Hey Team "I Like Numbers So Much I Want to Marry Them":

I was wondering if anyone could clue me in about the standard behavior of BABIP.  I know some players maintain higher ones than others throughout there career, but is there considered a "mean useful" BABIP, below which a player just isn't hitting the damn ball well?  Does BABIP tend to regress to individual career means, an absolute mean, or a different mean by level/league?  What's the minimum sample size for BABIP to begin to have any predictive/interpretive value?

Specifically, I'm trying to read the MILB splits of some of the underperformers (Tommy Joseph) in hopes of unveiling some hidden hope (and maybe there is some?  Joseph is raking like a... thing that rakes a lot...  ummm... a gardner, maybe?... in July), but his month-to-month BABIP is all over the place and I can't figure out how to interpret it--it's actually lower this month than it was in his much crappier June.

Thanks!

To the McCoven in New York City, and other East Coasters interested in hopping a train: I've asked Pacific Standard in Brooklyn if they could guarantee a screen--ideally the huge projector in the back room--for Opening Day on Monday.  Is there still interest in a meetup? In case ya don't know (shame!) first pitch is at 7:05 PM.

Pacific Standard directions, from their website: Pacific Standard is located at 82 Fourth Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn, between St. Marks and Bergen Streets. It's a short walk from a dizzying array of subway and commuter rail lines at the Atlantic/Pacific station, namely, the 2, 3, 4, 5, D, N, Q, and R, as well as the Long Island Railroad.

See you all there?  Play ball.  At-freaking-last!

It's pretty unforgivably ignorant and presumptuous to try and re-do the Giants' top10, integrating the new draftees--especially if Sabean goes to our collective Happy Place and selects Sano or another top international prospect. So I don't expect to be forgiven. But I'm a' going for it.  And I'm incorporating Bowker even though I'm pretty sure he's lost prospect eligibility, because, again, I'm ignorant and presumptuous.

And I'm also going to do 15, because I'm a little drunk.

Okay cool.

1. Madison Bumgarner

2. Buster Posey

3. Tim Alderson

4. Zack Wheeler

5. Angel Villalona

6. Thomas Neal

7. John Bowker

8. Henry Sosa

9. Brandon Crawford

10. Rafael Rodriguez

11. Jesus Guzman

12. Tommy Joseph

13.Roger Kieschnick

14. Ben Snyder

15. Craig Clark

And extra bonus sleeper pick Brett Pill, who's been on a June tear.  Lotsa talk about "if he could only turn some of those doubles into homers," and he might be doing just that.

Anyway, this was wildly uninformed, so cry havoc and let loose the dogs of WARP.

The SN redesign just ravaged Lake Merritt.

Jinkies.

I hate it.  The threads are waaay messy looking, even if the underlying engine seems to be pretty well designed.  Resist, Grant, resist!  Be the holdout!  Because we also hate CDs.  And combustion engines.  Just port the whole kit n' kaboodle over to the UseNet.  

Rec.arts.baseball.giants.well.sometimes.but.often.just.penis.jokes.

The 58th Annual Jake Wald Award for Irrational Optimism (With Regards to a Not All That Impressive Prospect) has been given out by an illustrious committee consisting of cabalists, conspirators, and Art Bell listeners every offseason to the Giants prospect who you know will suck but still get a wildly inaccurate gut feeling about.

(for the record, I also had Taco Bell for breakfast, which gives me a slightly more accurate gut feeling)

My nominee for the 2008 season is...

Adam Witter!

Despite a fairly low average, a mediocre K/BB, and being old for A-ball, this San Jose sparklplug's beastly second half makes it seem, just for a moment, that he might have had a "click year," that will turn him into the next Piazza, minus the creepy fetishization of his hair.

Congratulations, Adam!  You could be the next Jake Wald!  You may claim your certificate of nomination and complimentary bag of Cheetos next time you're in Brooklyn.  By the Graham Ave. L stop, between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.  Come alone.

Any dissenters want to put up their own nominees?

Ever wanted to vomit PR in the service of the sport?

Actually, you know you totally have, and still do.  And are totally going to apply for this.  

And by you, I mean me.

Job posting from Mediabistro.

Project Assistant Editor
Major League Baseball

Industry: Magazine Publishing
Job Duration: Project Basis
Job Location: New York, NY USA

Job Requirements: Major League Baseball's in-house publishing division is looking for a project editor to help produce magazines and souvenir programs. Experience required includes proofreading, on-screen editing using InDesign and Quark, knowledge of baseball, feature writing, and copy editing. Hours will be 9-5 Mon-Fri for approx. 6 months. Publications include Official All-Star Game Program and World Series Program.

About Our Company: This position is based out of the MLB Central Office in midtown Manhattan.

