EVIL~! alkeiper

The Florida Marlins traded Brad Penny, Hee Seop Choi, and minor league pitcher Bill Murphy to the LA Dodgers for Paul LoDuca, Juan Encarnacion, and Guillermo Mota. I've got to reserve comment on the Dodgers until the Charles Johnson deal or Randy Johnson goes through. On the surface, I like the trade for the Dodgers. On the Marlins side, I'm not sure giving up Choi is a good move (especially considering the insane Choi fans I saw during the Phils/Marlins series). Paul LoDuca is a much needed improvement however, as their catching situation was an absolute mess. Add Penny to the deal however, and I think its a slight loss for the Marlins. Juan Encarnacion has a gaudy .289 OBP. I doubt he helps the Marlins.

Tommy John, Jim Kaat, Jack Morris, Blyleven, Luis Tiant (there's an interesting candidate), Mel Harder, Wilbur Cooper. There's a whole class of pitchers at Mays' level that deserve at least consideration.

Banks was an average player by that point. Jenkins brought them to the brink of contention, but keep in mind it was a 10 team league at that point, not easy to win. And bottom line is, their other players just weren't good enough. The Cubs had Williams, Santo and Jenkins yes. But the Cardinals had Gibson, Carlton, Brock, and Cepeda. The Mets had Seaver, Koosman and McGraw. The Cubs had tough competition.

A couple of deals here. The Mets have picked up Kris Benson from the Pirates, giving up Ty Wigginton, minor league pitcher Matt Peterson, and minor league catcher Justin Huber in return. Wigginton and Peterson go to the Pirates, and Huber goes to the Kansas City Royals. The Royals send pitching prospect Jose Bautista to the Pirates for Huber. The Mets also picked up Victor Zambrano and minor leaguer Batolome Fortunado from the Devil Rays in return for Scott Kazmir and Jose Diaz. What the hell are the Mets thinking? They traded away their best catching prospect AND their best pitching prospect for an above-average pitcher and a very average pitcher. The Benson deal isn't bad, but giving up Kazmir for Zambrano is unbelievably stupid.

Good news for Philly, as Gavin Floyd has been promoted to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Unfortunately, I have work that day, but I really have to try and go see him pitch.

Well, if you want a player that has an OBP nearly 200 points better than the second best hitter, you better believe you're going to pay out the ass for it.

CARL MAYS 1. Was he ever regarded as the best player in baseball? Did anybody, while he was active, ever suggest that he was the best player in baseball? No. Tris Speaker was the best in baseball in the teens, and Babe Ruth was the best player in baseball in the twenties. 2. Was he the best player on his team? No. Although in fairness, he was a teammate of Babe Ruth from 1915-23, so he didn't stand much of a chance. 3. Was he the best player in baseball at his position? Was he the best player in the league at his position? No. He was near the top of the rung as far as pitchers go from 1916-21, but he was never THE best. 4. Did he have an impact on a number of pennant races? Yes. He finished 18-13 for the 1916 Red Sox and 21-13 for the '18 Red Sox. Both teams won the World Series. He finished 27-9 and 12-14 for the 1921 and '22 New York Yankees. He also had a tremendous impact on the 1920 AL pennant race, which we'll come back to. 5. Was he good enough that he could play regularly after passing his prime? No. His last full season was in 1926, at the age of 34. He hung on as a reliever for a few seasons. 6. Is he the very best baseball player in history who is not in the Hall of Fame? Doubtful. I've never heard anyone make that assertion. 7. Are most players who have comparable statistics in the Hall of Fame? Three of Mays' five most similar pitchers are in the Hall. Lon Warneke just missed the cut, and Urban Shocker might have made the Hall if not for his untimely death in 1928. The sixth most similar pitcher is Eddie Cicotte, who is ineligible for the Hall. 8. Do the player's numbers meet Hall of Fame standards? Mays rates well on the Black Ink, Gray Ink, and HOF Standards scores. He's below average, but not far below average. Mays won 207 games in his career. Two other pitchers, Bob Lemon and Hal Newhouser, had 207 career wins. Both had worse W/L percentages than Mays, and both are in the Hall. 9. Is there any evidence to suggest that the player was significantly better or worse than is suggested by his statistics? None apparent. 10. Is he the best player at his position who is eligible for the Hall of Fame? Probably not. I advocate Bert Blyleven. 11. How many MVP-type seasons did he have? Did he ever win an MVP award? If not, how many times was he close? MVP and Cy Young awards weren't awarded in Mays' era. 12. How many All-Star-type seasons did he have? How many All-Star games did he play in? Did most of the players who played in this many All-Star games go into the Hall of Fame? Ditto. No All-Star games in Mays' time. 13. If this man were the best player on his team, would it be likely that the team could win the pennant? Yes. Mays was close to the best pitcher in baseball some years. 14. What impact did the player have on baseball history? Was he responsible for any rule changes? Did he introduce any new equipment? Did he change the game in any way? Mays is responsible for the rule requiring a clean white ball, as he killed Ray Chapman with a pitch in 1920, MLB's only on field fatality. A controversy over his trade from the Red Sox to the Yankees caused the downfall of American League president Ban Johnson. 15. Did the player uphold the standards of sportsmanship and character that the Hall of Fame, in its written guidelines, instructs us to consider? Mays was accused of throwing game four of the World Series, but no significant evidence exists. Mays was known as a Roger Clemens type during his career, prone to hitting batters. He only led the league once in hits batsmen, however. Conclusion: Mays is an interesting case. He doesn't appear to be a HOFer at first glance. But he has an excellent record, and alot of similar pitchers are in. He was handcuffed by the Chapman beaning, and only received six votes when he appeared on the ballot. Ultimately, I can't endorse him given the glut of qualified candidates available. There are too many good pitchers who deserve consideration before Mays.

