SB Nation User Blog: tommy.otm

Captain Undead projections

tommy.otm — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 22:57:25 -0000

So I'm feeling relatively optimistic about the Catcher-Formerly-Known-As-Corpse. He has been reworking his lefty swing, is in good shape, and hit 5 bombs in 50 ABs this spring. I wrote somewhere last night that I'm seeing 20 HRs for him this year, and it occurred to me that we haven't had any community projections for Tek

So, without further ado...

AB: 420
HR: 22
BA: .255
OBP: .367
SLG: .440

Poll

What do you think about Tek?

Partying like it's 2005.

14 votes

Slight rebound.

29 votes

tommy is high again - Tek is done.

6 votes

49 votes | Poll has closed

Sheffield released

tommy.otm — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:57:09 -0000

Sheffield released

Didn't see this one coming. The Tigers just ate the $14 million owe to Gary Sheffield this season. Guess this wuld allow them to move Cabrera to DH and Guillen back to first.

Two very good reads.

tommy.otm — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 03:43:55 -0000

First, from Details magazine, which I had never heard of before tonight, an article on Arod. The man. Very interesting. This part made me laugh out loud.

Rodriguez claims he hasn't read the book, but it's clear he's aware of its contents. He says numerous teammates contacted him to express support when it came out. I ask whether he's heard this fabulous revelation from the Torre book: that a Yankee trainer would rub hot liniment on Roger Clemens' testicles just before his starts. "Oh," Rodriguez says, smirking. "I'd heard that. But I didn't witness it."

There's also some juicy withheld on Arod's favorite Madonna song.

Second, from GQ, this article on Lenny Dykstra's post-baseball career is pretty much amazing. Quite the successful lunatic, apparantely.

Good baseball players are sometimes really weird people.

John Updike

tommy.otm — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 04:37:22 -0000

John Hoyer Updike (March 18, 1932 – January 27, 2009) passed away today. Novelist, poet, critic - genuine man of letters.

Why, you may ask, is this at all relevant to OTM? Because his article "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu" just might be the best piece of baseball writing.

Here's a taste:

Greatness necessarily attracts debunkers, but in Williams' case the hostility has been systematic and unappeasable. His basic offense against the fans has been to wish that they weren't there. Seeking a perfectionist's vacuum, he has quixotically desired to sever the game from the ground of paid spectatorship and publicity that supports it. Hence his refusal to tip his cap to the crowd or turn the other cheek to newsmen. It has been a costly theory—it has probably cost him, among other evidences of good will, two Most Valuable Player awards, which are voted by reporters—but he has held to it from his rookie year on. While his critics, oral and literary, remained beyond the reach of his discipline, the opposing pitchers were accessible, and he spanked them to the tune of .406 in 1941. He slumped to .356 in 1942 and went off to war.

R.I.P.

MFY

tommy.otm — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 23:45:20 -0000

So the Yanks have had a couple new developments.

First, signing Pettite for one year, 5.5m. I almost feel bad for him - he was initially offered 10m but turned it down, only to find the market had bottomed out, and had to settle for 5.5. Tough luck, kid. Probably helps our bargaining position vis a vis Tek.

But it's a good deal for the Yanks, I think. Sure, he was total crap at the end of the season - 2-7 with a 6.23 ERA in his final 11 starts - but was 12-7, 3.76 ERA prior to that. If they can get 20 good starts out of him this is a great deal.The MFYs rotation is going to be tough.

Second, Torre co-authored a new book on his time with the MFYs. Among the juicy tidbits, Arod is referred to as "A-fraud." Ha. He also trashes the Steinbrenners (presumably the kids) and Cashman.

Olney puts up a couple passages (members only, I think) in order to poo-poo Torre's involvement in the book -

[F]rom page 245:

Back in 2004, at first Rodriguez did his best to try and fit into the Yankee culture -- his cloying, B Grade actor best. He slathered on the polish. People in the clubhouse, including teammates and support personnel were calling him "A-Fraud" behind his back.

And it was Torre's choice, ultimately, to include this, from page 252:

In his own way, Rodriguez was fascinated with [Derek] Jeter, as if trying to figure out what it was about Jeter that could have bought him so much goodwill. The inside joke in the clubhouse was that Rodriguez' pre-occupation with Jeter recalled the 1992 film, "Single White Female," in which a woman becomes obsessed with her roommate to the point of dressing like her.

And it was Torre who approved the words in the excerpt released Monday -- after Torre had assured Cashman on the phone Sunday that they were friends and always would be friends.

