SBNation.com User Blog: Doghnut

BJ could be Demoted

Doghnut — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 16:26:32 -0000

JoePos on "ANT"

Doghnut — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:07:45 -0000

JoePos on "ANT"

JoePos wrote what I think is an interesting take on ANT (Announcer Nonsense Talk -- when announcers say good things about players that aren't actually true).

He uses a lot of examples, but his biggest one is Jeff Francouer. It's worth the read if you have five minutes to spare.

Testaverde to College HoF

Doghnut — Mon, 06 May 2013 20:52:39 -0000

Testaverde to College HoF

Former Jet will be inducted to the college football hall of fame. Good for Vinny.

Heap back tomorrow

Doghnut — Sun, 05 May 2013 18:52:14 -0000

Idzik Interview

Doghnut — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:12:24 -0000

Idzik Interview

I know Mike and Mike isn't always the greatest show, but Idzik did a decent interview this morning.

He discussed Tebow and his draft philosophy. Seems he is more a "BAP" guy.

Gattis in the NYT

Doghnut — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 13:30:29 -0000

Gattis in the NYT

I'm not sure if there is anyone left at TC that doesn't know this story by heart yet, but it's good to see the paper of record giving the bear some attention.

NYT on Kimbrel

Doghnut — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 19:23:07 -0000

Stark on the HoF Ballot

Doghnut — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 14:56:34 -0000

Stark on the HoF Ballot

This a (longish) fascinating read from Jayson Stark on how he filled out his Hall of Fame ballot this year. I think everyone interested in the hall and the steroid debate should give it a read.

He explains why he voted for each person on his ballot as well as the top five left off. It's interesting to see how someone like him handles the steroid question.

He also has a nice part about Dale:

"The last-timer: Dale Murphy
I'll be honest. If I were ranking the 15 players I wanted to include on this ballot, Dale Murphy wouldn't have made the top 10. But I've been voting for the guy for a decade and a half. Couldn't stop now, when he's in his 15th and final lap around the track.

I can't ever remember a player who has had a stranger voting history than Dale Murphy. In his first three elections, when nearly everyone voting on him had seen him play, he averaged 101 votes. In his next six, he averaged 55.

In 2000, he got more votes (116) than Bert Blyleven or Jack Morris. By 2004, he was down to 43 and almost dropped off the ballot. Bizarre.

By last year, Murphy was back up to 83 votes -- his most in 11 years, for some reason. And this winter, as Jerry Crasnick wrote last week, his entire family has mounted a heart-warming campaign for him that raises one truly meaningful question:

Why is the character-and-integrity clause being applied only as a negative, to justify votes against the Mark McGwires of the earth? Why can't it be a reason to vote for a man such as Murphy, one of the great baseball citizens who ever occupied any clubhouse?

Like many Murphy supporters, I would like to have seen a longer period of dominance. But I still see an eight-year stretch (1980-87) when this man ranked first, second or third in the entire sport in runs scored, home runs, extra-base hits, intentional walks and total bases. He got MVP votes in seven of those eight seasons and won twice. In that eight-year span, he and Andre Dawson were the only two players in the 200-Homer, 100-Steal Club and the only NL outfielders who won five straight Gold Gloves.

That's an awfully long time for any player to hang around the who's-the-best-player-in-his-league conversation. Long enough, at least, to justify casting one final vote for a player whose stature still exceeds the total accumulation of his numbers."

Victorino gets 3 yr, 39 mil from BoSox

Doghnut — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 00:01:41 -0000

Victorino gets 3 yr, 39 mil from BoSox

SoE on the NL East Hot Stove

Doghnut — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:28:36 -0000

SoE on the NL East Hot Stove

Sports on Earth does a breakdown of what each NL East team has and what they need to get.

The "Dark Horse" section for the Braves is especially interesting...

Keri on Meds

Doghnut — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 20:54:34 -0000

Keri on Meds

I'm not a huge fan of Grantland, but Jonah Keri wrote a decent, if short, article on Medlen yesterday. Good to see him getting some recognition.

Stark: Kimbrel for CY Young

Doghnut — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 16:02:12 -0000

Stark: Kimbrel for CY Young

Stark makes Craig's case.

Kimbrel was lugging five large boxes around the clubhouse before the game. They contained a bunch...

Doghnut — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 19:34:32 -0000

Kimbrel was lugging five large boxes around the clubhouse before the game. They contained a bunch of goodies he ordered for his teammates from the All-Star game. His fellow relievers got All-Star gnomes, while everyone else received a gray T-shirt. Kimbrel also ordered something for himself: a baseball covered in 24-carat gold.

