SB Nation User Blog: Keynes

Real Fake Interview with Guillermo Moscoso!

Keynes — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:31:19 -0000

Real Fake Interview with Guillermo Moscoso!

The long-awaited first entry in Strangers' series of Real fake Interviews, for your pleasure. Or disdain. Or both.

Peter Gammons with some terrfying tales

Keynes — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:58:15 -0000

Peter Gammons with some terrfying tales

The lowlights:
'One small-market Central Division team that hasn't done very well for years has essentially completed a deal with its fourth-round pick, who isn't a college junior and thus has bargaining leverage. But the commissioner's office doesn't like that the agreed-upon number is above slot and has refused to sign off, so the player hasn't gotten out there and is being kept from what the team decided is his market value.'

Now, maybe Peter is mis-stating the facts, and Bud just doesn't want ink on the deal until 8/15, and that's somewhat reasonable. But one could certainly read that Bud wants the deal re-done, and in slot. Which is insane, and, like, Revelation of John-level scary.

"It is amazing to see these kids in a tryout setting -- they can tune up a BP fastball and run the 60 but lack instincts and most basic fundamentals," one international scouting director said. "When we put them in games, their lack of game-playing skills stick out -- they can't slide, don't recognize situations. But buscones continue to emphasize power, arm strength and speed -- nothing else. What's more, they're taken out of school at 10 years old, and their abilities to retain information are severely hindered. We try to get these kids to learn English, yet their Spanish isn't very good."

Which makes me all the more happy that we hear such great things about Marteen's and Wilfredo's and Alvarez's and Edwin Escobar's character and aptitude. Let the other teams teach kids to read.

In 2006, Boston gave outfielder Engel Beltre $600,000. When everyone's favorite guide -- the Baseball America "Prospect Handbook" -- came out in 2007, Beltre was compared to Barry Bonds. The Red Sox traded Beltre to Texas, and he's hitting .217 with a .568 OPS in Class A ball. But his tools are still great.

I don't know if Engel is really a prime example of the dirty deeds buscones pull down south- didn't the kid spend most of his childhood in New York?

Former San Diego Padres chief executive officer Sandy Alderson is overseeing a wholesale investigation being conducted by Eddie Dominguez of MLB Security into corruption and fraud in the Dominican Republic and all over Latin America. The investigation could lead to the deportation of 70 to 100 minor leaguers.

Once again, it could be alarmism, and I have faith that the intense scouting we do is better than a lot of the dumber teams, and I doubt we lose any primo prospects.

But I will cry if we do. Like, serious crying. I'm man enough to admit it.

Tim Marchmen (SI): Rangers should trade for Cliff Lee. And Victor Martinez.

Keynes — Fri, 29 May 2009 02:13:02 -0000

Tim Marchmen (SI): Rangers should trade for Cliff Lee. And Victor Martinez.

Returning to Lee and Martinez, one has to think that they would look spectacular in Texas Rangers uniforms right now. (Texas has plenty of young catching, but there's no team that couldn't make room for a bat like Martinez's, especially as he can handle first base.) It's been a decade since the Rangers have played in October, but they've played well enough, and are in a weak enough division, that they have a real chance at it this year. They also have the deepest farm system in baseball. Catcher Max Ramirez, arguably not one of their 10 best prospects, is a seemingly good bet to put up several years of average play, and they have lots of other goods to accompany him, from control pitchers such as Blake Beavan to the riskier but potentially more rewarding likes of Kasey Kiker, who has already hit 10 batters in Double-A ball. One doesn't necessarily expect Cleveland to give up the last fraying shreds of its respectability in June, and given the Rangers' recent record of trading off the likes of John Danks and Edinson Volquez, their fans might well prefer them to play their pat hand. But a deal here would make a lot of sense.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/tim_marchman/05/28/potential.trades/1.html

Why does Hank Blalock have twice as many AB's as Andruw Jones?

Keynes — Sun, 17 May 2009 19:48:04 -0000

Why does Hank Blalock have twice as many AB's as Andruw Jones?

Andruw: 64 ABs, 16 BB's, .439 OBP, 11 XBH in 82 Pa's
Blalock: 127 AB's, 5 BB's, .272 OBP, 17 xbh in 136 PA's

The real disturbing thing here? Hank has 42 PA's vs LHP, while Andruw has 40. Hank's been good enough to give us a .186 OBP in those 42 AB's.

Another sad little nugget here? Andruw is tied with Kins for the team lead in BB's right now. Murph, Omar, and Teag are the only players with less PA's than Andruw so far.

Arias up, Shed down

Keynes — Sat, 09 May 2009 20:31:44 -0000

Arias up, Shed down

So says EG.

Boo for Wash not pinch-running Shed while he was up.

Schefter: Cowboys will seek compensation for Ireland

Keynes — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 16:45:38 -0000

Florio from PFT, parroting what Schefter reported at the game last night:

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Cowboys plan to seek compensation from the Miami Dolphins if, as expected, former Cowboys coach and new Fins poobah Bill Parcells pursues Jeff Ireland, the V.P. of college and pro scouting in Dallas.
If Ireland is given final say over the personnel, no compensation is required. While Parcells is expected to take the position that Ireland has final say, the 'Boys apparently are prepared to believe it.
The matter most likely would be resolved by the Commissioner.
Schefter also reports that the Cowboys expect Parcells to hire a current Dallas assistant to take over the coaching duties in Miami, if/when (i.e., when) Cam Cameron gets kicked to the curb.
And Schefter says that the Cowboys expect Parcells to target some of the players he brought to Dallas. Receiver Patrick Crayton, for example, will be an unrestricted free agent.

What I read into this is that Jerry is looking for the number one overall pick. And McFadden would be nice, but having King Ireland here would be a lot better, in my mind. Plenty of teams have won with a good RB (we have that, in Barber) and a really good personell man. Lots of teams have lost with great running backs and a cruddy personell department.

On the other hand, is this a ploy by Jerry to keep Ireland here without pissing him off?

'Jeff, I would've loved to let you out of your contract to GM down there, but they just weren't willing to pay market value for you. Here, to make it up to you, let me validate your parking...'