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Without hysteria SI’s Tom Verducci lays out the reason Bruce Sutter shouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame. Popularizing a pitch is a good reason to have an exhibit, not to be enshrined.
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On The DL
This blog team (mostly gals, one guy) posts blind gossip items purportedly about ballplayers and asks readers to speculate on who is doing what to whom. The tone is rude and sassy and definitely not for kids or folks who don’t like to think about such things. No way to tell how much if any is based on anything other than active imaginations, but that may make it (and especially the comments) more fun.
MLB.com On the Move column
I’ve been finding MLB.com’s On the Move column analyzing the offseason player movement to be pretty good, but today’s take on Corey Patterson strikes me as oh soooo knee jerk. Everyone knows that Patterson crumpled last year in the face of insane pressure for him to change his game. Does that mean he “is worth no more than speculative AL-only bench bid” this year?
I don’t think so. Sure, there’s a chance Patterson’s career was wrecked with his confidence last year, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that this guy walked 46 times in 2004 while tallying 63 extra base hits and stealing 32 bases. And he turns just 27 years old this year. Look at Juan Encarnacion for a less talented hitter with no better patience, less power and speed, and his apparent collapse in 2001 as an antecedent. Get Patterson away from the top of the lineup, let him hack and run and the Orioles are going to enjoy what he gives them.
Meanwhile I’m hoping he has a bad spring that drops his price some.
USATODAY.com Salaries Database
USATODAY.com Baseball salaries database
The new Ask Rotoman blog will be chockablock with references to useful and timewasting services on the web. This is a good one. Track your favorite team’s salary by year, or your favorite player’s, or see how your team in this year or that wasted its precious dough, here.
The Baseball Analysts
The Baseball Analysts: Abstracts From The Abstracts
I ended up at this site because of these abstracts of all of Bill James’ Baseball Abstracts, from 1977 to 1988. At one point I conceived of a project creating a comprehensive index to James’ books, because I found myself spending a lot of time looking for his little studies of this or that. The WWW and the explosion of baseball research published there means that James’ work is easily found in reference (if not the actual stories) through Google. Still, these amiable descriptions of the contents of each book are nearly as enjoyable to read as the originals.
Baseball Analysts also has a very nice set of links to important and interesting baseball information. Nice work.
Wilkinson, Defiant Figure of Red Scare, Dies at 91 – New York Times
Wilkinson, Defiant Figure of Red Scare, Dies at 91 – New York Times
Frank Wilkinson is the hero of Ry Cooder’s amazing 2005 album Chavez Ravine
Orioles lose out on Burnitz
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I think it can be fairly argued that by letting Burnitz slip away the Orioles are trying to satisfy Miguel Tejada.
Suing Over Statistics – Los Angeles Times
Suing Over Statistics – Los Angeles Times
A fantasy games company is suing MLBAM, saying it shouldn’t have to license stats to run its fantasy games. Another shot in what promises to be an exciting battle this year.
The New Ask Rotoman Site
The fact that you’re here means it’s happening. The fact that you can’t reach all the parts means it’s not totally happening. Yet.
By the time the Guide is available (January 24th, though usually it shows up in some places earlier), this place should be humming.
Mays Field. Fight for it!
Mays Field at AT&T Park Petition
There is a movement afoot to try to get SBC/AT+T to rename the Giants’ home field in San Francisco after the greatest Giant of them all. No, not Mel Ott. I don’t see why this no-brainer needs a petition, but I was happy to (accidentally) sign twice.
Let’s play two!