Jayhawk Bill

For clarification, the Official Rules state neither, just what I quoted above... ...a different way of saying what I'm trying to say is, It's a judgment call--but how do you call a strike if there's no swing and the ball misses the zone?

Good trade. 1-0, Theo Bad signing. 1-1, Theo. BTW, I look at Edgah's stats with Boston and I believe that one of two things had to be true: 1) He was played hurt, or 2) He stopped juicing with Boston after his contract year but started again with Atlanta. Edgah came from Colombia...we now know that juicing was almost ubiquitous among serious Caribbean prospects in the 90's. As I've written before, I still regard Boston to have lost that deal. It's risky to second-guess any deal that brings one a critical player for a World Champion team, but the combination of Hanley, Anibel, and the players Boston could've signed through free agency with the salary dollars of Lowell and Beckett probably outweigh the contributions of Lowell and Beckett. Mine is a minority opinion. Gag me. Alex Gonzalez had neither range at shortstop nor OBP. He LOOKED great, and he usually had few errors and a reasonable batting average, but he was a disaster. Note that Boston's pitchers, especially ground ball pitchers, struggled in 2006 and that it was the worst scoring team in recent memory. Alex Gonzalez was letting the ground balls through for hits and using up precious outs to help make that happen. Another good call by Theo. Lugo was awe-inspiring in 2006, right up to his trade to LA in July. With hindsight, it looks as if something went wrong right before that trade, and that he didn't recover for a year. But look at his stats since then: [table] Time | BA | OBP | SLG Second half 2007 | .280 | .322 | .406 First half 2008 | .285 | .348 | .341 Career | .271 | .334 | .393[/table] Lugo's been near his career marks in all three areas between the latter half of 2007 and the beginning of the 2008 season. Lugo's defense is puzzling and aggravating--it appears as if his confidence in his ability has been shaken. Over his career, despite high errors, Lugo has been about an average SS, with fielding range offsetting occasional erratic throws. Suddenly FRAA suggests that he's costing Boston a run every five games at SS, and a quick check of RZR suggests that it may be higher, as much as a run every other game. It sure looks more like the higher total to those of us watching. Defense is notoriously prone to small-sample size effects. MLB GMs know this, and they haven't yet discounted Lugo at shortstop, I guarantee you. But... ...while I strongly dislike Terry Francona, his decision to sit Lugo down is clearly in the best interests of the team and the player. Mills, of course, is following Tito's direction in establishing his daily lineup card. As CrespoBlows writes, in the long run the picks we got for OCab were worth more than OCab, and Alex Gonzalez really, truly sucked. It's fair to be critical of the Renteria deals; right now, it's easy to be down on Lugo, but discounting his poor first half of 2007 (which he attributes to parasites) and his current bizarre trouble on defense, Lugo has been roughly what we should have expected, even if less than his 2006 performance with Tampa Bay.

without further defining "struck at." How "struck at" could involve a checked swing where no part of the bat ever passed through the strike zone and the wrists were not broken eludes me; I've seen those used as unofficial criteria to determine whether or not a batter "offered" at a pitched ball. I've seen many batters check their swing as Papi did and have a pitch be called a ball. I don't get it, just as Thorne and Palmer didn't get it. But you do--do you have any cause for that other than the absolute authority granted to umpires on balls and strikes?

Excellent point. With Wellmeyer and Pineiro as their 4-5 starters, they seem to be a team who might need Tavarez's capability to be a swing man, ready to start if needed, but you're right about the issues.

All good points. The biggest reason I keep supporting Lugo + Crisp for Greene is that the positive value of Crisp, both talent and contract considered, more than offsets the negative value of Lugo, again considering the contract. The net is roughly equal to the value of Greene in an average year...and neither his 2007 nor his 2008 thus far has been average for Greene looking at his whole career. He's roughly a .275/.328/.505, 27 HR, 94 RBI hitter on the road over the course of his career. PETCO kills him; Fenway would be ideally suited to his home run swing. Likewise, Coco and Lugo would probably flourish in PETCO. But it's not just that all three players seem better-suited to being in the other team's ballpark, nor that the trade exactly fills San Diego's and Boston's needs, nor that it moves three disaffected and currently unpopular players. It's that the value of talent less salary obligations looks about equal on each side. There are very few other trades I see as likely where Boston wouldn't eat Lugo's salary. *** BTW, Greene is in the first year of a two-year, $11 million contract. Lugo's contract has three years and $27 million left, plus an avoidable 2011 option. Crisp has two years at $10.5 million plus an $8 million club option for 2010 ($500,000 buyout). The Padres would accept an additional $25 million-odd in salary liability over three years in making the deal, but they'd acquire the shortstop and center fielder from the 2007 World Champions. The Padres appear to have the revenue stream to make this deal were they to choose to do so, and with Greene's stats at their nadir, the fans might applaud their team for making this move.

The Cardinals might take Lugo, but they'd want Boston to absorb some of the salary. *** A Greene-for-Felix Pie rumor floated briefly around the first of May but was shot down. Boston offered Coco Crisp to the Padres for Chase Headley to fill the vacuum caused by Edmonds' departure; Towers didn't make the deal. There's activity in San Diego, the rumors include Greene, and Crisp + Lugo for Greene answers both teams' issues. *** As an aside, though, with Cora and Lowrie Boston doesn't need to get a shortstop in return for Lugo. A deal with St Louis or some other team for a prospect--maybe with Tavarez as a throw-in, and with Boston picking up most of the salary--might be more likely than my preferred deal for Greene.

Yeah, they said that, too... ...actually, it didn't quite, but it certainly wasn't a swinging strike. If the Orioles' MASN team is questioning Diaz, the call sucked. *** Well, it's been a pleasure bemoaning this BS with all of you tonight. Later.

I'm watching the MASN feed tonight and both announcers were dubious of the call. They tried to defend Diaz pointing out that the tip of the bat did go around, but they acknowledged that the arms weren't extended and that one never sees that call in MLB.

You know, Markakis had a very good throw home, there on one accurate bounce. Great job by Ellsbury.

I thought so watching on TV. Double checking the Gameday feed, I bet that it shows on the borderline on Pitch f/x tomorrow.

I

No challenge with that point. He has to set up his curve with his fastball or it's ineffective. I'll grant you s***** location, but he was mixing his pitches. *** Hey, MDC in the game, Youkilis in right field...oddly, I'm feeling good about this one. :thumbsup:

Two out of five were on curveballs. Answer the point: did you acknowledge one single f***ing curveball?

Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. Fastball. How many of these words featured "curveball?"

Strike three to Youk was probably out of the strike zone.

Glancing back to the four-run inning on Gameday, every at bat with over two pitches that resulted in a hit featured at least one curveball.

Yes, but it was 4-6 weeks and he went on the DL April 19th...he might be back soon, and he should be back weeks before Moss.

Manny Ramirez threw like a girl on that attempt to stop the run.

Pawtucket stats: Jonathan van Every: .286/.361/.487 Bobby Kielty: .206/.404/.471 We have options.

768 hours. It'll be a few more, now that he's coming out of the game.

Human error differs from bias.