EVIL~! alkeiper Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 The Mets have apparently signed Yorvit Torrealba for three years. An 80 career OPS+ and .313 career OBP. The Phillies' offseason just got even better.
EVIL~! alkeiper Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 Seriously, why did Yorvit Torrealba become this desirable asset? His offense sucks. He threw out only 18% of would be basestealers this season. Leadership? No one made him a starter his first six seasons.
Bored Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 His team made the World Series, so there ya go. He might have gotten a four year deal if the Rockies won it all. Quite the accomplishment by the Mets to get rid of Paul Lo Duca and actually get worse at the catcher position.
Dobbs 3K Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 Supposedly the Rockies and Brewers both have interest in Jason Kendall. I'm sure he'd make a nice, small upgrade at the catcher position for quite a few teams, possibly.
devo Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 I'd be just fine with the signing of Torrealba if it was to a modest contract for a backup position. Three years and (from what I've heard) fifteen million AND he's going to get most of the starts? Blech. From what I've gathered, Minaya went after Yorvit 'cause he's supposed to be "fiery" and he calls a good game. Intangibles!
Cheech Tremendous Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 Supposedly the Rockies and Brewers both have interest in Jason Kendall. I'm sure he'd make a nice, small upgrade at the catcher position for quite a few teams, possibly. The same Jason Kendall that sported a -13.2 VORP? He was the worst catcher in baseball last year in any capacity, starter of backup. He's absolutely toast. And why are the Rockies messing with the Torrealbas and Kendalls of the world when they have Chris Ianetta right there?
Precious Roy Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 Do not want Mike Lowell as a 1B. Didn't even want him under the assumption that A-Rod was gone. This team is old and overpaid enough as it is, when we have a open spot to fill we should be trying to get younger and preferably cheaper players. And I have a hard time believing they'd pay him 15 million a year to play first base, that's ridiculous even for the Yankees. If they did sign Lowell, god forbid, and I know this would probably never happen, but he should be playing third, A-Rod should move back to shortstop, and Jeter should shelve his ego and accept a demotion to first base. That's the only way signing Lowell makes any sense whatsoever.
devo Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/met...0,2887202.story Confirmed. 3 years, 14.4 million for Torrealba. Really disappointing. I have no idea what Minaya sees in this guy. Yorvit's and Castro's contracts should be swapped. I shudder to think what'll happen to Torrealba's already anemic offense in Shea Stadium.
strummer Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 As I feared: "…I was able to talk with Troy E. Renck, who does an amazing job covering the Rockies for the Denver Post… Renck, on Torrealba’s overall game… “He is a clutch hitter and pitchers like the way he received and called the game…During the season it became obvious that the pitching staff had an unbelievable comfort level with him…The team’s manager, Clint Hurdle, went out of his way on repeated occasions to talk about how he thought what a terrific job Torrealba was doing calling games… “Torrealba’s main value is that he has passion, he has leadership qualities and he worked wonders with their pitchers. He knew when to give them a pat on the back or a kick in the BUTT.”
EVIL~! alkeiper Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 Next time I go to a AAA game, I'm telling the players they could be in the Majors if only they had passion. I'm sure they'll understand. Jason Kendall was awful last season. His batting statistics speak for themselves. He allowed 131 opposing baserunners to steal, only catching 10% of would be basestealers. Baserunning is a push. Leadership? A lot of good it did for the Pittsburgh Pirates. HOWEVER, Kendall's OBP's have been very good with the exception of last year with Oakland. If a team has no good catching options and can grab Kendall at a good price, he may provide some value.
