Rihanna and Matt Kemp making news
by meercatjohn on Jan 5, 2010 1:02 PM PST
in Non-Baseball
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The Bison has decided to improve the gene pool of the human race by hooking up with Rihanna. With 2010 being devoid of Dodger news this is the best we can do. For those of you who have never heard of Matt Kemp and you ended up here, you might be interested to know that Matt Kemp roams center field in Chavez Ravine and is on his way to being one of the best young center fielders in major league baseball.
As Dodger fans we only hope he's not so busy making googly eyes at Rihanna that he still concentrates on the game.
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For those of you who have never heard of Matt Kemp and you ended up here, you might be interested to know that Matt Kemp roams center field in Chavez Ravine and ison his way to being one ofthe best young center fieldersin major league baseball.
Fixed
hah nice
you can even cross out young… he might be the best center fielder …
how much does rihanna make?
and how much will matt make in 2 or 3 years?
true
but he is not a robot made of nails. I think kemp will handle it just fine though, he seems to love LA and stardom, and has been embracing it quite well.
William Doolittle at your service, a.k.a. will do.
If you believe in the rumors, apprently Russell’s girlfriend decided that she still wanted to party and act like she was single even when she was with Martin, and that threw him out of knots.
but at the same time didnt Russ
Keep saying she had given him a new mindset, that he was more realxed or something? Then he started to slump..
William Doolittle at your service, a.k.a. will do.
Maybe cross reference the slump
to the number of clubs the girlfriend went to?
It wasn't the new girlfriend that did Russ in.
It was the damn yoga.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/parkfactor
ESPN rated Dodgers Stadium the 3rd worst Hitters park.(And the 3rd best pitcher’s park.)
I keep forgetting, aren’t there a lot of people who dispute ESPN’s methodology for determining park factors?
by Michael White on Jan 5, 2010 1:36 PM PST up reply actions
ESPN doesn't seem to adjust raw scores.
Park Factor compares the rate of stats at home vs. the rate of stats on the road. A rate higher than 1.000 favors the hitter. Below 1.000 favors the pitcher. Teams with home games in multiple stadiums list aggregate Park Factors.
* PF: ((homeRS + homeRA)/(homeG)) / ((roadRS + roadRA)/(roadG))
* homeRS: Runs scored at home
* homeRA: Runs allowed at home
* homeG: Home games
* roadRS: Runs scored on the road
* roadRA: Runs allowed on the road
* roadG: Road games
I think for quick and dirty
they are fine. If you want to turn park factors into a science experiment then there are better methods. I use a similar park factors methodology for my sim, which also computes the park factor for LH vs RH hitter for each park. I don’t care about the “runs” park factor, only the individual hitting components (HR, 3B, 2B, 1B, BB, SO, BABIP etc…), then I look at multiple years and regress toward league average, then sprinkle some magic pixie dust on the whole thing and hope for the best. I believe using rate stats vs raw is correct to get apples vs apples.
vr, Xei
Seattle’s offense is going to suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
There are some holes, but I don’t think it will be that bad. They should be great defensively though. Add in Felix and Lee, and that recipe just may work in the ALW.
They are certainly going to test the Angels, who may be having an even more boring offseason than us.
Losing players
is not the same as boring. These are all-stars not some placeholders. Lackey, Figgins, Vlady. Replaced with Matsui, Rodney, and resigning Abreu. More will come, maybe even something big like Chapman.
Chapman would be big
and I can’t believe they haven’t done something about a pitcher yet. I don’t think that they can stand pat, particularly given the fact that the M’s seemed to have really stepped up.
Can't see this
… improving the Mariners all that much. He’s averaged just over 1.0 WAR over the past three seasons. Not much of an improvement over what they already had (Carp), which wasn’t much. My WAR worksheet still has them as the favorites in the AL West, but this move doesn’t give them much separation. vr, Xei
Jon Heyman says Randy Johnson is making an announcement about his future tomorrow. Heyman thinks it’s retirement. Also, HOF announcements are tomorrow as well. Busy HOF-type day.
