SB Nation User Blog: daveh33

Sickels' impressions on AL East/our draft

daveh33 — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:53:11 -0000

Tampa Bay: I have a huge amount of respect for how the Rays have built up their organization, but I have some questions about the top of this draft. First rounder LeVon Washington is a speed demon, but I have doubts about his bat and his weak arm limits him to second base. I think there were better options in the first round. Second round SS Ken Diekroger is extremely toolsy, but again there are doubts that he's going to hit, and this also looks like an overdraft to me. Frankly, third round pick Todd Glaesmann and fourth round pick Luke Bailey both look like better prospects to me than Washington and Diekroger. They fell to due to signability and health, respectively. If the Rays can sign them, they could both end up being better than Washington and Diekroger. Is this a clever stratagem on the Rays part? We'll see. Fifth round pick Jeff Malm has a terrific bat but poses a signability risk due to his Southern Cal commitment. Sixth round pick Devin Fuller, RHP out of Chandler Gilbert CC, throws hard but needs better secondary stuff; his upside is certainly impressive. Sleepers include Brett Nommensen (OF, Eastern Illinois, 8th round), Derek Dennis (SS, Michigan HS, 9th round), and Alex Koronis (RHP, Tampa, 11th round). If Glaesmann and Bailey are signable, this is a strong class, but I really wonder about Washington and Diekroger, and would personally have gone with other choices there. Of course, the Rays have a better farm system than I do.

I tend to agree with him a bit on being disappointed with the first 2 picks. There was still premo talent available, and with less question marks [Tim Wheeler]. Although we'll see what Friedman pulls out of his hat. will it be a rabbit?

How many 21 year olds ever OPS'd 1.000 over a season in mlb?

daveh33 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:31:55 -0000

I don't know of a site that lists them. just from looking up several possibilities on baseball-reference stats... I see that A rod and Ted Williams both did it in their age 20 seasons [Ted did it again in his age 21 season]. Pujols did it at age 21. Are they it?

Not saying Justin is a lock to keep up this hitting, as I'm sure he's gonna hit another rough patch before the season ends... but its fun to speculate. he and Mauer have been keeping me real excited in May. I don't know about Mauer hitting .400... but I think Justin has a legit shot at OPSing 1.000 this season.

whoa. Ask Friedman who he wants play him for when his movie deal gets the green light

daveh33 — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 06:44:17 -0000

whoa. Ask Friedman who he wants play him for when his movie deal gets the green light

whoa. brad pitt to play billy beane?

daveh33 — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 06:34:22 -0000

whoa now.

found this on imdb:

via i25.photobucket.com

Has there ever been a movie where a baseball GM was the protagonist? [Especially starring someone of Pitt's celebrity] I can't think of one, though my baseball movie history isn't the best. And this makes me wonder when "A Ray of Light: The Andrew Friedman Story" starring Clive Owen will get picked up. ?? I'd work for free to make that a reality.

Brad Nelson: possible option for RH power?

daveh33 — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 20:36:37 -0000

Brad Nelson: possible option for RH power?

I still like this guy, and didn't realize his stats were back up... He is wasting away in the Brewers' org.... and I find this an intriguing cheap option.

I love too much

daveh33 — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 04:09:46 -0000

that's why I can't take it. Game 5 is devastating... I won't be able to forget it... I don't know why Wheeler was left in... I just don't. I can see one big mistake happening. I can see Balfour throwing 97 mph to ortiz and he just hits it good... but why 4 more runs? Where is David Price? Where is David Price? Where is David Price? Did he ask to not play? Did he casually tell Maddon that he was nervous one day at lunch? Does Maddon see fear in the boy's face? What did Maddon see in Wheeler's face on Thursday night? Just how many games does BOSSMAN have to hit a home run in the 1st inning? Why wasn't Kaz throwing sliders, again?

Game 6, and I never saw it... didn't even get to see BOSSMAN's home run thanks to TBS... Why call for hit and run with our slowest runner on 1st, and our 9th hitter at the plate? I'll give them varitek since we got Bartlett.... didn't we used to be able to manufacture runs? SO we must do it again, against Lester? WHy? Why was Wheeler left in? If Thursday morning, Maddon was told that we would lose a Game 6 by the Angel Gabriel, would he have taken Wheeler out before Drew steps to the plate?

Are the Red Sox just that good? If they are that good, why did they let us destroy them on their home turf 2 days in a row? So are they really that good? Why does JD Drew hit good now?

It feels like being in love with someone, and them not loving you back. except for BOSSMAN and Kaz, who can crash at my place any time... and Price, since I don't even know him yet. my friends all say he's the coolest, but whenever I invite him to a sweet party, he's got other plans... and yet I still want to be buds with him. I still feel like I'm the one missing out.

I have never followed any team as closely as this one. This has been years coming... since 02 I guess. The Pirates selected Bryan Bullington and the Rays took this BOSSMAN Upton guy.

Games 3 & 4 feel like months ago, or even some other season. Why all those runs, and then the Red Sox have won by 2, 1, and 2. ?

ef

daveh33 — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 07:28:25 -0000

ef

i still think we will win but this game just pisses me off so much i don’t even want to watch game 6… fuck ‘big game james’… we had big game Kaz pitching shit hot in boston, BOSSMAN silencing the crowd in the 1st inning and Carlos cementing it with a BOMB off of their best pitcher so far… and then BOSSMAn cementing it AGAIN with a huge double…. i really really strongly disliked those last 3 innings… it was the inevitable happening and Maddon just sat there and pulled down his pants and bent over. fuck that so hard

more of this

daveh33 — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 07:23:12 -0000

more of this

anarchy.

(rip heath)

tonight.

daveh33 — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:06:40 -0000

tonight.

Chris Davis is a monster

daveh33 — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:40:32 -0000

it seems every HR he hits is to straight-a-way center, and he'll handle a lefty pitcher's stuff out to center too... I remember in a thread from a month or so ago, I was supporting LaPorta over Davis as the best power bat in the minors... well right now Davis is really hard to ignore, of course LaPorta is now the only of the two in the minors, so I guess I won that argument :-) . but seriously, watching Davis swing the bat is exciting... its effortless and oh so powerful... he is hulking at the plate. he looks like a hybrid of Teixeira/Dunn to me... its just beautiful to watch. anyone else as gushing over this guy as I am? His shots remind me of BOSSMAN's shots in their effortlessness. it's like the pitcher is throwing ostrich eggs up to them.