notin

He also oversaw the most roided team in MLB history - a team so chock full of chemicals, they were legally classified as a pesticide. I don’t overtly blame him for this behavior. But it does enhance his track record a bit....

Well, LaRussa had an odd take on the late inning defensive 1b replacement. For him, it was Mike Squires. Squires was a weak hitter who often came into games late for Tom Paciorek. Nothing unusual. Except that LaRussa was so god of Squires’ defense, he toyed with the idea of using Mike as a defensive replacement for his 3b, Vance Law. Now first of all, Squires, as you might have guessed, is left-handed. But still, he got in 14 games as a southpaw 3b. You don’t remember when LaRussa managed the Cardinals and used to bat the pitcher 8th so he could have his two speediest hitters hit back to back? Also he could get more plate appearances for his pitchers! Yeah! And then also when he used to bat an injured Mark McGwire first in road games so Big Mac could give him a 1-0 lead in the first inning before being replaced, effectively using him as a pinch hitter for the leadoff hitter. Many questions from me. Like, if you’re that confident in him homering, why not save him for an at bat with men on base? Why take away the plate appearance from your actual lead off hitter, whom I think was Placido Polanco? Why cut your bench down by a man before the first inning is over? This whole idea seemed silly. LaRussa strikes ma as a guy who is constantly in search of some Revolutionary Strategy that he can be remembered for. I don’t think he cares which one we choose....

And the last time we elected a President born before these two candidates was 1988. You remember 1988? “The Last Emperor” won Best Picture. Jim Rice was in LF. And Tony LaRussa was managing the A’s...

Arguably he invented the closer because he couldn't run a bullpen. I don't get why people who hate analytics like the same guy who brought in such bizarre "innovations" as hitting the pitcher 8th, defensive replacements at 1B (that whole thing is just weird), and using Mark McGwire as a lead off hitting second baseman. But hey, those are all waaaay more sensible than a guy using a notecard, I guess... ..

To be fair to the White Sox. LaRussa was not their first choice. But Whitey Herzog was unavailable...

Well, don't forget, there have been other "noticeable" changes that you didn't notice. Like dedicated bullpens, dedicated ninth inning specialists aka "closers", LOOGY's? 5 man rotations? Or even 4 man rotations? How about in the 80's, when every player who got to first just automatically ran tried to steal second? And every team pitched out once per inning? That was the Golden Era of the Stolen Base. Ty Cobb's record of 96 stolen bases lasted from 1915 to 1962 and Maury Wills. At the start of the 1980 season, Cobb had sole possession of third place on the Single Season Stolen Base leaderboard. By the end of 1980, he was tied for fifth. So you don't like everyone hitting home runs? What about when no one did? And players like Franklin Baker lead the league with NINE? And his nickname was "Home Run"!! Then that Ruth guy came along and smashed an unheard of 29 home runs for the 1919 Red Sox (a team that collectively hit 32 home runs). What about stuff like Astroturf? If Ty Cobb got to play on it, think Pete Rose is the all time leader in hits? There have been so may changes. Guys holding notecards doesn't bother me and never will...

So Craig Edwards thinks Brad Hand will get 2 yrs/$10 mill when any team in MLB can have him for 1 yr/$10mill by filing a claim instead of negotiating?

Do players sign with Seattle when they have other choices?

Not dazzled by his 7.22 ERA?

Were they talking about baseball or hopscotch?

My early Sox FA predictions First of all, I predict the Sox do NOT claim Brad Hand. As I am operating on the assumption that I have no idea how they really make decisions, I figure it makes absolutely no sense to pass on him. Which is why they will. And since Cleveland was unable to get so much as an A-ball wild card for him in a trade, everyone else will, too. That out of the way, these predictions each carry a standard 50% chance of being correct. Either they sign the guy or they don't. End of explanation. But here are the names. 1. Brad Hand. He's signing somewhere. No one needs pitching more. Just not for $10mill 2. Kevin Gausman. Not exactly the starter we want. But he seems like one of those guys analytic-types like too much. 3. Brad Miller. He's just too perfect of a fit as a left-handed bench bat that can play multiple INF/OF positions. If they don't sign him, I plan to invoke my same logic for not claiming Hand. But I think the money saved on Hand pays or him. 4. Trevor May. He's better than you think. 5. Mike Zunino. Bloom acquired him before. He's a good field/no hit catcher they can pair with Plawecki to free up Vazquez for a trade, which they will do. Unless I am also wrong here. That is all...

Well if that doesn’t make your nipples explode, what will? Now that I’ve said that, watch Bloom sign him...

Realmuto is a perfect fit for them, but Bauer is the bigger media splash....

But baseball has always been a data-driven sports. Even if you ignore that it has more statistics than any other sport, you at least have to acknowledge they have always used advanced scouts to get data. Is it more disturbing when teams learn how to defend a hitter using analytics as opposed to from a scout? The whole notion that players “just go out there and play” has probably been dead a lot longer than you think...

But he can’t play!!!

Also, she got caught cheating

Trevor Bauer and Tommy La Stella...

Why? That's like getting mad at NFL head coaches because they wear headsets...

To be fair, with Bellinger, Seager, and their stable of young pitchers, I would not have been surprised if they were unable to retain Betts. Or at least not seen him try the market he was allegedly eager to test at some point...

The only thing it explains is why Boone has not been fired. But I also think the analytics are becoming a convenient scapegoat for people who are resistant to changes in the way the game is measured. Not played, just measured. Even on this board, there are plenty of people who think the analytics rule the day, rather than acting as guides to decision making.

These teams are certainly taking them time to phone in the "due diligence" when hiring and signing a manager when all they really need is a warm body to put on a uniform and walk to the mound to make pre-determined pitching changes? Why not just save the cash and go back to having player-managers? One less salary on the books for a guy who has no impact anyway...

Well, the problem then became one of who else was interested. If it was the Dodgers or keep him (which obviously killed any hope of re-signing him as well as unloading Price), should the Sox have just stood pat?

Close enough..

Mets360 perdicts the Sox sign Bauer and La Stella http://mets360.com/?p=41472

Ah great. The Illuminati Conspiracy Theories come to baseball. While teams do use and, in some cases, overuse analytics, to think they have become the sole decision making tactic and that teams are paying millions of dollars to managers to act as figureheads is just silly. But this is how many people lash out against strategies they don’t understand and are therefore skeptical of...