Greatest
LH since Steve Carlton or greatest LH ever?
The thing I love the most about Randy Johnson was how late he bloomed. I can still remember the trade to Seattle and thinking man if this guy ever figures it out, watch out.
If I wanted someone to pitch a game it would be Koufax
but I can’t pick him as the greatest LHP of all time based on his career.
For instance, Koufax’s entire case rests on his peak, and oh what a peak it was (1962-1966). Let’s look at how he compares with Grove and Johnson.
Best 5-Year stretch
Unit – 175 ERA+ (1998-2002)
Grove – 173 ERA+ (1935-1939)
Grove – 172 ERA+ (1928-1932)
Koufax – 167 ERA+ (1962-1966)
Unit – 162 ERA+ (1993-1997, although he missed significant time in 1996)
Basically, Grove and Johnson each had Koufax’s peak, plus another 5-year run just as good or nearly as good, something Koufax of course never got.
Then again
neither of them them ever had a postseason like Sandy, and his game seven in 65 is up there as the greatest postseason game ever thrown when you take into account:
1. Was on the road
2. Pitched on two days rest
3. Was against a loaded offensive Twin team
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIN/MIN196510140.shtml
And of course
the game 7 was preceeded by him shutting out the Twins in game Five. He ended the 65 postseason with two shutouts, 18 innings, 7 hits, 20 K’s and 4 walks.
That sounds like the Jack Morris argument. :)
Johnson did have the 2001 World Series, when he got 3 wins, including pitching 7 IP in Game 6, followed by a 1.1-IP relief performance the next night to win it.
Can you also throw in
the fact that most of Johnson’s career was in an extremely hitter-friendly era?
Unit also ended the 2001 playoffs with 5 straight wins (one in relief), allowing 4 runs in his final 38.1 IP, with 7 BB and 43 K
Just saying
he had the peak and the incredible postseason to ice the peak. When picking the best pitcher you have to go with the longer career, my only point was that I’d like Sandy to be the guy on the mound if my live depended on it and no bullpen existed, not some dirty rag tag long haired hook nosed mullet wearing guy who rarely threw nine innings.
Going 9 is just a function of eras. Put either one in the other era, and it’s reversed.
Both Koufax and Johnson led their league in IP twice. Koufax also had a 3rd and a 4th. Johnson had two 2nds, a 3rd, and two 4ths.
This is interesting
And I wonder… if they were reversed, if Koufax pitched in the current era, would he have had to retire so young? I mean, even without considering advances in medical science — just solely in how pitchers are used — would that have prolonged Koufax’s career?
The Ultimate Ned's Kind of Guy
I can't agree
why the assumption that Johnson or Pedro could ptich nine innings and still maintain the mastery they had. My assumption has always been that if they pitched in those eras of nine inning starters they would not have been able to maintain the peripherals they did. Pedro simply didn’t have the arm to be a nine inning pitcher. Maybe Randy did and maybe he would have even put up more spectacular K numbers but I wouldnt’ assume he could.
Pedro is a different animal, but I don’t have any doubt The Unit would have been tossing complete games left and right in the 1960s. He threw 71 complete games from 1993-2002, which led MLB, during a 10-year stretch when there was a CG in MLB 5.9% of the time (2643 out of 45126 games).
From 1962-1966, Koufax had 100 CG, which was just seven behind Marichal, but during that time a CG was thrown 24.6% of the time (3981 our of 16208 games).
So we have:
Koufax 1962-1966: 100 CG in 176 GS, or 56.8% of the time, vs a league CG of 24.6%, so Koufax was at 56.8/24.6 = 2.31, or an index of 231 (100 is average)
Johnson 1993-2002: 71 CG in 297 GS, or 23.9% of the time, vs a league CG of 5.9%, so his CG index is 23.9/5.9 = 405
That is very crude, but I believe Johnson would have done just fine in the 1960s, compared to Koufax.
