SB Nation User Blog: N Oakley

Jake Fox, Open and Insightful on the Team and his fielding from his first arrival to now. 6/23/09 670am

N Oakley — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:25:05 -0000

Jake Fox, Open and Insightful on the Team and his fielding from his first arrival to now. 6/23/09 670am

Fox discusses:

The pressure he felt from the fans and press upon his call up.

How tight and unhappy the locker room was on arrival.

How much happier and looser the team is now.

His improved fielding and linking the improvement to mental segregation of hitting and fielding and not letting one carry over to the other.

Trial by fire in conversion from full time catcher to part time LF and begging a glove off Cliff Floyd.

My $.02 is this guy has big personality and hope his take on fielding is accurate. Apologies for the Score link, but I heard it on the way in to the office.

OT: Jose Canseco MMA Debut

N Oakley — Tue, 26 May 2009 20:11:44 -0000

OT: Jose Canseco MMA Debut

Thought everyone might like something else to consider today.

ESPN's Neel writes article on how defensive stats, not economy shaped free agency

N Oakley — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:00:03 -0000

ESPN's Neel writes article on how defensive stats, not economy shaped free agency

Eric Neel of ESPN writes article noting how clubs are using Baseball Prospectus and UZR when looking at Free Agents and how the defensive measurements shaped free agency this offseason.

Nothing new for anyone already converted, but good reading for the rest of us.

New Yahoo Autopick Fantasy League

N Oakley — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:12:18 -0000

New Yahoo Autopick Fantasy League

If still wanted. Yahoo Autopick with max of 10 spots.

ID# 110494
Name: 368 Ft to the Bleachers
Password: theriot

Added categories to Yahoo standard for OPS, GIDP and Blown Saves. Will consider others if wanted.

Padres target Eckstein for SS (Really?)

N Oakley — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:30:05 -0000

Padres target Eckstein for SS (Really?)

I have nothing against Eckstein, but wouldn't Ronny "Boom Boom" Cedeno be more interesting to the Padres.

Everyone knows exacty what Eckstein brings, but is no long term solution. Ronny has some potential upside and could become something given the chance to play, elsewhere.

Cedeno has no real spot with the Cubs, why can't Hendry at least get something for the Pads for him?

1/9/09 Score Interview with Jim Hendry

N Oakley — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:15:06 -0000

1/9/09 Score Interview with Jim Hendry

This is the link discussing Bradley, Fukudome, Fontenot and DeRosa referenced numerous times today.

Trib Link For Best Blog Nominations

N Oakley — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:37:48 -0000

Trib Link For Best Blog Nominations

Chicago Tribune looking for submissions on best local blogs. Just guessing some of you could think of a nomination.

Cubs: I can't quit you. Would you take an Antidote?

N Oakley — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:42:28 -0000

I guess the fact that I am posting this says more than I can type.

I decided Saturday Night/Sunday Morning to take a break and step away. This season was okay, tremendous regular season, horrible and painful post season.

The way this season ended was not acceptable, but was much better than any season ending before the all star break. I knew the Dodger matchup was brutal, I knew the Cubs whiffed against the D-Backs in 2007. I know Soriano and Ramirez feast on mediocre pitching and that great pitchers can shut them down.

Soriano's quote on the team being built for the marathon of the season and not a short series is right on. A team that can generate offense against the poor and mediocre pitching of the league and get lucky against the Sabathias and Hamels will have difficulty in the post season.

While I'm heartbroken, I will not "be back," as I am not leaving. I am a Cub fan and love baseball.

36+ hours later I am wondering how the team can be tweaked to add more clutch hitting and who the pitcher will be behind Z and Lilly next year? What can we get for Harden after we exercise the option?

I won't be on BCB daily for a while, but why would I? The Cubs are out and hot stove hasn't started, yet.

I leave with one question, if there was an antidote for this addiction, would you take it? I know I won’t.

Pre-Pre-Pre-Pre-Pre Game Thread 8/28

N Oakley — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:49:39 -0000

Too long between games, starting to shake.....

The official pre-game won't be up for a while and most of the Fanposts are directed to events and actions should this team..... (thinking of euphamism that won't equate to superstition) "keep winning series" and these random decending numbers. Looking for a place to discuss tonights game and the rest of the regular season.

The 9 game cupcake portion of the season is over and the Cubs now have to face contending teams.

I won't say I'm worried about the Phillies, but it's a talented lineup of true MLB players. I'm looking forward to seeing how the team performs against another team fighting for the playoffs (Yeah, I said the word, but note the context).

Play the GM (for the Cards)

N Oakley — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:32:57 -0000

Pujols and his agent and doctor confirm he has a "high grade" ligament tear in the elbow and he will probably need reconstructive elbow surgery in time.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3280426

With Carpenter and Mulder being question marks this year, and an infield of retreads, why wouldn't the Cards want him to get this over with and show up to ST next healthy and rehabbed?

Pujols says: "If it blows out it's going to blow out," "You can't control that." He said he didn't want to just have the arthroscopic surgery.

"It didn't make sense having the surgery and just clean it up, when cleaning it up it wasn't going to make it good," Pujols said. "I had to do something in the ligament."

If I was a Cardinal fan, and the guy (who is) in the office next to me agrees, why not just do it this year to make certain the franchise player is healthy when the team is re-tooled and the fan base has high expectations?

Thoughts from you other armchair GM's on the current biggest Cub killer out there?