SB Nation User Blog: bs.uf15bosox9bears23

11/5,6,7 - Curfews,Catching Up, and Traveling

bs.uf15bosox9bears23 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:43:22 -0000

Sorry about the lack of posts for the past few days - apparently, parents don't like realizing that they've raised an insomniac. Posts might be a little further spaced out, but with more links in each edition, depending on how much I can get done before I literally lose my Internet connection on school nights. Hey, that's what you get when a teenager is your news aggregator. Now, with that out of the way, here's the first set of links:

Does Boston's Trade for Jeremy Hermida Mean the End for Jason Bay in Beantown? - Bleacher Report

Though Hermida is by no means a middle-of-the-order slugger, this could very well signal the end of Jason Bay's tenure in Boston. Bay recently shot down a four-year, $60 million offer from the Sox, and his worth will only increase as the offseason wears on.

Among other reasons why Bay might not be returning, but if this sticks out to someone as a red flag of sorts, we'll have to see if they're right.

Marlins Trade Jeremy Hermida To Red Sox: A Sign of Things To Come - Bleacher Report

Due to the economy, these are the types of trades you are going to see this winter. Teams who can’t afford to wait on young players or can’t afford a player’s salary will be forced to trade them to teams who can.

Lots of different spins on this whole deal. Of course, Hermida was also part of another trade the Sox were involved in, or at least an attempt at one:

Let the Offseason Begin: Boston Red Sox Steal Hermida from Florida Marlins - Bleacher Report

That proposal didn’t gain any traction, and Hermida stayed with the Marlins, but despite missing out on his services, Boston remained infatuated with him and his potential, hoping he would someday be part of their quest for a World Series championship.

Totally forgot about the Manny-Marlins rumor. Although, now I do remember seeing a mockup of what Manny would look like in "fishstripes" on a Marlins' broadcast (don't remember why I was watching that). It was amazing how quickly they jumped on that rumor.

Jeremy Hermida: Bust Or Breakout - Bleacher Report

Seems to be more common view of the trade.

Yeah, I know, not much variety so far; it is interesting to see the variety of opinions available from relatively unconnected authors, as opposed to here, where the discussions can help figure out how we should feel about certain issues. After the jump, some more "independent" writing, an important discovery from YWA, and more general Hot Stove linkage.

4 Moves The Boston Red Sox Have To Make to Win The World Series In 2010 - Bleacher Report

After a quick exit from the MLB playoffs i quickly started to think, what could they do to get better? After a few weeks of research and asking my self questions i have come up with four moves they Red Sox must confront this off season if they want to win the 2010 World Series

BOW TO THE KNOWLEDGEABLE ONE. If you can make it past the sub-par writing quality (if you're reading this, than you probably can), have fun laughing at how many players are apparently good-for-nothing busts.

Rebuilding A Nation: BoSox in 2010 - Bleacher Report

If Theo has someone dedicated to researching the general public opinion of Red Sox Nation (hopefully not just looking at polls by the commercialized club), he probably gets a good laugh from some of the If-I-was-the-GM type articles.

Ranking the World Series Champions in the 2000s - Bleacher Report

Not sure what they're ranking them by.

Trade Market: Right Fielders - MLBTradeRumors.com

Market awareness link - also an opportunity to search for JD's safety net.

Free Agent Friday: First Base 2010 - Beyond the Box Score

Again, not that we're interested, but it's a good idea of what's available.

2010 Red Sox Preview: First Base - Yawkey Way Academy

See? Probably not going to need to be looking at the Free Agents here.

Report: Red Sox Interested in Cuban First Baseman - NESN.com

Although the younger prospects are always worth looking into.

Theo’s "95-Win Team", Beckett’s Extension, Falling Dominoes, and the Mailbag - Fire Brand of the AL

In recent years, one of the most important axioms put forth by the Theo Epstein and the Red Sox front office is the law of the "95-Win Team". According to this directive, the team’s goal is to target 95-wins annually in an effort to compete every season. This is really a great piece of wisdom, as a team that wins 95 games will make the playoffs most years. In fact, the Wild Card winner since 2003 – the first year Theo took the esteemed office of Red Sox General Manger – has averaged a record of just about 95-67.