Hawk 34 Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 Legendary Broadcaster Joe Nuxhall Has Died The 79-year-old died Thursday night at Mercy Hospital in Fairfield. By 700WLW News Friday, November 16, 2007 He fought long and hard, but in the end, Joe Nuxhall lost his battle. The Old Lefthander passed away Thursday night, at the age of 79. He had been battling cancer over the past couple of years, but most recently, was hospitalized for pneumonia and breathing problems. He was supposed to go through surgery to have a pacemaker implanted, but that operation was called off. At 10:55 p.m. Thursday, he was pronounced dead at Mercy Hospital in Fairfield. While it wasn't a surprise given the recent news of his worsening condition, it's still quite sad for anyone that grew up listening to him call a baseball the way it was meant to be called (a fading form in this modern era of broadcasters). He wasn't just a great broadcaster, he was a great guy that truly loved the game.
CanadianChris Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 Any chance Joba becomes the closer if Rivera walks? Their bullpen would be in tatters as it is; if Joba starts, they're going to have real problems finishing games.
Brett Favre Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 Not sure. I wouldn't mind making him a closer for another year. It would prolong him as a starter (well he'll at least pitch less innings than he would have). I don't know how it affects a pitcher though in the long term if he were to become a starting pitcher. If it's not Joba, I don't know what direction the Yankees take.
Boon Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 Throwing out three rookie starters (Joba, Hughes and Kennedy) would be a recipe for disaster. If Joba can handle being a closer, I'd keep him there. Same logic the Red Sox used with Papelbon.
Cheech Tremendous Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 Not sure. I wouldn't mind making him a closer for another year. It would prolong him as a starter (well he'll at least pitch less innings than he would have). I don't know how it affects a pitcher though in the long term if he were to become a starting pitcher. If it's not Joba, I don't know what direction the Yankees take. It's a very interesting topic. Most media types consider the role of closer to be more important than a starter because they confuse the concept of leverage with ability. However, sabermetric guys are often just as wrong because they feel the value of 200 innings as a starter are better than 60 in the bullpen. The truth lies somewhere in the middle. A good closer's value is somewhere between a #2 and #3 starter. If Joba truly has four above average pitches, he's going to be wasted in the bullpen. But if his stuff translates well to a short outing, than closer might be the best role for him. Think of it as the Papelbon Corollary.
Brett Favre Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 It's going to depend on what the Yankees do with the rotation. They'd definitely need another starter because Hughes, Wang, Kennedy, Mussina, and Igawa ugh, ain't going to cut it. The thing with Papelbon though, wasn't he a reliever coming out of college? Although he did translate well as a starter. Well, hopefully this is all avoided by Rivera signing.
Cheech Tremendous Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 It's going to depend on what the Yankees do with the rotation. They'd definitely need another starter because Hughes, Wang, Kennedy, Mussina, and Igawa ugh, ain't going to cut it. The thing with Papelbon though, wasn't he a reliever coming out of college? Although he did translate well as a starter. Well, hopefully this is all avoided by Rivera signing. Wang, Mussina, Hughes, Joba, Kennedy isn't that much better as a rotation. I don't mean that as a knock against Joba or any of the other guys either. It's a rotation filled with a lot of uncertainty and injury potential. Potential or not, expecting three rookies to carry a rotation could be a recipe for disaster. You'd like to see one more sure thing in that lineup. Even if Mariano is resigned, Joba could have a ton of value as a relief ace or set-up guy. A shutdown force in the late innings can have as much value as a closer if used correctly. Paps was a reliever in college, but was a starter in the minors. He was considered a better prospect than Anibal Sanchez and Jon Lester, who were his contemporaries in the system and have both shown a degree of success at the major league level. Ultimately, his value is much higher in the bullpen given his performance and how that would translate into a starting role.
Cheech Tremendous Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 New York City's quintessential A-list superstar, Yankees captain Derek Jeter, is in trouble with the taxman for claiming he resided in Florida during some of biggest years of his Big Apple career. New York state tax officials want Jeter to fork over what could be hundreds of thousands — even millions of dollars— in back taxes and interest for the years 2001 to 2003, when the baseball shortstop claimed residency in Florida, despite his high-profile presence in New York’s sports and gossip pages during that time. Captain Untaxable?
