SB Nation User Blog: philkid3

An earnest request of Red Sox fans!

philkid3 — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:11:26 -0000

Distinguished members of the Nation,

As ya'll are no doubt aware, your boy Dustin Pedroia currently leads all American League second basemen in All-Star voting. He leads one Ian Kinsler by close to 2,000 votes.

Dustin is awesome. He's one of my favorite non-Rangers (partly thanks to John Mayer), and I wish him the best in his future career, but. . .

Ian is my favorite player, and he deserves it. He's second in the American League in value over replacement (all players, not just 2B), and leads the AL in Win Shares. Across the board he deserves it, and I would really like to see him start.

So, I've got a weird request for a game I rarely care about. I'm asking you guys in the Nation to please vote for Ian Kinsler. And, if you post here how many times you vote for him, then I will match those votes with votes for any of your choice out of Manny, Ellsbury, Drew or Ortiz (I'm already voting for Youkilis).

Thank you for your time and have a good day!

Go give Ian your votes!

philkid3 — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 19:59:53 -0000

There was an upsdate on All-Star Voting today.

Many of the American League races will hinge on the final days of balloting for the 79th All-Star Game, which will be played on Tuesday, July 15th at Yankee Stadium. Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer, Boston Red Sox teammates Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia and Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, who is vying for the third starting outfield slot, cling to tight leads.

Mauer (1,632,338 votes), who has an edge for the second straight week, leads Boston's Jason Varitek (1,487,390) by less than 145,000 votes. On the right side of the infield, the pair of Red Sox continues to hang on in their bids to make their Midsummer Classic debuts; Youkilis (1,915,376) is in front of Minnesota's Justin Morneau (1,641,467) at first base and Pedroia (1,669,216) is outpacing Ian Kinsler (1,485,530) of the Texas Rangers at second. Suzuki, an A.L. All-Star in each of his seven Major League seasons and a fan-elected starter six times, leads a crowded pack in contention for the final starting outfield position with 1,397,460 votes. Angels outfielder Vladimir Guerrero is fourth with 1,187,273 votes.

Kinz is currently second in the American League in Value Over Replacement.

He also leads the American League with 16 Win Shares.

The dude, as well all know, is on fire, he deserves to be starting in Yankee Stadium. He needs your votes!!!

Ian Kinsler Second in the AL in VORP

philkid3 — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 06:48:02 -0000

Ian Kinsler Second in the AL in VORP

I didn't notice this until today, but Kinz has moved in to second in the American League in VORP. Sweet!

Walk Off Walrus

philkid3 — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 23:15:30 -0000

Walk Off Walrus

A Mariners fan's trip through ESPN.com.

philkid3 — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:17:40 -0000

A Mariners fan's trip through ESPN.com.

lol

I could go the rest of my life without hearing Pete Rose sing.

philkid3 — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 18:10:52 -0000

I could go the rest of my life without hearing Pete Rose sing.

Kevin Goldstein: AL West Draft Recap

philkid3 — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:32:48 -0000

From Baseball Prospectus

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Draft Philosophy: Do the best one can without a first-round pick, and when it comes to position players, focus on athletes and ceiling.

First Pick: Tyler Chatwood, RHP, Redlands HS (CA) (74th overall)
How High He Could Have Gone: On pure talent, this is about right. There are some signability concerns due to a strong college commitment (UCLA), but the Angels would not have taken him here without every intention to sign him.
Path To The Big Leagues: There’s really no such thing as a blocked pitcher, but as a high school arm, he’s going to require time. He’s on the small side, but his fastball and curve are both above average.

Rest of the First Day:
3. Ryan Chaffee, RHP, Chipola JC (FL): The bulky right-hander misses a lot of bats, but also misses the strike zone at times.
3. Zach Cone, OF, Parkview HS (GA): A monster athlete with plus-plus speed and power potential; needs to become a better hitter.
4. Buddy Boshiers, LHP, Calhoun CC (AL): He's a solid lefty with a big frame and an excellent breaking ball.
5. Khiry Cooper, OF, Calvary Baptist HS (LA): Another high-ceiling athlete who is a major project.
6. Josh Blanco, LHP, Franklin HS (TX): A short lefty with velocity.

Best Second-Day Selections:
10. Gabriel Jacobo, 3B, Sacramento State: A big third baseman with power and contact skills, but he might not stay at the hot corner.
13. Mike Kohn, RHP, College of Charleston: Inexperienced and raw, but outstanding arm strength.
16. John Hellweg, RHP, Florida CC: A six-foot-seven power arm who can’t throw strikes.

Oakland Athletics

Draft Philosophy: Stick to what you are comfortable with, and focus on the top college talent.

First Pick: Jemile Weeks, 2B, Miami (12th overall)
How High He Could Have Gone: Certainly no higher than this, and even at 12, this was a bit of a surprise, as most saw him going in the 16-18 range.
Path To The Big Leagues: Much of Weeks’ timetable could depend on his defense, and he has the athleticism to be a very good second baseman, but needs a lot of work on his fundamentals.