Theo Epstein can’t just wait ’til next year - BostonHerald.com

Apparently - jumped on Hermida on the first day. Of course, there seems to be a lot of activity happening really early this year.

Umpire Strike Zone Analysis - The Basics and Batter Handedness - Beyond the Box Score

2009 World Series: Philadelphia Phillies' Pedro Martinez exits in a hurry - ESPN

Pedro Martinez's outing in Game 6 of the World Series was brief, as was his bizarre session with reporters after he tried to bolt the Phillies' clubhouse without speaking to the media.

All you can do is wear it - Extra Bases

Revisiting 2009: Did we get what we expected? - Fire Brand of the AL

Which catcher would you least like to see go on free agency? - Fire Brand of the American League

Umm... duh. Seems like the question was supposed to be more mind-blowing than it is, but somehow the effect got lost in transcribing it.

Not cuckoo for Coco - Extra Bases

Unless he's really cheap - could help if Ells is still having issues this season. Not sure he's worth the roster spot though...

With Earlier Offseason Regimen, David Ortiz Expects to Slug Away in 2010 - NESN.com

Learning to Pitch with Josh Beckett - Yawkey Way Academy

Haven't seen this info anywhere else - Beckett's becoming a pitcher rather than a thrower with a curve. If he can figure it all out this year, he'd be a lot better prepared for his post-peak years, which should be starting with his next contract.

Hideki Okajima is a Key Part of Red Sox' 2010 Puzzle - NESN.com

Green to have surgery - Full Count

SS = surgically sidelined, apparently.

Ten players the Sox could pursue - Boston.com

Not a lot of surprising names, but there are a few new ideas.

New Elias: Harden, Beltre Type B’s; Figgins an A, so’s Billy Wagner - Clubhouse Insider

A: Figgins, Wagner, Bay (tied Markickass for best AL outfielder - hint at how primitive their evaluation statistics are)

B: Harden, Beltre, Tek, Zaun

Unranked: Gonzo (muhahaha)

Comments, links, ideas on how to convince my parents that it's not harmful for me to write for OTM (I've tried describing it as a critical thinking exercise and a brain after-exercise-stretch), etc. Oh, and I'll be traveling on a five-day weekend, so I might be absent for a day or two. I'm sure one of the editors wouldn't mind bumping a links Fanpost up if anyone finds a bunch of really good links.

11/4 - Red Sox National Pedro Day

bs.uf15bosox9bears23 — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:31:34 -0000

I declare it so. I don't care that I don't have the authority to do so, in my world, it's officially Pedro Day again in the Nation.

Game 6 script perfect for [Pedro] Martinez - The Boston Globe

Oh, man, this is going to be SWEEEEEEET: it's the first time that we've had a really good reason to not care what logo is on Pedro's cap since he left us. In fact, more than just one reason...

Jim Donaldson: 27 reasons to root against the Yankees - The Providence Journal

In case anyone was leaning towards Mazz's crazy side.

Now, in more directly related news:

Red Sox pitcher Buchholz prepared to play mind games - The Boston Globe

Sounds like he's maturing. I would absolutely love to see Buch prove me wrong and become the ace that replaces Beckett as Lester's partner in crime. Also, we're pretty damn spoiled to be able to talk about phasing one of a pair of aces out with another one. Of course, we'd be rotten to keep all three, right?

Valuing Josh Beckett - Yawkey Way Academy

Going against popular opinion here; an argument FOR signing Beckett to a relatively large extension.

After the jump, more links, likely in rapid fire mode, because it's hard to focus with it being a national holiday and what not.

Tito says splitter is key to Papelbon’s success - The Bottom Line

Pitch F/X'd. But if Tito knows this, why isn't Paps acting on it? Perhaps Farrell and Tito are having a bit of disagreement?

Is Johnny Damon a fit in Boston? - The Bottom Line

Not unless a lot of stuff doesn't go our way.

Red Sox Tasked With Finding Bench Coach, Role for Jason Varitek - NESN.com

Envision one of those Saturday morning cartoons where the cat gets its punk head beat in by the mouse (sorry, dog person here). Now imagine the shaking vision view from the cat's perspective, where everything is in multiples, and slowly stabilizing into one solid picture. The bench coach role and Jason Varitek are like that, to me - and no, I didn't get my head beat in by a rodent. Unless I did, and I just can't remember...

