2006-07 MLB Offseason Thread

[2GOLD 0]

I've yet to see what they see in Brandon Erbe. He seems ok I guess but he doesn't feel like a major leaguer to me.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Who the fuck wants to live in the Midwest.

 

 

I don't consider Minnesota to be the Midwest.

 

 

Huh, that's funny, the other 99.99999% of the country does.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I've yet to see what they see in Brandon Erbe. He seems ok I guess but he doesn't feel like a major leaguer to me.

Why not? 11.79 strikeouts per nine innings over his career, three home runs allowed in 145 professional innings, and he was one of the youngest pitchers in his league.

[Guest Oedipus Rex]

Hey White Sox fans, apparently Ozzie Guillen thought that the failure of last year's team was directly tied to their lack of bunting. He has gone into spring training recommitted to the idea of small ball (and Darin Erstad).

 

Hey Ozzie, want to know why you weren't as good last year? Your pitching sucked. The end.

AY MANG FUCK JOO MANG WE PLAY BEISBOL THE RYE WAY BY BUNTING AND TROWING BASEBALLS AT JOO AN CALLING WRITERS FUCKING FAGGOTS

 

But in all seriousness, the White Sox have never won anything because of bunting. It's been pitching and home runs. They lost the pitching last year, they lost games.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Hey White Sox fans, apparently Ozzie Guillen thought that the failure of last year's team was directly tied to their lack of bunting. He has gone into spring training recommitted to the idea of small ball (and Darin Erstad).

 

Hey Ozzie, want to know why you weren't as good last year? Your pitching sucked. The end.

AY MANG FUCK JOO MANG WE PLAY BEISBOL THE RYE WAY BY BUNTING AND TROWING BASEBALLS AT JOO AN CALLING WRITERS FUCKING FAGGOTS

 

But in all seriousness, the White Sox have never won anything because of bunting. It's been pitching and home runs. They lost the pitching last year, they lost games.

Just for the heck of it...

 

1906: Won with pitching. Hitless wonders also led league in walks however, so they weren't offensive zeroes.

 

1917: Won with offense. Led league in runs and OBP, but also in stolen bases. Probably played tremendous smallball in an era where that meant something.

 

1919: Won with offense, led league in runs, batting average and stolen bases.

 

1959: Won with pitching and defense.

 

1983: Won with offense, although I'm flabbergasted as to how they did it. Led league in runs, but finished ninth in batting average, eighth in OBP, sixth in slugging, third in stolen bases. The only other offensive category they led was strikeouts.

 

1993: Won with pitching.

 

2000: Won with offense. Mostly power.

[vivalaultra 0]

Hey White Sox fans, apparently Ozzie Guillen thought that the failure of last year's team was directly tied to their lack of bunting. He has gone into spring training recommitted to the idea of small ball (and Darin Erstad).

 

Hey Ozzie, want to know why you weren't as good last year? Your pitching sucked. The end.

AY MANG FUCK JOO MANG WE PLAY BEISBOL THE RYE WAY BY BUNTING AND TROWING BASEBALLS AT JOO AN CALLING WRITERS FUCKING FAGGOTS

 

But in all seriousness, the White Sox have never won anything because of bunting. It's been pitching and home runs. They lost the pitching last year, they lost games.

 

I would fall apart laughing if Jim Thome came up in the 7th inning, runners on 1st and 2nd, no outs, down by a run, and he held his bat dramatically towards the pitcher for five minutes whilst Hawk is in the background doing his "Come on Jimmy. Come on Jimmy. Knock it out, Jimmy. Yeah, Jimmy! Sox rule! Go Jimmy!!" routine only for Thome to drop down a bunt to move the runners over. Earl Weaver would spin in his grave...if he were in a grave, that is.

[Guest Oedipus Rex]

1919: Won with offense, led league in runs, batting average and stolen bases.

Lost with tremendous acting ability.

 

"Come on Jimmy. Come on Jimmy. Knock it out, Jimmy. Yeah, Jimmy! Sox rule! Go Jimmy!!"

You forgot "ducksnort" and "we need one for the good guys" and "hound dog stew" or whatever. THIS MAN MIGHT WIN A BROADCASTING AWARD.

