ORS

Dickpunch loss sighting.

A nonsave situation? What are you thinking? That could ruin him.

Should have been a triple. Slow f***er.

Don't think so. Shields is throwing BP.

Matsui ties it up. He's been on fire lately.

Nnn..it is high, nnn...it is far, nnn...it is GAHHHN! Pena, 1-0 Rays.

Maybe it's an attempt to showcase him. I have to admit, it's a strange move. He's not shown that he's ready. If he's in the long-term plans, this makes no sense.

I guess you really didn't get the utility of that site. That information is available on each HR, and his calcs were based on, wait for it, and I did state it, prevailing winds. I do admit when I'm wrong. I said the Damon decision looked like a poor one last year and that I was wrong if that was how he would play his contract out. Now that the other shoe has dropped, you are the only one trying to shove the square peg into the round hole. So, about that credibiliity issue, following your own advice seems like a good idea.

Hittracker is a useful site. You should note, the guy who created and runs that site posted over at SoSH last year. Oritz' upperdeck shot in May last year, which went farther than any of Damon's upperdeck jobs, wouldn't have made the track at Fenway with prevailing winds by his calcs. I agree, stats should be used to confirm what you observe. However, I think you should look before you jump. I think you do it the other way around, and only look at those that provide confirmation.

But not Youkilis, right, because he's too slow. Cute, yet perfectly analogous. You are this generation's dinosaur who thinks a new way of looking at the game holds no value. Well, when those observations yield that Pedroia will fall on his face and attempt to invalidate Crisp's improvement in the field because of one observed poor reaction despite stats that show him to be a league leader at his position, then yeah, I tend to disregard them. They'll start to carry more weight with me when they start hitting the nail on the head. The stats are out there and freely available. I don't feel it's my responsibility to inform. Inform yourself. I'll join the discussion when its apparent you haven't done so. If you take umbrage with that, then sorry. And I'll stop being a dick when you do.

It's not about whether or not you need to use them. You can't. And it's kind of funny. One hundred years ago, a guy introduced the concept where instead of trying to remember how often a guy got a hit he actually calculated the rate at which it happens. Then some older guy said, "Who needs that, I can tell who can hit and who can't with my own two eyes", just like you are doing now. It's even funnier than that. You piss and moan about the decisions they make and want answers. Well, go get them. James started it all, and he works for the Sox. So, while you mockingly question its utility, the answers are within. I suggest you start with Bill James' Historical Baseball Abstract. It's not heavy on stats but you get a feel for what he started and why, and you'll see he's not just some number cruncher. He's passionate about one thing. Baseball. And his books have a breadth of knowledge about the game from its inception to the present. And, can you quit with the non-sequitor about me thinking its only about the stats. I've never dismissed the importance of scouting. I just choose not to ignore something because it is new and unfamiliar.

What a banal answer. Totally trite and predictable.

Cabrera is better in CF than Crisp? By what measure? The superterrific 700 "I watched Melky make a nice play and Crisp make a bad one so listen to me" metric? Unless you are watching every inning both of them play in the field, noting starting position, jump, distance covered, and extra bases limited, then it's just more hogwash to fellate Damon with. By THT's ZR, BP's Rate2, and UZR/gm, they are equals.

Well, in case you haven't noticed as has been reported, a healthy Crisp developed a bad habit in his swing mechanics coming off the injury as compensation. That was corrected in early June. Look at the last two months.... [table]Month|BA|OBP|SLG June|.330|.362|.455 July|.276|.364|.552[/table] That's almost two months of .308/.363/.494 (and this isn't including today). It's too early and unlikely to call this what to expect going forward. And I agree, we need the Damon deal to play all the way out to determine the merits of that non-signing. But you are flat out wrong. A healthy Damon, which is unlikely to happen with any regularity anymore (it's his legs and he's a speed guy = not good), does not bury this guy. We've seen about two straight months of the Coco we saw at the beginning of last year, and that guy is Damon's equal.

Only going to count the ones that are close to equivalent, huh? What about BA, SLG, Total Bases, and that kind of important benefit of having a guy play his actual position? Those don't matter? What a joke. Nice version of equivalence. Damon is spending the majority of the time as the DH, where you tend to put a big bat. He's absolutely dragging that team down by putting up a 81 OPS+ from that spot. So, we're supposed to want one good year in exchange for what looks like 3 years of sucking from a spot you should have a big bat? Brilliant.

So, Damon was demonstrably better last year, Crisp is demonstrably better this year, and we are supposed to want Damon because....? I really would like to know. From this point forward, why do we want Damon more? And that is the comp, because that is the replacement. Drew has been a disappointment thus far, but that's no reason to want another one. No thanks.

Hollywood is having himself a fine inning* in the process. Makes the final out at 2nd trying to stretch a fairly routine single into a double. Then boots Navarro's long bunt. He's a joke between the ears. *Technically, it wasn't the same inning, but two halves make a whole.

Game 2. Over already.

I agree. It's good to see. And, take a look at the stats for the Royals 'pen. It will open your eyes. They are quite good.

Rehabbing in Pawtuckett tonight. So far.... 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K More please. EDIT: I think he's only going 3, so this is probably the final line.... 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K

The WS 'pen is the worst in the AL. So, it's good that they are taking advantage of the opportunity, but let's temper our optimism. I think this game is Piniero proof now.

So, given the length of this half-frame and the pad to the lead, do they bring the kid back out for the 8th?

Lowell makes Pedroia and Youks look fast. f*** is he slow. EDIT: And it turns out he was safe. Figures.

Wow, ripped. Seen a lot of that this year.