The Batter's Box Quiz 2 - NESN.com

Boredom kill. First one is beyond obvious, even to someone who apparently lost a fight with a mouse.

Should baseball expand replay? - Extra Bases

Yes. If the fairweather fans don't like it, they can go spend their money on something that will instantly gratify them - microwaveable pasta.

BoSox AFL Update - Fire Brand of the American League

Uh oh, USG's got competition. Well, maybe. I still prefer to see all the stats laid out along with the story.

2010 Red Sox Preview: Catcher - Yawkey Way Academy

Interesting point about the gain from a full season of Vic starting. Maybe we don't need to worry about losing out on Bay if we go after Holliday after all?

Negative Team WAR - 2009 Edition - Beyond the Box Score

Hey, we sucked the second least!

Patience Is A Virtue: Looking Back At The Ramon Ramirez Trade - Bleacher Report

So while visions of trading for Adrian Gonzalez, Miguel Cabrera or Felix Hernandez dance in our heads, it's important to note that even the smallest trades can become impact moves. A one-for-one deal in December can pay dividends in July, even if it doesn't involve sexy names or big contracts.

Pretty good article, actually. Every once in a while, BR surprises me; would be nice to see more authors using better stats in their articles though. Oh, wait, that's pretty much what most SB Nation users do. Seriously, it's amazing how this network seems to filter fans down to the most intelligent and committed (not always both though).

Regressing UZR toward the Fans’ Scouting Report - Inside the Book

The comments section is where the meat is here - lots of good points about considering the connections between stats before deciding to regress one to another, among other things. If anyone wants to use the formulas they present to project, say, Ells, be my guest. If not:

Trade Market: Center Fielders - MLBTradeRumors.com

I really hope Ells can develop an eye for reading balls off the bat, but there are some options available.

Adrian Gonzalez Trade Talks - MLB Daily Dish

Might as well help out another SB Nation blog.

Links, comments, favorite Pedey stories - let it all out.

11/3 - More Front Office Work

bs.uf15bosox9bears23 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:29:51 -0000

We've been in Hot Stove mode for a while now, and there's no reason to stop now.

Trade Market: Third Basemen - MLBTradeRumors.com

Trade Market: Left Fielders - MLBTradeRumors.com

Anyone stand out as viable option? Well, some people have everything figured out for us, so we don't even have to worry ourselves with the issue:

Time To Change Their Ways: Signing Bay Needs To Be a Red Sox Priority - Bleacher Report

There are no equivalent alternatives. It’s Bay or Matt Holliday (yikes) or some one-year stopgap in left. Or it’s trading a handful of prospects to find a player who best compares with a player you already have. The options aren’t exactly appealing.

Had to read through half the article to find the money quote: Anyone who is scared of Holliday, please try to convince OTHER teams of this.

Overpaying Orlando Cabrera Could Be Dangerous Risk For Red Sox - NESN.com

And if the Red Sox are willing to grant second chances to Gonzalez, who seemed to be past his prime and had found little success in the American League, why wouldn't they grant the same courtesy to Orlando Cabrera?

Because that makes no sense? It's a "dangerous risk" because we'd be playing a crappy SS, one who would be overpaid for pretty much any price he demands.

Now here's a decent idea:

Building a Package for Javier Vazquez - Yawkey Way Academy

Now we just have to 1) convince most Sox fans that it would be a good trade, and 2) figure out who we'd give up for him.

After the jump, Fielding Bible awards released, more decade wrap-up stuff, a preview for next season, and concerns about parity.

Red Sox come up empty in Fielding Bible Awards - Full Count

Fielding Bible's site isn't in love with the SB Nation interface, so I'll indirectly link y'all. Oddly, Hill was below average by UZR. Hmm...

Team of the Decade? - Fenway West

All-Aughts Team of the Decade SS: Nomar Garciaparra - Fire Brand of the American League

How DARE they forget Jed! [joke]

Inbox: Will Varitek be back next season? - redsox.com: News

Lazy fans who can't research stuff for themselves, asking a beat reporter for anwsers, and then likely never checking for answers. Such a weird process.