But what about his longevity?
The knock on Koufax is that his career was so short. If he pitched in an era of limited innings and pitch counts, how many more years could he have gone. Conversely, if Randy Johnson had expected to double the number of complete games he threw, would he have lasted 20+ years?
I do
he would have had to do it in a four man rotation. This is where I agree with BH, the era is so different when it comes to pitching I don’t see how any valid comparison can be made. Elite starting pitchers controlled their destiny, pitched every fourth day, pitched deep into games. I have plenty of doubt that the arms who dominant in our era could have handled that era.
But if they grew up throwing as much as those players did, or weren’t conditioned to not throw 9 in the minors like today, it would be a lot easier to throw 9 innings.
Yes
but the era was littered with broken arms who were not able to handle the workload without today’s surgery to fix so they just pitched with broken arms. Randy didn’t pitch more then 250 innings but one time until he was 33. In that era he may never have even gotten out of the minor league intact.
Different eras, but Jack Coombs pitched three complete games in six days in the 1910 World Series. Won all three but gave up 10 ER.
And nobody holds a candle to Christy Mathewson, who threw three shutouts in six days in the 1905 World Series (again, different era though).
Eric is bringing the high heat today.
Well done sir.
by Michael White on Jan 5, 2010 2:39 PM PST up reply actions
Babe Ruths string wasn't to shappy either
http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1918_WS.shtml
Guys just didn’t K much in the dead ball era.
He only went 1-5. ; )
but seeing him leg out the triple must have been fun.
What is the % of baseball fans who
1. Know that Babe Ruth was an actual baseball player and not some urban legend
2. Know that he was a very good pitcher for five years.
I was a bit shocked to know he led his team in 1918 in OPS by 200 points but still batted 9th in the world series when he pitched a game one shutout winning 1 – 0.
Fun Babe Ruth facts
At the beginning of his career as a pitcher, he “tipped” his pitches but sticking his tongue in his cheek when he was throwing a curve ball. It was a pretty serious problem and he was actually sent to the minors to work through the issue.
I wrote a book report on a Babe Ruth autobiography in the 2nd grade, this is one of the odd facts I remember.
by Michael White on Jan 5, 2010 2:49 PM PST up reply actions
If it was at Dodger Stadium, probably Koufax. In 85 career regular season starts at Dodger Stadium, Koufax had a 1.38 ERA, and was 57-15.
Not really fair
Gibson had some of the best offensive players of 60’s on his team from 65 – 68. Sandy had Wes Parker.
I mean take a look
at the players the Giants and Cardinals had from 63 – 66 and then take a look at who the Dodgers had on the offensive side of the game. The Dodgers won two world championships and the reason why is Sandy Koufax. Take him away and we wouldn’t be talking about the great Dodger history of the early 60’s.
You can use vs. Batter on either pitcher’s page, but the links to the boxscores don’t work.
They faced one another five times…
5/25/61 – Dodgers 1, Cardinals 0
Koufax had a 3-hit shutout, Gibson gave up 1 run in 8, a HR to Tommy Davis
9/24/61 – Cards 8, Dodgers 7
Koufax was taken out after 3, giving up 4 runs (2 earned). Gibson got the win, but wasn’t sharp, giving up 5 runs (3 earned) in 6.1
6/18/62 – Dodgers 1, Cardinals 0
Each guy had complete games, and another Tommy Davis HR won it, this time in walk-off fashion with one out in the 9th
7/3/63 – Dodgers 5, Cardinals 0
Ho hum, another shutout for Koufax. Gibson gave up 5 runs in 6.2 IP
4/26/66 – Dodgers 4, Cardinals 2
Koufax scattered 13 hits in his CG, allowing 2 runs for the win. Gibson also pitched a complete game, giving up 4 runs in 8 IP.
Helps that Sandy
did not have to face the 67 and 68 Cardinals with what would have been his 67 & 68 teammates.