[Guest Queen Leelee]

The Czech Republic, please stop being a racist.

 

Thank you.

[2GOLD 0]

I've yet to see what they see in Brandon Erbe. He seems ok I guess but he doesn't feel like a major leaguer to me.

Why not? 11.79 strikeouts per nine innings over his career, three home runs allowed in 145 professional innings, and he was one of the youngest pitchers in his league.

 

I've seen him start every time I would go to the Shorebirds and he just wasn't very impressive. Gave up a lot of hits, like balls scattered all over the infield. And not giving up many homeruns in the SAL doesn't shock me considering home runs seem to rarely happen in the SAL. It's just an odd A league for the long ball. I don't think he's that bad of a pitcher but he just hasn't shown me that "Wow, this guy is good" start.

 

I've seen guys like Javier Vasquez, Erik Bedard, Hayden Penn and players like that, so maybe I've just been unfairly comparing his performance to theres. Those guys looked damn good with the Shorebirds.

[Guest Vitamin X]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW9CwBRWKi8

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

When do we want to start doing predictions? I know Spring Training just started, but I'm already tired of the Jeter-ARod and Barry Bonds stories. I need something else to talk about.

[geniusMoment 0]

I'm just excited that the Reds actually have a pitching prospect. I can't remember the Reds ever developing a great starting pitcher, ever. I'm not sure if the Reds have developed a great starter in over 100 years.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I'm just excited that the Reds actually have a pitching prospect. I can't remember the Reds ever developing a great starting pitcher, ever. I'm not sure if the Reds have developed a great starter in over 100 years.

 

Not just a pitching prospect. Homer Bailey might be the best pitching prospect in the game.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I'm just excited that the Reds actually have a pitching prospect. I can't remember the Reds ever developing a great starting pitcher, ever. I'm not sure if the Reds have developed a great starter in over 100 years.

Mario Soto was the last one. Jose Rijo was outstanding for a few years, but he came in via trade.

[Styles 0]

I've yet to see what they see in Brandon Erbe. He seems ok I guess but he doesn't feel like a major leaguer to me.

Why not? 11.79 strikeouts per nine innings over his career, three home runs allowed in 145 professional innings, and he was one of the youngest pitchers in his league.

 

I've seen him start every time I would go to the Shorebirds and he just wasn't very impressive. Gave up a lot of hits, like balls scattered all over the infield. And not giving up many homeruns in the SAL doesn't shock me considering home runs seem to rarely happen in the SAL. It's just an odd A league for the long ball. I don't think he's that bad of a pitcher but he just hasn't shown me that "Wow, this guy is good" start.

 

I've seen guys like Javier Vasquez, Erik Bedard, Hayden Penn and players like that, so maybe I've just been unfairly comparing his performance to theres. Those guys looked damn good with the Shorebirds.

 

He's NINE-TEEN! No one's saying Erbe's ready now, he's a couple more seasons away, and he tired at the end of last season and they shut him down because it was the most he's ever pitched. He'll be something special though. You want to talk about a prospect, how about Billy Rowell? THAT'S what the O's desperately need, a homegrown power masher.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

The ten worst contracts in baseball history, using a formula created by Baseball Prospectus. No real surprises here if you follow baseball, but interesting to see how awful some of these turned out to be.

 

Player Year Salary Yr WARP MORP CPI BAD BADr

Mo Vaughn 1999 $88,000,000 6 10.1 $7,023,315 0.88 -$91,671,718 -$15,278,620

Mike Hampton 2001 $121,000,000 8 18.3 $17,207,490 0.96 -$108,399,488 -$13,549,936

Chan Ho Park 2002 $65,000,000 5 8.8 $6,567,329 0.94 -$62,030,436 -$12,406,087

Albert Belle 1999 $65,000,000 5 11.6 $12,361,525 0.87 -$60,365,224 -$12,073,045

Darren Dreifort 2001 $55,000,000 5 4.0 $2,233,612 0.92 -$57,479,726 -$11,495,945

Jeff Bagwell 2002 $85,000,000 5 21.4 $31,019,487 0.94 -$57,304,154 -$11,460,831

Juan Gonzalez 2002 $24,000,000 2 5.1 $3,749,912 0.90 -$22,500,098 -$11,250,049

Ken Griffey Jr 2000 $116,500,000 9 27.7 $29,348,726 0.95 -$92,169,385 -$10,241,043