Dark Days Ahead, Sox Fans - Sox vs. Stripes

Take it away, guys. Consider this the anxiety venting link.

Bill Reynolds: Major League Baseball’s lack of parity gets to me - The Providence Journal

But somewhere along the way the inequity of Major League Baseball, the decided sense that to the victor belongs the spoils and everyone else eats cake, has gotten to me.

Not the best argument being made here. Anyone want to try to improve on this, or to destroy the argument instead?

Links, comments, support for Pedro over Petitte, etc.

11/1 - Can We Move On To The Offseason Yet?

bs.uf15bosox9bears23 — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 05:05:34 -0000

Hopefully everyone set their clocks back and you aren't reading this as a way to pass the time because you woke up too early and can't get back to sleep. But hey, you're reading this, so let's get to the links.

Creating Obscure Red Sox Shirts - Sox Tea Party

I need to look into getting myself a Jed shirt...

Chips Are in Place for Adrian Gonzalez Trade to Red Sox - NESN.com

No new info here - not even a suggested package. Even the worst bloggers come up with a package, as ridiculous as most of them end up being (MDC + Lugo get it done, becuz they can't even ask four that from the Sox!!!).

Runs Created: A First Step - Intro to Sabermetrics 101

Today’s Friday lecture will discuss the first of many steps taken to estimate a number of runs. Bill James’ Runs Created, initially published in an early version of the classic Bill James Historical Abstract (in Dan Fox’s explanation, he has it as the 1979 version), was one of the first run estimation models and is likely the most well known. As a result, it will be the first of a few run estimators that we’ll look into here.

Has A-Rod lost his postseason magic? - Bleacher Report

IT'S NOT MAGIC - it's just random variance in performance output.

After the jump, Forbes needs to retake Statistics, Fire Brand gets another prospect interview, and the Padres are taking our guys.

America's Safest Cities: America's Best Sports Fans - Beyond the Box Score

Even with the ludicrous methodology, it's hilarious how well the two correlate. Oh, and apparently, my area of residence gives the consistency of the Filter's publishing at risk. So, yeah...

Tim Federowicz: Rising up the prospect charts - Fire Brand of the American League

Can't wait until we have Wagner, Expo, and Fed-X (possibly a few more?) ready all at once. Hopefully, we can take our pick and reap the benefits of other teams needing catchers.

Hazen interviews with Padres - Extra Bases

Uh-oh, Hoyer's getting greedy. How does he ever expect to even get on the phone with Theo if he doesn't worship the Sox?!?!

Comments, links, comparing the advantages and consequences of a drawn out season - whatever floats your boat.

10/31 - All Hallows' Eve Edition

bs.uf15bosox9bears23 — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:32:07 -0000

The title, of course, means that there will be minimal references to dead items in this post. See how the irony worked there? No? Okay, I need to stop trying to be funny then.

How the Economy Will Affect Salaries - Beyond the Box Score

Does the growth in GDP augur well for free agents to be this offseason? Or will discerning teams still find bargains?

~~Oh, wait, here's a link about something dead~~ Nevermind, just read the first bit of the link again. Yay for a non-flushed economy! Anyways...

EXCELLENT info. AND it's been updated to meet the community's suggestions. Great job by Tommy Bennett; this data should come in helpful when looking at the big names this offseason.

It wasn’t just the good numbers - it was that he was locked in, confident, and loose! - Inside the Book

So fun to mess with some of my baseball fan friends over this. Seriously, even some of the MLB players understand this concept better than the experts; why is it so hard to believe that it's just bad luck?

Reasons to keep Jacoby Ellsbury in Center - Yawkey Way Academy

Pretty much what we've established as the default reason: the net defensive gain wouldn't offset the offensive loss, without a really good CF. If we can find one because some other team has a brain fart, go for it; if not, keep Ells in CF and have him practice fielding balls launched from home plate for a few hours each day.

Of course, Troy Patterson explains it a bit more academically than I just did. Plus, they have OTM on their blogroll, so there's that.

A-Rod Scandal of the Week: Creepy Bedroom Portraits - Fenway West

Umm... centaurs? Oh...kay... This has to be some sort of joke meant to scare us for Halloween, right?