EVIL~! alkeiper Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 Any chance Joba becomes the closer if Rivera walks? Their bullpen would be in tatters as it is; if Joba starts, they're going to have real problems finishing games. Their bullpen should be fine. Right off my head they've got Kyle Farnsworth (don't laugh), Chris Britton, Ross Ohlendorf, Edwar Ramirez and Jose Veras. Most of the guys pitched AAA last year, but they can all get the job done. What they need is an ace reliever. But if they're willing to toss $45 million at Mariano Rivera, they would certainly bid on Francisco Cordero. Cheech, Phil Hughes is no longer a rookie. I think with Igawa in the bullpen, they would have a fallback plan. The thing is, how many mediocre pitchers do you sign to fail just because your best pitchers happen to be young? Besides, this is a team that was trying to get by on Darrell Rasner, Hughes, Jeff Karstens, Chase Wright and Matt DeSalvo in the first six weeks of the season alone last year. At least these young pitchers have potential.
Cheech Tremendous Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 Cheech, Phil Hughes is no longer a rookie. I think with Igawa in the bullpen, they would have a fallback plan. The thing is, how many mediocre pitchers do you sign to fail just because your best pitchers happen to be young? Besides, this is a team that was trying to get by on Darrell Rasner, Hughes, Jeff Karstens, Chase Wright and Matt DeSalvo in the first six weeks of the season alone last year. At least these young pitchers have potential. I know that Phil Hughes is no longer considered a rookie. But to this point he has a grand total of 72 innings pitched at the major league level. It's not that I'm advocating the pursuit of Kyle Lohse or some other mediocre starter just to fill out a rotation with a "name." But I do wonder about putting too much reliance on the young guys when they aren't necessarily prepared to carry the workload or expectations of a 200 inning starting pitcher. There are going to be big time growing pains with these guys next year and you'd hate to see them take the fall because of the lofty expectations of the New York media and Yankees fans.
vivalaultra Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 The Houston Astros have traded CF prospect Josh Anderson to the Hotlanta Braves for Oscar Villareal. With the addition of Michael Bourn, Anderson was expendable, despite his terrific Sept. The Astros also signed Minor League free agent Yordany Ramirez to a Minor League deal and put him on the 40-man roster. I'm not orgasmic over the trade, but it's not terrible or anything.
EVIL~! alkeiper Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 Legendary Broadcaster Joe Nuxhall Has Died The 79-year-old died Thursday night at Mercy Hospital in Fairfield. By 700WLW News Friday, November 16, 2007 He fought long and hard, but in the end, Joe Nuxhall lost his battle. The Old Lefthander passed away Thursday night, at the age of 79. He had been battling cancer over the past couple of years, but most recently, was hospitalized for pneumonia and breathing problems. He was supposed to go through surgery to have a pacemaker implanted, but that operation was called off. At 10:55 p.m. Thursday, he was pronounced dead at Mercy Hospital in Fairfield. While it wasn't a surprise given the recent news of his worsening condition, it's still quite sad for anyone that grew up listening to him call a baseball the way it was meant to be called (a fading form in this modern era of broadcasters). He wasn't just a great broadcaster, he was a great guy that truly loved the game. To put Nuxhall in perspective, when Nuxhall pitched in the Majors he was one year older than Danny Almonte when Almonte pitched in the Little League World Series.
Cheech Tremendous Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 The Houston Astros have traded CF prospect Josh Anderson to the Hotlanta Braves for Oscar Villareal. With the addition of Michael Bourn, Anderson was expendable, despite his terrific Sept. The Astros also signed Minor League free agent Yordany Ramirez to a Minor League deal and put him on the 40-man roster. I'm not orgasmic over the trade, but it's not terrible or anything. How many centerfield prospects do the Braves need?