Rest of the First Day:
2. Tyson Ross, RHP, California: Did not perform as well as expected this spring, but was up to 95-96 mph by the end of the season; it was a surprise to see him still available.
3. Petey Paramore, C, Arizona State: A solid hitter with excellent plate discipline, but the body and his arm strength are concerns.
4. Anthony Capra, LHP, Wichita State: A solid lefty low on upside, but a strike-thrower with a deep arsenal.
5. Jason Christian, SS, Michigan: A good athlete with plus speed and true shortstop skills, but he's very skinny and needs to add strength.
6. Tyreace House, OF, College of the Canyons: A burner on the basepaths with a compact frame; some feel that he turned a corner this year.

Best Second-Day Selections:
7. Brett Hunter, RHP, Pepperdine: A first-round talent who went down with an elbow injury at the end of the year. Oakland has to figure out how serious it is to determine how much he’s worth now.
8. Jeremy Barfield, OF, San Jacinto JC (TX): Josh’s brother is more in the mold of his father Jesse, as he’s bigger and has more power.
10. Rashun Dixon, OF, Terry HS (MS): A high-ceiling toolsy type who will need more than tenth-round money to sign.

Seattle Mariners

Draft Philosophy: Safe pick in the first with a college closer, and more safe college talent to follow.

First Pick: Josh Fields, RHP, Georgia (20th overall)
How High He Could Have Gone: Once the run on college closers began, Fields was going to be one of the first names off the board, so anywhere from 16-30.
Path To The Big Leagues: Fields’ violent delivery and lack of a changeup mean that Seattle won’t be tempted to start him. He could be in the big leagues as early as next year.

Rest of the First Day:
2. Dennis Raben, OF, Miami: Minor injuries led to a disappointing junior campaign, but he has big league-level raw power.
3. Aaron Pribanic, RHP, Nebraska: The body and stuff of an innings-eater, but no single pitch is knockout offering.
4. Steven Hensley, RHP, Elon: He has a power pitcher's frame and good stuff; another mid-rotation type. 5. Brett Lorin, RHP, Long Beach State: A gigantic righty who throws downhill but rarely dominates.
6. Jarrett Burgess, OF, Florida Christian HS (FL): Toolsy kid with excellent speed and a good arm; a skinny frame might have power in there somewhere.

Best Second-Day Selections:
9. Billy Morrison, RHP, Western Michigan: A tall sinker/slider specialist who could grow into bullpen role.
12. Kenn Kasperek, RHP, Texas: At 6'10" he excites scouts with his size, but his stuff is pretty pedestrian.
13. Ryan Royster, OF, UC Davis: An athletic outfielder, but he's raw and behind the eight-ball developmentally because of his age (he's a true senior).

Texas Rangers

Draft Philosophy: Jump up and down for joy, because somehow Justin Smoak fell to 11th overall, then follow that with a run on pitching, focusing on command and control.

First Pick: Justin Smoak, 1B, South Carolina (11th overall)
How High He Could Have Gone: He was a dark horse to go fourth overall to Baltimore, but was expected to go either fifth to San Francisco or seventh to the Reds; getting him at 11 is an absolute steal.
Path To The Big Leagues: Smoak is the kind of hitter who could be ready for Double-A as early as next year; his making the majors in 2010 is not an entirely unrealistic expectation.

Rest of the First Day:
2. Robbie Ross, LHP, Lexington Christian HS (KY): Seen by some as a talent worthy of a higher selection, Ross has plus stuff and command, and could move up quicker than most high school arms.
3. Tim Murphy, LHP, UCLA: A big, strong southpaw with three average pitches who profiles as a back-of-the-rotation workhorse.
4. Joe Wieland, RHP, Bishop Manoque HS (NV): He's a long-armed, projectable righty with good velocity and outstanding command.
5. Clark Murphy, 1B, Fallbrook HS (CA): A big kid with lots of power, but few other tools.
6. Richard Bleier, LHP, Florida Gulf Coast: Another projectable strike-thrower who changes speeds well.

Best Second-Day Selections:
10. Kevin Castner, RHP, Cal Poly: The opposite of their earlier picks, Castner has plus-plus velocity but very little feel for his craft.
15. Joe Butler, OF, New Orleans: His tools grade out very well, but there’s a lot of swing-and-miss in his game.
19. Harold Martinez, SS, Braddock HS (FL): A first-round pick going into the spring, Martinez had a poor senior year, but still wants to get paid like a first-round pick or he’ll go to Miami.

Rick Sutcliffe is a creepy guy. And, of course, this isn't the first time we found that out. T...

philkid3 — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:07:34 -0000

Rick Sutcliffe is a creepy guy. And, of course, this isn't the first time we found that out.

The man shouldn't have a job.

Courtesy of USS Mariner.

Harry Potter and the Misleading Link

philkid3 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:54:14 -0000

Harry Potter and the Misleading Link

Harry was hoping for naked Hermione pictures.

Edinson Volquez's 2008 ERA: 1.56 Dontrelle Willis's 2008 WHIP: 2.47

philkid3 — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:11:40 -0000

Edinson Volquez's 2008 ERA: 1.56

Dontrelle Willis's 2008 WHIP: 2.47