in love with it the way you are, and recognize that sometimes you want a guy to NOT take a walk. Taking a walk while hitting seventh, with two guys on 2nd and 3rd, two out, and with two guys more likely to die at the plate than get a hit after you, doesn't help as much as getting a hit, after all. I spent a year watching Nick do precisely that (though admittedly it was his down year). Nine guys with batting averages in the .240s and OBPs in the .340s/SLG .380s isn't as good as five guys like that, two guys with .320 OBP and high speed, and two guys with .290 batting averages and .320 OBPs, but .450+ SLG.

Either way, I'm not arguing Nick is a good player, and it was likely a mistake by Kenny to trade him (unless there's truth to some of the clubhouse rumors, though I've seen those go both ways). I'm just saying he's not a god, and it's not the level of mistake some have suggested. He's not the guy who started off April hitting home runs at a prolific pace, any more than he's the guy he was in 2008. He's a guy with a high OBP, inconsistent power, mediocre at best defense (and I have no idea how his UZR is average, unless his defense slipped as much as his hitting in 2008; he looked terrible in the field) and no speed worth noting. A nice mid hitter DH for an AL club who has a couple of power hitters and only one speedy leadoff type, to bat second and get on ahead of said power hitters. I'd love for him to be batting second for the Sox; but such is life, and I think our current second fella is pretty good.

[Imran Siddiqui]

You've exactly said it. You watched him doing his down year, where he was, roughly 30% worse of a player that he usually has been in 3 of the last 4 years. Judging a player on his down year is a folly. And Oakland and now the Yankees love to have him (and IIRC, he was a #5 hitter for Oakland).

Taking a walk while hitting seventh, with two guys on 2nd and 3rd, two out, and with two guys more likely to die at the plate than get a hit after you, doesn't help as much as getting a hit, after all.

It helps more than striking out. Or even grounding out. Even the best of hitters, get out ~65% of the time. A walk rather than wasting on of your precious 29 outs is a very good thing.

[snoopy369]

Now I see how the Mets won the division in '69. Those extra two outs must have been real useful...

[Imran Siddiqui]

Let's just say the '69 Mets didn't win based on their offensive prowess . Though their Runs scored per game matches there OBP (ie, lousy) Though their SLG was even worse.

[snoopy369]

So you're saying having 29 outs took them from a truly terrible team to just a lousy team.

[Imran Siddiqui]

What ever point you are attempting to make is lost on me.

The fact of the matter remains that in baseball, your most valuable asset is not making outs, as you only have 29 of them per game.

[ColdWizard]

I haven't followed baseball for quite some time. Do they let you have 2 do-overs now?

[snoopy369]

Well, at least for the White Sox, and for most other teams I know, they only get 27 of them. So if your teams are getting 29, that explains something.

[Imran Siddiqui]

You could have just mentioned that .

[Berzerker]

uh oh, Nolasco blew up big time... and against Houston at home

just when he was becoming automatic

[Sava]

The "dangerous" Milwaukee Brewers:

MILWAUKEE - The Brewers' highly touted young core is being shaken up.

General manager Doug Melvin made his biggest statement this season about the team's future, sending former All-Star shortstop J.J. Hardy to the minors, cutting third baseman Bill Hall and firing his pitching coach.

A year removed from a magical NL wild-card run, Milwaukee has faced a stark reality after injuries on top of the free agent departures of Ben Sheets and CC Sabathia. The Brewers (55-57) came into July with a two-game lead in the NL Central before losing 22 of the last 35 to fall 6{ games out of the lead and the wild-card race coming into Wednesday.

The Brewers are first in the majors in homers allowed (151) and 27th in ERA (4.84), ahead of only the Nationals, Orioles and Indians. The starting rotation has a 5.16 ERA, worst in the National League

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/wire/chi-ap-bbn-brewersshakeup,0,6125251.story

sounds like they are just about to get hot and tear it up, huh Imran?