Denny Neagle 2001 $51,000,000 5 6.3 $4,947,730 0.92 -$50,165,872 -$10,033,174

Kevin Brown 1999 $105,000,000 7 34.3 $43,612,270 0.90 -$68,534,946 -$9,790,707

 

Just for clarification, MORP is how much the player should have earned based on his on the field performance. BADr measures the difference in cost and value, per year, over the life of the contract. Mo Vaughn, for instance, cost almost $15 million more than a comparable player for every year of that contract.

[Styles 0]

Well, at least Belle was insured for the 3 years he sat out. Honestly DAVID SEGUI 4 years $28 million is pretty horrible as far as recent Baltimore history. Considering how many games he played for the duration of that contract: 82 (01), 26 (02), 67 (03), 18 (04). HORRID.

[Guest]

For the Brown deal, does the statistic for on field performance count his stint with the Yankees. I wonder what it would look like if it were just over the length of his time with the Dodgers.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

For the Brown deal, does the statistic for on field performance count his stint with the Yankees. I wonder what it would look like if it were just over the length of his time with the Dodgers.

 

It counts your WARP over the life of the contract, so it would definitely include the Yankees stint.

[Mik 0]

I am surprised that Dreifort is not #1. That's a waste of $55M, but Mo Vaughn makes sense.

[sfaJack 0]

Jeff Bagwell being on that list surpirses me, but I suppose it shouldn't given that he didn't do anything in 2005 or 2006.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Gary Thorne is going to be calling Orioles games on MASN!

 

GOODBYE HOMERUN!

 

ugh

[Failed Bridge 0]

I completely expect Chad Cordero to be traded after winning his arbitration case and getting a raise of about $4mill.

[Smartly Pretty 0]

Got tickets to the Mets-Tigers spring training game. w00t.

[KingPK 0]

When do we want to start doing predictions? I know Spring Training just started, but I'm already tired of the Jeter-ARod and Barry Bonds stories. I need something else to talk about.

 

Time to start a new Spring Training/Outlook thread?

 

Johnny Ayers is the luckiest son of a bitch in the world. He's the Boston College leadoff hitter and thus will be the first batter to face Matsuzaka in his spring training debut. The guy could whiff badly on three pitches and he'll STILL walk back to the dugout with a huge smile on his face.

 

I'm hoping to score a ticket to at least ONE of his starts, but that's probably not happening unless someone up there likes me.

Edited February 22, 2007 by KingPK

[vivalaultra 0]

I hope so. I'm itching to type a super-long extended piece on the Astros that no one will ever read...or just copy and paste that one I already wrote in the other thread that nobody probably read.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I hope so. I'm itching to type a super-long extended piece on the Astros that no one will ever read...or just copy and paste that one I already wrote in the other thread that nobody probably read.

 

I like reading them, viva. I enjoy your wild-eyed optimism, even if it's completely misguided. I spend most of the year worrying about how my team could screw up so it's refreshing to see a guy who loves his team for all that they aren't.

[vivalaultra 0]

Wild-eyed optimism? Pshaw! I'm a realist, my man. Any team with Roy Oswalt, Lance Berkman, and Carlos Lee isn't going to be battling for fourth place. The Cubs are the Cubs. The Brewers have potential, but they're still a dark horse. It'll be the 'Stros and the Cards battling it out at the end of the season like always.

[sfaJack 0]

Oh come on. Carlos Lee is a nice player, but he's not an elite slugger like everyone around town is building him up to be. If Ensberg isn't productive this year, the Astros are dead because a lineup with Berkman/Lee is not enough, particularly when you have Biggio, Ausmus, and Everett getting as many AB's as they do.

[Failed Bridge 0]

Carlos Lee playing half his games in a park that caters to his power style could lead him to having an MVP caliber season (should the team make the playoffs).