Only much later did Torre start to put the picture together of what had happened to his working relationship with Cashman. The personal falling-out they had in 2006 spring training over philosophical issues, Cashman's decision not to bring back longtime center fielder Bernie Williams when his contract expired in 2006, his submission of odd lineup suggestions based on stats, his lack of regard for Ron Guidry as a pitching coach, his detachment from the "they" who were making an offer to Torre, his failure to offer any comment or support in the meeting that decided Torre's future, his failure to personally relay Torre's proposal to find a way to reach an agreement to the Steinbrenners … "I thought Cash was an ally, I really did," Torre says.

(Sniff)

I'm curious how the Tex-Arod thing will play out. They could be the best 3-4 combo in baseball, and supposedly they couldn't stand each other in Texas. Should be fun.

I realize that neither of these things is particularly new to most of you, but I figured it was time to get the political thread off the front page...

Mazz on Masterson.

tommy.otm — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 01:43:10 -0000

So we've all read Mazz's interview with OTM from the other day.

Here's his sidebar from today's Globe/blog thingy:

Tony's Top 5

Reasons to keep Justin Masterson in the bullpen:

5 The impact on Manny Delcarmen. As we learned last year, Delcarmen is far more effective in the sixth or seventh innings.

4 His stuff is better. As a starter, Masterson's fastball is in 90-92. As a reliever, he has touched 96. This gives Masterson the ability to induce K's and double plays.

3 The lefty issue. Unless or until he incorporates an effective changeup or split, Masterson will continue to be vulnerable against lefthanded batters.

2 Efficiency - or inefficiency. As a starter, Masterson's difficulties against lefthanded batters can inflate his pitch counts and shorten his outings.

1 The team would be better off. It may seem sad to say, but an effective late-inning reliever now may have more value than a mediocre, back-end starter.

On the whole, I agree that Masterson should stay in the pen. But this does seem inconsistent with the idea that Masterson is "the best of the lot" of Buch and Bowden. Unless he is implying that Buch and Bowden project as worse than "mediocre, backend starter(s)." Which I take serious issue with.

CC to Dodgers?

tommy.otm — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 00:14:03 -0000

HUUUGE grain of salt here.

But apparently CC Sabathia has told Ned Colletti that he wants to be a Dodger.

Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark on Monday that he ran into the free agent on Sunday night in a hotel lobby and the left-hander told him that he wants to be a Dodger.

Although the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers have made offers to the prize of the free-agent class, speculation continued that Sabathia would want to play near the home he is building in Southern California.

This could be interesting. If the Yanks don't get CC, I think they'll freak out and throw the bank at Teixeira. Which would make me sad.

(sniff)

Will Manny veto a trade?

tommy.otm — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 02:57:55 -0000

So Manny says he's tired of the Sox, that they don't deserve him, and that he'll approve a trade if the Sox think they're better off without him. But maybe in Manny-being-Manny world, he doesn't really think they'll trade him. Maybe he's just having fun, talking trash and making sure he can hit the free agency market this off-season.

So what do you think - will veto a trade?

Poll

For all his talk, what are the chances Manny vetoes any trade coming down the pipeline?

He won't veto. He wants to be gone.

21 votes

He'll veto a trade to the Marlins. Yes, he wants to leave, but he still wants to make the playoffs.

2 votes

He'll veto. He didn't actually think the Sox would trade him.

3 votes

He won't be traded.

7 votes

33 votes | Poll has closed

LUGO TO DL!!!

tommy.otm — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 21:23:25 -0000

The Boston Red Sox place shortstop Julio Lugo on the 15-day disabled list with a left quad strain on Saturday.

Lugo was injured Friday night while running out an infield single in the ninth inning of Boston's 7-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Lugo began to limp as he approached first base, then dropped to ground shortly after hitting the bag.

The age of Lowrie has begun. We shall see how he fares, but it looks like he'll be getting a two week tryout here.

I think an infield of Lowell, Pedroia, Youk and Lowrie could set a record for doubles.

*********UPDATE************

He had an MRI today and said the doctor told him it was torn; the team said it was a "severe strain." He is expected to be out 4-to-6 weeks and was in the team clubhouse with a large brace on his left leg.

So it looks like Lowrie's tryout might be a month. I just picked him up for my fantsy team - you might want to do the same...

Game Thread, 6-1-08

tommy.otm — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 17:24:20 -0000

Boston

Ellsbury-CF
Pedroia-2B
Youkilis-1B
Ramirez-DH
Lowell-3B
Varitek-C
Drew-RF
Bailey-LF
Lugo-SS
Colon-SP

Baltimore

Roberts-2B
Markakis-RF
Millar-1B
Huff-3B
Scott-DH
Payton-LF
Jones-CF
Quiroz-C
Bynum-SS
Burres-SP

So Papi felt a "pop" in his wrist last night. Hopefully it's no thang, but he's taking a breather and scheduled for an MRI.

In other news, Brandon Moss has seemingly recovered from his appendectomy. He hit three HRs last night for the Pawsox.