The Royals started 16-3 last year, so the collapse actually occured a year ago.

We've got nine days left on this roadtrip. If we were at home, the boobirds could show their appreciation for Bowa's job, and that would be the end of it. As it is, I can't believe Bowa's not gone already. If a four game sweep to a sub-.500 team won't do it, what will?

Don't worry, according to espn.com's article, they've installed a NET! Oh well, there's always the chance that falling concrete strikes Bowa.

Well classic stadiums don't necessarily equal attendance. Boston didn't always sell out their games, and in the early 90s drew less than 30,000 per game. The Mets usually outdraw the Yankees when the Mets are winning and the Yankees aren't (late 80s and early 70s). There are external factors, but the number one influence on attendance is wins and losses.

I get them from Bill James' Win Shares. Currently, there's no web site that has them archived, and even looking them up in the book is a pain, as they are poorly organized. The new version of Total Baseball has them as well, and that should arrive in my mailbox any day now.

I've taken the names suggested so far and threw them in a hat. I'll draw names at random for these. If you have a suggestion, send it my way and I'll add it to the pile. 1. Was he ever regarded as the best player in baseball? Did anybody, while he was active, ever suggest that he was the best player in baseball? Doubtful. In his best seasons, Santo was overshadowed by Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Bob Gibson, and Sandy Koufax at various times. 2. Was he the best player on his team? One poster noted that Ron Santo was overshadowed by teammates Ernie Banks and Billy Williams. Ernie Banks declined by the time Santo arrived, and Banks was never better than Santo after 1963. Santo and Williams were often the two best players on the Cubs, but Santo was actually better in 1964, '66, and '67. 3. Was he the best player in baseball at his position? Was he the best player in the league at his position? Time for controversy. Ron Santo, from 1965-69, was the best third baseman in baseball. Dick Allen was better in the mid-60s, but he ceased playing third full-time after 1965. Harmon Killebrew was better when he did play third, but he was a third baseman in name only. Brooks Robinson? Yes, Robinson was an incredible fielder, but Santo did more with his bat. In fact, Santo accumulated more Win Shares every season from 1964-69, a six year stretch. Santo also won five consecutive Gold Gloves. 4. Did he have an impact on a number of pennant races? Santo never played in the postseason. In 1969, Santo's Cubs went 8-17 in September, blowing a five game lead to the Miracle Mets. Santo hit poorly, as did the entire team. Season splits are unavailable before 1969, preventing us from evaluating his entire career. 5. Was he good enough that he could play regularly after passing his prime? No. Santo had a bad season in 1974 at the age of 34, and retired after the season. 6. Is he the very best baseball player in history who is not in the Hall of Fame? Yes, in my opinion. 7. Are most players who have comparable statistics in the Hall of Fame? None are in the Hall of Fame, but there's a reason, that we'll come to in a few moments. 8. Do the player's numbers meet Hall of Fame standards? Santo scores below HOF average in the Black Ink test, but above HOF average on the gray ink test. Santo meets 41% of HOF Standards. 9. Is there any evidence to suggest that the player was significantly better or worse than is suggested by his statistics? Yes. Santo played his prime during the second Dead-Ball era, when offenses were incredibly low. 10. Is he the best player at his position who is eligible for the Hall of Fame? Yes. 11. How many MVP-type seasons did he have? Did he ever win an MVP award? If not, how many times was he close? Santo finished in the top 10 of MVP voting four times, his highest finish was in 1967, when he finished fourth. 