After the jump, Jose and other SS options to compliment (supplement?) Jed, and an argument for expanded replay.

Cuban defector Jose Iglesias looks to fill Red Sox’ need - BostonHerald.com

Trade Market: Shortstops - MLBTradeRumors.com

A few viable options here, but all of them have their issues. Not sure any of them are worth trading for, unless it's to back up Jed [/biased].

Progress, Thy Name Is Replay - Fire Brand of the American League

Really struggling to find any viable reason why not at this point. Of course, Commish Buddy ain't adding much to the debate either.

Comments, links, costume (and/or prank) ideas all appreciated. Oh, and place your bets on which of our crabby old guys got egged last night. (I'm kidding, Sandy and NG.)

10/30 - TGIF; Leave No Stone Unturned, Or You Might Miss a Gem

bs.uf15bosox9bears23 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:50:48 -0000

Clay Buchholz' Transformation - Yawkey Way Academy

Pitch F/X breakdowns are FUN!!! Perhaps we need to look into the available pitchers using this technique. Hmm...

In the meantime, here's some other links about those pitchers:

Pitcher Rich Harden Worth a Test Drive for Thrifty Red Sox - NESN.com

Pros & Cons: Erik Bedard - The Bottom Line

Good to see that everyone is looking for every option possible. Of course, there are sometimes when those options should be for Plan B, not Plan A; here's an obvious (to me) situation:

The 2009 Shortstop Free Agent Market - Fire Brand of the American League

We definitely don't need to overpay for some safety net. While it's important to account for the risk associated with Jed's wrist, players shouldn't be paid more than they're worth when there's similar talent available.

How much will the Red Sox spend in 2010? - The Bottom Line

Taking the information from Mazz's column, Bottom Line has created a table showing the expected payroll of the Sox.

After the jump, a few more links to get you to quittin' time. Think BIG: big question, big trade, big difference of opinion.

POLL: One person only - Fire Brand of the American League

* Jason Bay [depends on when Holliday signs]

* Adrian Gonzalez [going to cost a lot, but may be worth it for the right price]

* Matt Holliday [should be the first option, unless he's too expensive]

* Felix Hernandez [probably going to require too many prospects]

* ~~John Lackey~~ [not worth the money he's going to get]

Trades Of The Decade: Colon To The Expos - MLBTradeRumors.com

Many of these players are big names right now. Also, the Expos got screwed so many times it isn't even funny.

Jason Bay Chat Wrap - Full Count

I think that the monster is a little intimidating at first, but after getting used to it, I really like the nooks and crannies and the effect that it has on the other team and players who aren’t used to it.

Deep roots will not bend - Eric Wilbur's Sports Blog on Boston.com

Mazz, perhaps you should have realized that NO ONE is going to root for the MFY, no matter how much rationalizing you put into it.

Comments, links, funny stories about attempting to get non-OTMers on the saber-bandwagon - anything to pass the time.

10/29 - Winter School

bs.uf15bosox9bears23 — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:15:46 -0000

Guess what I found? An opportunity for OTM to become one of the most saber-friendly Sox blogs out there!

The International Currency of Baseball - Intro to Sabermetrics 101
Time to start studying up - in fact, here's a whole bunch of other material:

The Value of Walks and Baseball’s "Clock" - Intro to Sabermetrics 101

Intro to Sabermetrics 101: Glossary Sect. 1 - Intro to Sabermetrics 101
Pythag and expectancies

Intro to Sabermetrics 101: Glossary Sect. 2 - Intro to Sabermetrics 101
wOBA, defense, and DIPS (Defense Independent Pitching Statistics)

Intro to Sabermetrics 101: Glossary Sect. 3 - Intro to Sabermetrics 101
Replacement level and WAR

The author of that blog also writes for the SB Nation sabermetric site, Beyond the Boxscore. His work, along with the rest of a small army of writers', are HIGHLY recommended, and I'm not just saying that because we're connected to them (it's not like I get anything of tangible value out of it).