I remember as a kid
disliking Sandy Koufax because I’d been told he retired because he didn’t love baseball.
Later on when I should have known better I had the same dislike for Robin Yount because he would rather have been playing golf then playing baseball.
I also remember
how scary Koufax looked in the photo’s when he was pitching. How intense and powerful, yet after he retired he physically seemed slight.
I would like to see Walter Johnson, Bob Feller, Koufax, Ryan, and Randy Johnson all at their peaks just to see who was faster.
Totals
Koufax: 4-1, 4 CG, 39 IP, 6 runs, 4 ER, 7 BB, 37 K, 0.92 ERA
Gibson: 1-4, 2 CG, 37.1 IP, 16 runs, 14 ER, 17 BB, 31 K, 3.38 ERA
Thought this was interesting
if you combine Koufax through his age 30 season and Johnson from age 31 onward, you get a pitcher with:
5214.1 IP
387-191 W/L record
141 ERA+
Wow.
Can we stop being objective here?
Sandy Koufax was the greatest pitcher to ever touch a baseball. We know this because he was a Dodger and was the subject of one of Vin Scully’s greatest calls ever.
See, its easier this way.
The Mariners are on the verge of signing center fielder Franklin Gutierrez to a four-year, $20.5MM deal with a fifth-year club option, according to a Dave Cameron tweet citing Venezuelan reporter Francisco Blavia. Blavia tweets that the deal is “very, very close.” Gutierrez is arbitration-eligible for the first time, so the deal buys out all three arb years and at least one free agent year. Though it was signed in March of ‘06, it seems that Grady Sizemore’s contract might have been a comparable. Sizemore received $20.7MM for the same four-year slice of his career. On a deal signed in February of ’08, Curtis Granderson will earn $27.25MM for that portion of his career.
Would the Dodgers be better with Gutierrez and Kemp, or Kemp and Ethier? Also, would the Indians have been better off if they put Gutierrez in center field, and Sizemore in left?
I’ll go with Kemp and Ethier. If you have an above average CF with range it will make the RF’s defense look worse. I’d rather keep my stud CF in CF and go with the stronger hitter in right.
by Michael White on Jan 5, 2010 1:48 PM PST up reply actions
If Defense
is going to pay off like this then I’d really love to see the DH era come to an end. I want to see managers making decisions between playing clubbing clodders Cust (Luzinski) or defensive whizzes with some offensive skill.
If one trusts...
the more advanced defensive metrics like UZR then this would be a no brainer w/ the outfield of Kemp/Gutierrez. Gutierrez is still pretty young, so there are no red flags on declining.
vr, Xei
Holliday signs with Cards for 7 years/$120 million with a club option to make it 8 years.
Victory for Scott Boras again, I doubt any one else went beyond 5 years.
And if Holliday is @ 7/120
Pujols deserves it.
Like a good wine...
the final say on this contract will depend on how well Matt Holliday ages. He is currently around a 5.5 to 6.0 WAR win player. I think he can sustain that level for another year or two then start his decline. If he can maintain a WAR of around 3.0 by the time the contract is over and if the economy and salaries climb at the same rate they use to then I see this as a very fair contract. The seven years do make it extremely risky, but he has a pretty good bat and this signing makes the Cardinals a very solid favorite to win the NL Central again.
vr, Xei
He's playing like one
but the numbers work against him when compiling the team. He’s not even on the ballot:)
It'd be a shame if he doesn't make it
Leads all centers in scoring
From Heyman:
Holliday’s 8th year vests at $17 mil if he finishes in the top 10 in MVP voting in the 7th year
Matt Holliday, on his ESPN Radio interview with Gottlieb, called A.Pujols “the best player in the history of baseball.”
Not so fast my friend!
Wait. They don’t allow things like MVP voting as salary incentives any more, right? But it’s still ok for vesting clauses??
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
The BBWAA voted to outlaw it, starting in 2013, but backed off a day later after pressure from the players association.