12. How many All-Star-type seasons did he have? How many All-Star games did he play in? Did most of the players who played in this many All-Star games go into the Hall of Fame? Ron Santo made nine All-Star teams, a very good total. Oddly, he missed the team in 1967, when he finished fourth in MVP balloting, and won a Gold Glove. 13. If this man were the best player on his team, would it be likely that the team could win the pennant? Very likely. Santo earned 38, 36, 32 and 30 Win Shares in his best seasons. For comparison, the '98 Yankees won 114 games when their best player had 27 win shares. Jorge Posada had 29 when the 2000 squad won the Series. 14. What impact did the player have on baseball history? Was he responsible for any rule changes? Did he introduce any new equipment? Did he change the game in any way? Ron Santo was the first player to take advantage of the 10-5 trade rule, refusing a trade to Anaheim in favor of a trade to the White Sox. 15. Did the player uphold the standards of sportsmanship and character that the Hall of Fame, in its written guidelines, instructs us to consider? Yes. Santo remains a prominant figure for the Cubs. Conclusion: I really believe Santo deserves the Hall. His problems have been that HOF voters fail to recognize third basemen in general, that he played in a very tough offensive era, and that he didn't stick around to pad his stats. He was the best 3B in the league for half a decade, and won gold gloves when many other great defensive third basemen, notably Ken Boyer, plied their trade. Santo earned just 15 votes his first year of eligibility, which astounds me. He got a second chance, and had earned 43% of the vote his last year before dropping from the Ballot. Hopefully the veterans' committee gives him the nod.

I'm not sure about sightlines, but they did remove obstructive columns.

The trading deadlines for both the TSM H2H and rotisserie leagues is August 1. Discuss and negotiate your trades before time runs out.

That's funny. I could have sworn they won the division.

Strictly statistics. Similarity scores take two players, starts at 1,000 points, and subtracts points for differences in statistics. The database at baseball-reference.com is able to calculate the similarities of all players, and gives a list of the most similar players, using this method. http://www.baseball-reference.com/about/similarity.shtml On Base Percentage plus slugging percentage, adjusted for park factors and compared to the league average. 100 Is league average, 110 is 10% better than the league average, and so on.

Tyson was the only boxer to ever beat Spinks. Larry Holmes boxed ten more years after the Tyson bout, and Tyson is still the only person who ever knocked out Holmes.

Woodward was never more than a placeholder. The Blue Jays are grooming Russ Adams, currently in AAA Syracuse.

You're right about Gene Alley. Molitor only played more than 100 games at second once in his career, so I can't see the Molitor/Yount pairing receiving significant noteriety. He is one of baseball's most underrated players. He drew walks, hit for power, and played Gold Glove defense. His OPS+ was 125, meaning he hit 25% better than the league average over his career. And this is as a second baseman.

At least at the Vet they have the decency to paint the old baseball diamond on top of the parking lot. No word on the rumor that they didn't even have to remove the turf.

Wrigley and Fenway are one thing, Yankee Stadium is another. It was practically gutted and rebuilt in the mid-70s, so it isn't like the other parks. And I've yet to see why St. Louis needs a new ballpark.