From another site, a link that isn't necessarily sabermetric, but still a good read:

Overreaction Comes in Many Forms - Yawkey Way Academy

Yeah, I'm probably going to be linking to some sites every day - they're just too good to ignore. Besides, some of this stuff needs to be spread; this time it's a reminder not to throw stones while living in glass houses.

That should hold y'all over for a while. If you have a particularly voracious appetite for links, there's some interesting hot stove ideas after the jump.

Jorge Cantu May Be Viable Option For Red Sox Infield Corners Rotation - NESN.com

Fresh idea. Any thoughts?

Trade Market: First Basemen - MLBTradeRumors.com

Bad Contract Swap Meet - MLBTradeRumors.com

Not quite sure I'd lump Papi in with the rest of those, but sure, why not?

Trades Of The Decade: Kazmir For Zambrano - MLBTradeRumors.com

Well, that would have saved us some annoying games. I mean, it's not Kaz would have beaten us in a WS game, right?

The 2009-2010 Offseason: A Critical Juncture for the Boston Red Sox - Bleacher Report

1. Work on an extension with C Victor Martinez and pick up his 2010 option.

2. While he might be the shortstop of the future, Jed Lowrie is not the shortstop of the immediate future.

3. I'm not ready to trade RP Jonathon Papelbon, yet.

4. First base; time for a fresh face?

5. I don't think the Sox need to go nuts in the free-agent market, but one spot where it would be nice to see them spend some cash is right field.

6. Who's the No. 5 starter?

I swear, some of these BR articles - the author forgot Wake for #6, calls JD "servicable", etc. Try not to get in trouble for snickering if you are reading this at work or in school.

Jacoby Ellsbury to left field? Lunacy - Red Sox Monster

Love that people immediately assume something's wrong if it doesn't pass the sniff test. If anyone wants to discuss this again, I'd recommend checking Randy's post about this subject from a few days ago first, so that we're not going in circles.

Root, root, root for New York - Tony Massarotti

Be honest with yourselves, folks. The fire is not burning quite as hot as it once did.

Umm... Pretty sure it still is. Maybe I'm just young and naive, but there's no way I'm rooting for the MFY to win any baseball game against a human team [had to avoid the mistake Surviving Grady made].

Red Sox's Kelly gets in more than at-bats - redsox.com: News

Casey Kelly put together his best AFL performance Wednesday, plating four runs and scoring another in Mesa's 12-5 win over Scottsdale.

DAMMIT

'Team of the Decade' debate heating up - redsox.com: News

I'm going to have to say it's a tie between all three, unless the MFY destroy the Phillies for the rest of the series. No way the Sox win this one though - the MFY have been better for most of the decade, and the Phillies could win because their repeat would still be fresh in the minds of the voters.

Have fun studying the stats side of life; don't worry, they aren't that hard to understand at all. If I manage to get through it with a severe hatred for math, it can't be that bad. Comments, more links, suggestions, questions can all be left here for everyone else to discuss.

10/28 - Catching Up and Slowing Down

bs.uf15bosox9bears23 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:04:49 -0000

Since I missed the Filter for yesterday (sorry, couldn't see straight because of a pounding headache), here's some of the links that would have worked better yesterday:

5 YEARS AGO TODAY...WE WERE KINGS - Masshole Sports

Amazing to see the immediate reactions again with more hindsight.

2004: Where Are They Now? - Full Count

Excellent link if you want to see how much things can change in five years.

Chat with Jacoby Ellsbury - ESPN Boston

Darn, I would have asked him about his reads. Oh well, maybe someone will catch him next time.

Aroldis Chapman and a bucket of cold water - Yawkey Way Academy

Calm it down, peeps. Even if he is visiting and throwing for us today, doesn't mean we're going after him - especially because we probably shouldn't, based on the information available.

Bloggers Assemble! - The Bottom Line

Any views expressed in there that you'd like to comment about? Interesting to see how different sites form different opinions.

After the jump, an MVP ballot, talking about defense, and more nostalgia (but not about the same subject).

My AL MVP Ballot - The Joy of Sox

Grienke. Not even close. I don't care what other people are voting, Grienke deserves it.