Odd bit from today's game notes

Completely irrelevant, but I thought it was interesting. I wonder what a ball covered in gold looks like.

Dodgers Might Alter Playoff Race

Doghnut — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 22:19:32 -0000

Dodgers Might Alter Playoff Race

The Dodgers and Sox might be close to a crazy deal. LA would get Crawford, Gonzalez, Beckett and Punto. If it goes through, the NL might get a little more interesting.

Greinke to Angels

Doghnut — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 00:45:45 -0000

Greinke to Angels

Greinke is off the market.

Joe Pos on the All Star Game

Doghnut — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 15:09:58 -0000

Joe Pos on the All Star Game

Fun article from Joe Pos and some interesting ideas for the all star game.

All Star Rosters Announced

Doghnut — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 19:08:51 -0000

All Star Rosters Announced

Uggla and Kimbrel for the Braves.

Melky fing Cabrera is in the outfield...wow.

Playoff Replaces BCS

Doghnut — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 00:31:48 -0000

Playoff Replaces BCS

Looks like we're headed for a four team playoff.

JoePos on the DH

Doghnut — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 15:15:30 -0000

JoePos on the DH

We've had some talk here recently about the DH (more specifically, about how Heap's future with the Braves might be different if the NL had it). Joe Pos offers an interesting take on the DH with an idea that most people don't seem to consider -- that it's good that one league has it and the other does not.

Padres land Quentin

Doghnut — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 20:47:18 -0000

Padres land Quentin

Only TC related because a chunk of people have lobbied for him to be a Brave. Chicago got minor league pitchers Simon Castro, a right-hander, and Pedro Hernandez, a left-hander.

OSU receives bowl ban, loses 9 scholarships

Doghnut — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:04:28 -0000

OSU receives bowl ban, loses 9 scholarships

Any ideas on how this affects SC? Considering these penalties, I wonder what SC's will be.

Allen and Watkins earn first team AP All-American

Doghnut — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:56:16 -0000

Allen and Watkins earn first team AP All-American

Darvish coming to MLB

Doghnut — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:52:02 -0000

Darvish coming to MLB

Yu Darvish is going to make himself available to MLB teams through the same bid process used by Ichiro and Daisuke. I can't imagine the Braves going after him, but it will still provide an interesting story for MLB.

Lattimore out for the season

Doghnut — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 21:39:34 -0000

Lattimore out for the season

Wonder what the OBC will do now for his offense.

Garcia Dismissed

Doghnut — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:59:07 -0000

Garcia Dismissed

I think we all saw this coming at some point.

ACC Officially a 14 team league

Doghnut — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 13:04:34 -0000

ACC Officially a 14 team league

Welcome to Syracuse and Pitt.

I think if we're going to do this, we might as well go ahead and grab two other teams too. Looks like it's heading that way anyway.

Joe Pos on Wins

Doghnut — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:18:56 -0000

Joe Pos on Wins

Not Braves related, but still an interesting article from Joe Pos on wins. He hits how I think most of us feel exactly -- wins are interesting and fun to look at, but have little value.

Playoff Analysis from Keri

Doghnut — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 22:45:48 -0000

Playoff Analysis from Keri

Jonah Keri has some interesting things to say about the Braves that will leave most of us here nodding our heads. My favorite:

"Bruce Bochy's outmanaging Ron Washington wasn't the only reason the Giants beat the Rangers in the World Series last fall. But it did help. Braves fans better hope their team's playoff life doesn't come down to a managerial battle of wits."

Joe Pos on the ASG

Doghnut — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:53:14 -0000

Joe Pos on the ASG

Joe Pos has an interesting article on the All Star Game. I especially liked this line:

"Don’t reduce the fans’ role in the game — INCREASE it. I cannot believe that baseball does not allow hometown fans to choose their representative. Why wouldn’t they do that? A Final Fan vote for every team, let them choose their representative. And then give the managers the power to fill out the team. How is this hard at all?"

I think that is an interesting premise. Not really sure how it would be carried out -- I guess voting could only be done at the ballpark or maybe your email address is tied to a team. What do you guys think?

Reds prospect fulfills military duties

Doghnut — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 23:00:05 -0000

Reds prospect fulfills military duties

Not Braves related, but still baseball and July 4th related. Nice, short story about a former Red minor leaguer who is now in Iraq.