January 14, 2009 – 1:32 pm
Walk Off Walk is another one of those blogs I would never have read without Google Reader, which is exactly why I love Google Reader as the blog is right up my alley. It’s about baseball and it’s humorous. What’s not to like? Reminds me a bit of an idea I had a few months ago to create the “Deadspin of Seattle sports” before giving it up when I realized the work/reward ratio was ridiculous.
Anyways, they have a story up right now about the Indians front office contacting season ticket holders to talk. Maybe it’s just because I am a GM fanboy, but this is pretty amazing to me that a team would do this. The idea that, next season, Mark A or Doug Melvin is going to give me a call to talk me into renewing makes me want to renew right now. Which I probably will anyways.
January 6, 2009 – 2:48 pm
I’ve heard this like 10 times this offseason. Randy Johnson, Derek Lowe and Brian Fuentes were all players said to be uninterested in playing in Milwaukee. I just don’t get it, Wisconsin fucking rocks.
Here’s five reasons free agents should sign with Milwaukee:
- Your money spends just as good here. You are getting ridiculous amounts of money to throw a baseball. Who cares where you throw it?
- CC Sabathia loved it here. Do you think you’re better than him?
- JJ Hardy does pretty good for himself.
- When people are doing this before the game:
They probably don’t care if you won or lost.
- Seriously, look at this.
December 29, 2008 – 1:18 pm
I love listening to baseball on the radio. Baseball is the only sport that I think loses absolutely none of its luster on the radio and in a lot of cases it’s better than it’s TV counterpart (hello, ESPN Sunday Night Baseball). I remember last season being on a flight last year that featured XM and being in pure heaven listening to the Cubs, Brewers and Mariners games simultaneously. What I failed to realize though was how completely spoiled I have been for most of my life with baseball announcers. Harry Caray, Steve Stone, Ron Santo and Bob Eucker have been apart of my life since I was a kid and I’ve never thought about what it must be like for other people.
Well I saw this linked on Al’s Ramblings today and besides the whole living in Ohio and liking the Reds thing, THANK GOD I’M NOT A REDS FAN. The way he attacks Adam Dunn is one thing and I don’t think I could ever see Bob Eucker doing that to a player, but his hatred of the team is disgusting.
Brennaman is way past the point of telling tough truths about players, and now he’s simply bitter. Day in and day out, he sounds like a man who truly hates his job, and truly hates the Reds. He hates that after having been able to watch the Big Red Machine in the 70s and some pretty darn respectable Reds’ teams in the 80s and into the mid 90s, he’s had to watch a mostly bad team play for the past decade. What’s worse, he’s not professional enough to put that disappointment aside and simply do his job like Skip Caray and Herb Score any number of other announcers of bad teams have done over the years.
Last season I remember a few Mariners games where the suckiness of Jose Vidro, Richie Sexson and others was completely ignored with the announcers acting as if they were in a slump or something. This was annoying, but is certainly better than the reverse where your announcer clearly hates the team. Ron Santo loves the Cubs, Bob Eucker loves the Brewers, Dave Niehaus loves the Mariners and they all do it no matter what. Not only are these people paying you a lot of money, but they are doing it for a job that you love. If you don’t love it anymore, get the hell out of there and stop ruining it for the rest of us.
December 18, 2008 – 2:25 pm
Being the weird type of fan that I am I read both Brewers and Mariners blogs. For my trouble I know way too much about either team. What I found annoying is when the blogs talk about the other teams because you realize that they don’t know anything. There’s been more than once I have emailed to call someone out on an incorrect statement. Sometimes you don’t even want to bother though. Like this recent quote from Geoff Baker of the Times.
Pitching-wise, the Brew Crew just signed Chris Capuano to a minor league deal (completing a stunning fall from grace for him) and will likely explore other free-agent routes, like Derek Lowe of the Dodgers, before entertaining any trade scenarios.
Real quick.
- Having Tommy John surgery is not a “fall from grace.”
- Yes, it’s a minor league contract but there are incentives that could push it towards $3 million. He will wear a Brewers uniform next season.
- The Brewers don’t pursue Type A free agents because they build through the draft.
December 18, 2008 – 12:37 pm
The lack of interest in Ben Sheets is very strange to me. AOL Fanhouse has him pegged as this year’s Kyle Lohse and nobody should ever have to be Kyle Lohse. It’s crazy to me that GENERAL MANAGERS forget just how good Ben Sheets was last season. Before getting hurt down the stretch he was one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. Injury concerns are a big deal though and I can see where teams would be worried. What I can’t see however is why AJ Burnett would get such a huge deal and Ben Sheets would be ignored. It’s one thing for CC Sabathia to get a huge deal and Sheets to be ignored, AJ Burnett is a whole other story.
Did you know that:
- Based on baseball reference’s similiarity index Ben Sheets is most like AJ Burnett
- Ben Sheets is two years younger than AJ Burnett
- Using OPS+ Ben Sheets has been the better pitcher 4 out of 5 seasons. The only season he was behind, 2006, the score was 119 to 117.
- Average starts per season during that same period: AJ Burnett 26.6 / Ben Sheets 25.6
- 3 year averages:
Sheets: ERA: 3.51 WHIP 1.16 K/9: 7.69
Burnett: ERA 3.92 WHIP 1.28 K/9 9.03
- Both Marcel and Bill James project Ben Sheets to be better next season than AJ Burnett
After reading all that doesn’t it seem weird that one pitcher isn’t getting any offers over two years and the other one (the older one) just signed for 5y/$82.5 million?
I’m a bit torn here. I like Ben and hope he gets a good deal, but at the same time I’d like to see the market stay where it’s at so that he can return to the Brewers next season. As long as he doesn’t go to the Yankees I think I’ll be alright.