Still strikes me as odd that a player and his agent would want their future options riding on the opinions of the members of the BBWAA.
Agent: I’ve negotiated an eighth year option that vests if you are Top-10 in the MVP voting.
Player: My future rests partially in the hands and hat of Tracy Ringolsby?
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
It kinda doesn't matter.
If Holliday is a top-10 MVP candidate in the 7th year of this deal, I will eat Tracy Ringolsby’s hat.
And, just to show I’m not biased, I will also eat Bill James’s computer.
The Ultimate Ned's Kind of Guy
I do reserve the right
to eat some of the hat for dinner and save the rest for lunch the next day. I’m just a little guy, slight of height and build, and I’m not sure I could handle such a large portion of hat in a single meal.
The Ultimate Ned's Kind of Guy
Which has the lowest smoking point, the olive oil, the hat felt, or the computer plastics? This is important to perform the saute correctly.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
I would say olive is last because
the fumes from the burning and computer plastics will probably knock you out before we find out.
Chris Brown's sloppy seconds
C’mon Matt, you can do better than Rihanna.
Troy Glaus deal
per Olney:
Terms on Glaus: one year, $1.75 million, with a $250,000 bonus for 100 days on the active roster. Plus these performance bonuses
$350,000 for 400 PA; $350,000 for 450 PA; $350,000 for 500 PA; $400,000 for 550 PA: $550,000 for 600 Plate Appearances
I like that deal
for the Braves. Risky for the Braves with Glaus/Chipper manning the corners but it is cheap enough you have to take the gamble.
Yeah
Enough upside to make it solid if not a great deal. Only $4m if he gets 600 PA, and if Glaus gets 600 PA, the Braves will do flips.
Giants
per Olney:
Sources: Giants offered Adam LaRoche 2 years, $17 million but that was turned down; that offer may now be off the table…
Looks like LaRoche has 2 possible landing spots, now that SEA is getting Kotchman: Either Balt. or SF — but Giants discussing alternatives
Do the Giants need LaRoche??
They have tons of possible corner infielders now. Panda could move over to 1B with Derosa at third with Ishikawa and Uribe as backups. What am I missing here?
vr, Xei
The Giants could sure use an upgrade in LF. Current depth charts show Lewis/Velez which are both weak. Derosa would be an upgrade if he can field the position well, if not he’d be better served to play 3B (10.5 run penalty on offense moving from 3B to LF).
vr, Xei
I think they would try to mix and match depending on the starter. DeRosa can fill in (how well is another story) at 2B for the oft-injured Sanchez, LF for Lewis/Velez, or 3B with Panda sliding to 1B or C.
I’m more shocked LaRoche would turn down 2/$17m!
No team should ever have
LaRoche and Beltre at the same time if they expect to score any runs in April. LaRoche in SF would severely impact his power numbers but it makes no sense. DeRosa in LF? Any small defensive gain a LF could possibly make would be removed with Panda playing 3rd base. And DeRosa is going to suck in 2010. Book it.
Yeah
A perplexing story on both sides, one that doesn’t pass the smell test.
a) SF shouldn’t have offered the deal
b) LaRoche shouldn’t have turned it down
I thought this was hilarious
from Batting Stance Guy, who is still around apparently:
Boras just called meeting w/ all 3 Holliday bidders. 3 #StLCards staffers walked in. "Oh, this is embarrassing"
Back on topic...
…I’m betting that Alyssa Milano is pissed that Rihanna savoured her some Bison before she did.
And Phil, do you think anyone who “found themselves here” would know what the hell Chavez Ravine was? Or where? :)
I’m betting that Alyssa Milano is pissed that Rihanna savoured her some Bison before she did.
Who says she didn’t? If this is going to be a trash thread then it should be a real trash thread.
Going back a bit in this thread
I remember going to the Big A back in the ’70s to see Ryan pitch, he would carry a no-hitter 5-6 innings and you would get so excited about possibly seeing a no-hitter.
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