SB Nation User Blog: ravenfly

Caple: Saves Massively Overrated

ravenfly — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:29:20 -0000

Caple: Saves Massively Overrated

Old Minnesota boy Jim Caple penned an entertaining read for his new masters at ESPN about how horrendously overrated the save is. Based on discussion here recently, there are some folks who would enjoy the read.

Taking the sting of Batgirl withdrawal away

ravenfly — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:13:22 -0000

Taking the sting of Batgirl withdrawal away

I've been reading Those Girls for a while now, but this is easily the best bit they've posted. I highly suggest this as a use for your next five minutes.

Awesome Bill James Q&A

ravenfly — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 01:36:01 -0000

Here is a brilliant (and long) Q&A that Bill James did with the Freakonomics NYT blog. Absolutely worth a read for anyone who digs baseball.

Turns out he's neither a robot or a computer, though I'm sure that some will still argue that he doesn't understand "what the game is really about" or some such.

A Beautiful Day for Baseball

ravenfly — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:10:58 -0000

Man, it sure is February. The frozen bloody North we call home sure is frozen, and we're all getting a little squirrely. That's okay, though, because Spring Training has sprung and the end of it all is in sight. We've got a whole slew of young guys who will be fun as heck to cheer on this summer whether or not we contend. And so, I present to you a short read to make your day a little better.

This article at USS Mariner (which is an excellent blog that I highly recommend to everyone here, despite their misguided fanatacism for the poorly run M's) reminded me, more than anything yet this almost-spring, why I love the game so. It's a great read, and it sure as heck brightened my day even though I've never heard of Dave Niehaus.

Quote: "I learned baseball from him. I learned that Jim Presley was terrible, Harold Reynolds was fast, that Alvin Davis was Mr. Mariner, and that the team didn't have any pitching. They never had any pitching. Through Bill Swift, he taught me what a sinkerball was. Through Scott Bradley, he taught me that catchers could be left-handed. Through John Moses, he taught me that you can give anyone a nickname by just shortening their last name. And through Ivan Calderon, he taught me that hispanic players could have Russian first names."

As a side note, this is the kind of thing that makes the baseball Hall of Fame the kind of institution that other sports can only dream of. Nevermind the yearly arguments about the BBWAA's voting -- the century-plus of history enshrined in Cooperstown from announcers to bloody socks makes me smile every time I think about it.

Good luck in Seattle, Senor Jackal

ravenfly — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 22:32:56 -0000

Silva's apparently about to sign with the Mariners for $44MM/4yrs per Ken Rosenthal, and boy oh boy are the M's fans unhappy with it.

Good analysis and discussion by Dave at USS Mariner (a site that you should probably be reading anyway; I certainly enjoy it even though I don't feel very strongly one way or the other about the M's). Weirdly enough, seems that the posters over yonder aren't too keen on the idea of committing $11MM per annum to Senor Silva...can't imagine why. Though to be fair, I don't know what the M's fans were expecting their front office to do with that money anyway.

Adam Everett to Twins

ravenfly — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:19:08 -0000

Whee, we got ourselves a shortstop. One who can't hit, of course, and figures to be a noticeable downgrade from Bartlett most likely if he's the everyday starter.

One-year deal, no specifics yet. I imagine it's cheap, at least. Sigh.

Link: http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7559454?CMP=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=49

Jonah Keri, ESPN Columnist

ravenfly — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 19:27:45 -0000

This guy is easily my new favorite sportswriter. He writes for Page 2 over at ESPN, yet pens more insightful and reality-based commentary than anything I've seen in quite a while.

And he doesn't even spend half his columns tooting his own horn! Amazing.

Anyway, just thought I'd share. I've enjoyed his columns quite a bit, and I figured some around here would as well if they're not already reading him.

Torii needs to shut his [stupid] mouth

ravenfly — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 15:13:31 -0000

Now, I love Torii as much as the next guy. I've got nothing but respect and appreciation for his years of holding down CF on Twins teams good and bad. But the man seriously needs to stop talking to the press.

Joe C's latest entry is yet another example. Yes, Mr. Hunter, we all know that the bottom half of the lineup has been perhaps this team's biggest problem. No, Mr. Hunter, your less-gifted teammates don't need you throwing them under the bus by admitting that you swing for the fences because you have no faith in the guys hitting behind you.

Anyone else feel like Torii's just personally done with playing here?

How the Jacque Has Fallen

ravenfly — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 23:21:53 -0000

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-0626marlins,0,5116352.story?coll=sfla-sports-front

Ahh, Jacque, we hardly knew ye. Off to the land of oranges and apathetic old folks for a [reported, but not confirmed] mid-level single-A prospect.

That's what happens when you're OPSing .623 as a corner outfielder on a team that already DFA'd the superior Matt Murton (why is he not a Twin yet, btw?).

/salute, Jacque. I did so love your constant, beaming smile.

Off-Topic: Fantasy Baseball Suckitude

ravenfly — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 15:18:32 -0000

This is a bit of a whiny post, but I figured that I could come here and get some commiseration from you all. It's been a really, really bad start for my fantasy team. Check them out here if you're bored at work or something. And please, hit me up with input on players you feel are worth cutting bait with. I'm at a loss; I feel like I have a decent team but everyone is sucking. The ass-bats are out of control.

I just posted this message to my fantasy league's message board:

You didn't think I could do it, did you? You didn't think I had the guts. But oh yes, I went there. I took the challenge. I manned up.

Yes, that's right. For the day of Wednesday, April 18, the Southside Sabres collectively OPSed less than .500! And I didn't stop there; oh no. The pitching staff got into the game too. Big Z, Carlos Zambrano, posted his third awful start of 2007, going 6 innings and allowing 5 runs for a daily ERA of 7.50 and a WHIP of 2.17. Todd Jones hastened the ascendancy of Joel Zumaya, blowing his first save of the year...against the Royals.

I hereby claim moral victory over Heart of a Champion Baseball. Even at this early date, you say? Oh yes. You see, we're in the right.

...

Yeah. Sorry for bitching, but dear god could I have a couple more players go in the tank? The moral of the story is don't draft an entire team of players who are going to start the season ice cold.