Since two posters mentioned Trammell, and since he's a favorite, we'll run him through the motions here.... 1. Was he ever regarded as the best player in baseball? Did anybody, while he was active, ever suggest that he was the best player in baseball? Probably not. Trammell led the American League in Win Shares in 1987, but this quesion isn't meant to mean in just a single year. 2. Was he the best player on his team? Yes, from 1984-90, Trammell was the best player on the Detroit Tigers. 3. Was he the best player in baseball at his position? Was he the best player in the league at his position? At times, yes. Trammell led ML shortstops in Win Shares in 1987 and 1990. He was among the leaders consistantly, falling only to Ozzie Smith and Cal Ripken, who are HOF caliber players. 4. Did he have an impact on a number of pennant races? Yes. He hit 338/399/515 in August and 321/402/432 in September to drive the '84 Tigers to the AL East crown. In 1987, when the Tigers edged the Blue Jays by two games, Trammell hit .416 in the month of September, with a .573 slugging percentage. A reasonable argument can be made that the Tigers may not have won the division if not for Trammell. 5. Was he good enough that he could play regularly after passing his prime? No. His days as a regular were gone when he was 34, but he stuck around as a role player. 6. Is he the very best baseball player in history who is not in the Hall of Fame? Doubtful. I've advocated the candidacy of Ron Santo previously. 7. Are most players who have comparable statistics in the Hall of Fame? Of the ten most similar players to Trammell, six are not yet eligible. The other four are Lou Whitaker, Ryne Sandberg, Pee Wee Reese, and Buddy Bell. Reese is in the Hall. Sandberg SHOULD be in the Hall, and his exclusion is puzzling. The most comparable player to Trammell is Larkin, a HOF candidate himself. It should also be noted that Derek Jeter's most similar player at 29 is Alan Trammell. If you asked fans, many would tell you Jeter is a HOF caliber player. 8. Do the player's numbers meet Hall of Fame standards? Not at a glance, although such numbers are biased towards first basemen and outfielders. Trammell never led the league in any offensive category (besides sacrifice hits). 9. Is there any evidence to suggest that the player was significantly better or worse than is suggested by his statistics? Yes. Trammell was an excellent fielder who won four Gold Gloves, and along with Lou Whitaker, is considered part of one of the five best double play combinations in baseball history. (Dick Groat and Bill Mazeroski, Joe Tinker and Johnny Evers, Ozzie Smith and Tom Herr, anyone I'm forgetting guys?). 10. Is he the best player at his position who is eligible for the Hall of Fame? Yes. 11. How many MVP-type seasons did he have? Did he ever win an MVP award? If not, how many times was he close? He finished second in the MVP voting in 1987, behind George Bell. The Bell award is one of the All-Time "what the heck?" moments in MVP voting, as Bell hit 47 home runs but did little else. Trammell also finished in the running in 1984 and 1988. 12. How many All-Star-type seasons did he have? How many All-Star games did he play in? Did most of the players who played in this many All-Star games go into the Hall of Fame? Trammell played in six All-Star games, a respectable number. 13. If this man were the best player on his team, would it be likely that the team could win the pennant? Yes, Trammell was the best player on the '84 Tigers, who are considered one of the greatest teams in baseball history. 14. What impact did the player have on baseball history? Was he responsible for any rule changes? Did he introduce any new equipment? Did he change the game in any way? None apparent. 15. Did the player uphold the standards of sportsmanship and character that the Hall of Fame, in its written guidelines, instructs us to consider? Yes. Trammell was not involved in any off-the-field disputes, to my recollection. Conclusion: Alan Trammell deserves the HOF. He was overshadowed, unfairly, by Cal Ripken and the streak. He was one of the greatest shortstops in history. Bill James ranks him 8th All-Time at the position. Joe Cronin, Pee Wee Reese, Phil Rizzuto, and many others of similar quality are in the Hall. Trammell should go as well.

The point is the ballpark is a major franchise value in itself. There's a reason they haven't sold naming rights, and that's because it would devalue the franchise more than the revenue it would bring. That's why Yankee Stadium is important.

Yes. Wigginton is very much expendable with David Wright around, and pitching prospects are iffy unless they're dominant. I worry how this move will effect the Pirates farm system though, as they already have a Kyle Pearson on their squad.