Yankees' combo of Johnny Damon and Nick Swisher has been quiet during playoffs

The Red Sox are going to be looking to upgrade their offense this winter and have apparently decided not to try to re-sign Jason Bay - whose rep, Scott (Avenging Agent) Boras, has had a long, acrimonious history with them, most recently on display during last winter's Mark Teixeira negotiations

FAIL.

Rob Bradford | In Defense of Jason Bay's Defense

"I think the only defensive statistic that I know for sure that is easily measurable is outfield assists and errors committed, and Jason is just the third outfielder in major league history to lead the league in outfield assists while not creating an error all season, the last guy being Carl Yastrzemski," the agent said. "It used to be that those statistics were enough. In baseball we all need a better evaluation of defensive ability but the defensive metrics we have out there are so debatable, and in most cases proprietary, that it is hard to quantify a player’s ability to play defense.

GET A NEW AGENT, JAYBAYBAY. Just because the data isn't 100% perfect doesn't mean we should rely on the traditional statistics that have been proven, both numerically and logically, to be less-than-effective indicators of defensive ability. Aside from all the issues with the scoring of errors, there's a major issue with comparing Bay's assists to most other fielders': he plays in a very short field that also traps runners by causing them to misjudge hits off the Monster. Even if you don't like UZR, there are plenty of statistics that wipe the floor with errors and assists:

Worst Fielders of 2009 - THT

Bay's not on this list (fortunately), but there are a few shocking names; most of them correlate with UZR though, so they may not be too amazing.

Dustin Pedroia's hidden improvement - Yawkey Way Academy

MVP!

Trade Market: Catchers - MLBTradeRumors.com

Talkin' Baseball with Seth Swirsky [Owner of the Buckner Ball] - The Hall of Very Good

Much like the Bartman incident or Gibson hobbling around the bases, that ball going under Buckner’s mitt is one of baseball’s most widely known images and to one man…it is the cornerstone of a rather unique collection.

Trades Of The Decade: Griffey To The Reds - MLBTradeRumors.com

Interesting to see where the pieces drifted off to.

Comments, links, suggestions, etc. You know the drill.

Seems like so long ago, which is odd, considering the ALCS feels like just yesterday. Not much else...

bs.uf15bosox9bears23 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:40:30 -0000

Seems like so long ago, which is odd, considering the ALCS feels like just yesterday. Not much else I can say, so I'll just like Castiglione's call do the talking.

10/26 - No Real Theme Here (AKA It's Time for the Season To End)

bs.uf15bosox9bears23 — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:35:27 -0000

MLB Jumps The Gun - The Joy of Sox

The curse didn't work, unfortunately. Oh well. NEXT!

MLB's Greed is Killing the Postseason - Fenway West

Wow, it almost November. The conspiracy theorist inside me wants to scream "The MLB is cementing Jeter's claim to Mr. November", but you know, gotta keep that guy quiet some times.

The Game of the Year? - Surviving Grady

Our choice isn't to be revealed for a while, so I'll let y'all debate for now.

ESPN will fire Steve Phillips - Projo Sox Blog

Wah, wah, wah...

After the jump, more links with minimal connections between them. Well, there might be one common thread...

What Are The Sox Going To Do With Paps? - Bleacher Report

The Boston Red Sox Have A Lot Of Questions Heading into Next Season - Bleacher Report

Despite Age, Bobby Abreu Would Be Big Offseason Signing For Boston - Boston Red Sox - NESN.com

Abreu is the perfect player for Boston's lineup -- he's a corner outfielder with some pop, he gets on base efficiently and he's smart on the basepaths. The Red Sox would be honored to have Abreu in the heart of their order.

Guess what? They're all tired stories with minimal new developments! Wait, don't leave, here's some good stuff:

Wakefield Wants Red Sox Wins Record - The Joy of Sox

And the head of NG. On a silver platter. With parsley. Because Timmeh is classy like that.

Bierd has strong outing in Mesa's extra-innings win - SoxProspects.com

Different Cultural Mind-Set Keeping Yusei Kikuchi in Japan - NESN.com

"I don't think I have what it takes to compete at the world level yet," The Associated Press quoted Kikuchi as saying during the news conference.

Pretty funny take on the story, actually.

Get out your bats, folks, we might have a steady drizzle of MFY trolls through out the day. Have fun, and don't forget to add any good links you find.