CanadianChris Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 The Houston Astros have traded CF prospect Josh Anderson to the Hotlanta Braves for Oscar Villareal. With the addition of Michael Bourn, Anderson was expendable, despite his terrific Sept. The Astros also signed Minor League free agent Yordany Ramirez to a Minor League deal and put him on the 40-man roster. I'm not orgasmic over the trade, but it's not terrible or anything. How many centerfield prospects do the Braves need? They probably know they're not resigning Andruw Jones, and want lots of options in the hope that one of them will pan out.
EVIL~! alkeiper Posted November 16, 2007 Report Posted November 16, 2007 Larry Bowa is the Dodgers' third-base coach. Bowa in Dodger blue, there's a sight Phillies fans thought they'd never see.
geniusMoment Posted November 17, 2007 Report Posted November 17, 2007 Legendary Broadcaster Joe Nuxhall Has Died The 79-year-old died Thursday night at Mercy Hospital in Fairfield. By 700WLW News Friday, November 16, 2007 He fought long and hard, but in the end, Joe Nuxhall lost his battle. The Old Lefthander passed away Thursday night, at the age of 79. He had been battling cancer over the past couple of years, but most recently, was hospitalized for pneumonia and breathing problems. He was supposed to go through surgery to have a pacemaker implanted, but that operation was called off. At 10:55 p.m. Thursday, he was pronounced dead at Mercy Hospital in Fairfield. While it wasn't a surprise given the recent news of his worsening condition, it's still quite sad for anyone that grew up listening to him call a baseball the way it was meant to be called (a fading form in this modern era of broadcasters). He wasn't just a great broadcaster, he was a great guy that truly loved the game. To put Nuxhall in perspective, when Nuxhall pitched in the Majors he was one year older than Danny Almonte when Almonte pitched in the Little League World Series. Also, to put things in perspective Nuxhall pitched one inning as a gimmick, got rocked, and spent 8 years in the minors, not coming back up until he was 23.
EVIL~! alkeiper Posted November 17, 2007 Report Posted November 17, 2007 Also, to put things in perspective Nuxhall pitched one inning as a gimmick, got rocked, and spent 8 years in the minors, not coming back up until he was 23. It wasn't a gimmick. Nuxhall was with the team on opening day. When McKechnie put him in the game, it was on the wrong end of a 13-0 blowout in the ninth inning. It was not some ploy that the Reds announced in advance to sell tickets. I don't think it was intended for Nuxhall to pitch, and it was only in a nothing situation that the manager decided to give it a shot. Nuxhall did NOT spend eight years in the minors. He went back to high school for a couple years.
geniusMoment Posted November 17, 2007 Report Posted November 17, 2007 Maybe gimmick is the wrong choice of words, and Nuxhall by all accounts is a great guy, but that whole pitching at 15 thing is overblown. Here's the story, Nuxhall's dad (a guy named Orville) was a low level prospect, getting a few tryouts. When WWII hit the Reds were looking for talent (along with the rest of the league). They went to see Orville pitch in a game near Hamilton, Ohio. While waiting for Orville, the scouts saw a tall kid throwing on a mound a few fields over, they went and watched him, eventually signing him with the thought that they could someday develop him into a starter. However, he needed permission from the school principal to sign, which he was given. Then four days after the troops stormed the beaches of Normandy Nuxhall was thrown onto the mound in a throw-away game with little to no fanfare. He didn't work his way through the minors, it wasn't because he was the most dominant high school pitcher ever, it was merely the coming together of multiple factors (most notably WWII) and because the scouts just happened to see him despite never scouting him or seeing him throw a game in high school, not a huge amount of talent that has never been seen since.
EVIL~! alkeiper Posted November 17, 2007 Report Posted November 17, 2007 Here's a better Joe Nuxhall fact. His 1956 Bowman is the oldest baseball card I ever owned.
geniusMoment Posted November 17, 2007 Report Posted November 17, 2007 Here's a better Joe Nuxhall fact. His 1956 Bowman is the oldest baseball card I ever owned. Did you sell it, or do you still have it?
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