Major League Baseball is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Contact:
Att: MLB Recruitment
Address 245 Park Avenue
NY, NY 10167
New York, NY 10167 USA

Special Instructions: E-mail a cover letter detailing experience, availability and aspirations; along with a resume; and 3-4 writing samples to jobs@mlb.com

Please make sure to reference the ''Project Assistant Editor'' position in your e-mail subject heading.

No Phone Calls.

Joss Whedon is in pre-production for a new series, Dollhouse, with, of all studios, Fox (aka @&^%ing Fox).  Eliza Dushku slated to star.  Everything, of course, is on hold, owing to the writers' strike.

Dollhouse link dump.

"Bad body, decent stuff."

"...who was at Lowell."  Capellan's a City boy?

Giants lose yet another Australian.

This time, we do not get an obese Aruban knight in return, alas.

...but the Cubs are talking about trading Sean Marshall and Rich Hill for Brian Roberts.  (8:45 PM entry)

Now, it's not impossible that Steve Phillips is back on the sauce, but I thought we could all use a nice, healthy dose of pointing and laughing while someone else's GM is being a dolt.

Look, I'm no Sabean apologist.  Well, okay, I'm a slight Sabean apologist.  I think the overwhelming opinion that he is an "idiot" is by and large from people who know a lot less about baseball than he does.  He originated two strategies that worked very well for a while, then stopped working--the pitching-factory-for-trade-bait model, and the acquisition of undervalued veterans (hard to remember, but we were contenders as recently as two years ago, and could've been in 2006 as well if Bonds hadn't contracted knee ebola).  He's not stupid, but I would definitely indict him for being stubborn and slow to adapt as these strategies stopped working.

But I'm really bored of seeing people freak out about the latest Broussard, Rios, or Rolen rumor.  Here's two salient facts that everyone prone to screaming at the top of theirr lungs about what horrible damage Sabean intends to do to the franchise should keep in mind.

1. He's renowned for playing his cards close to the vest.  He's stated it himself.  Odds are very poor that you, or anyone else outside the front office, knows what he's planning.  Or even suspects what he's planning.  Or has any ability to divine what he's planning beyond trying to use needs-surplus deductions.  Everything you see on the ESPN blog is pure speculation--and I mean pure, as in, "unadulterated by any hints of fact from Sabean's team."
2. He was once referred to as "The Leghumper," by Billy Beane; at one point post-Moneyball, the sfgiants.com board had to add "Leghumper" to the naughty word filter because we were all using it affectionately.  He was referred to as this because he reacts with interest to everything anyone brings to him, whether or not he actually gives any sort of crap whatsoever.  So if Seattle says, "Hey, what about Ben Broussard?" and Sabean says, "Hmm, that's sure an interesting idea!" he's far more likely to be blowing smoke up their ass than actually interested.  The reason these make it onto reputable news sources is that sportswriters are not, by and large, Pulitzer candidates.  Except for the sportswriters who've won Pulitzers.  And except for our own boardmembers.  Other than that, they're hacks and need to justify their own jobs at length.

(last paragraph)

About as likely as anyone to win the coveted Carlos Pena Memorial Why the Hell Not Sign Him award, presented by Taco Bell, Nextel, and Fry's Electronics--Your Best Buys...  ARE ALWAYS!!!!!!! at Fry's.

Guaranteed.

Well, the blurb was written by a guy, but considering the site's feminist slant, he's presumably receiving hardware and wetware...

Omar Vizquel one of Salon.com's 26 Sexiest Men Living.

This is shaping up to be the single most fucking dull postseason I can remember.  Sure, maybe some people are stoked on the Rockies' upstart run, but I've always maintained that postseason sweeps, entertainment-value wise, just make for sucky sucktastic suckitude.

(there are exceptions to this rule, of course.  One is if it's the Giants that are sweeping.  That, of course, is fascinating, engaging baseball, each contest a chess match between Bobby Fischer and HAL or something.  The other exception I can think of is the White Sox/Astros WS, where every game was a squeaker--but that's clearly not what's going on this year)

So far: Boo.  Hiss.  I'd much rather follow the Robert Olen Butler/Elizabeth Dewberry divorce saga.

Rich Aurilia, perhaps in his decline.

Raquel Aurilia, well, she's coming up.

Best line:

Citing influences including Elton John, Billy Joel and Bette Midler, and on the contemporary end of the spectrum, Ciara and Justin Timberlake, Aurilia is now branching out into songwriting as she envisions future projects.

I think a hybrid of Bette Midler and Justin Timberlake is exactly what Richie needs to start rocking as his at-bat music.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7787

It feels like the end of an era.  Like something precious has just left our lives.  Like our catcher is no longer the overly aggressive guy in chess club.

Not like I know.  I'd never do chess club.