Because I missed our regularly scheduled Friday Links this past week and the ’69 Padres have an off-day, I thought I’d fill some space here. I’m crazy that way, so don’t try to stop me.
Right, whatever. Here are some links (a lot, actually, with minimal commentary):
- 2007 Scouting Report by the Fans for the Fans (The Book, via Friar Forecast). Tangotiger is conducting his annual project. I’ll let him explain:
I want you to tell me what your eyes see. I want you to tell me how good or bad a fielder is. Go down, and start selecting the team(s) that you watch all the time. For any player that you’ve seen play in at least 10 games in 2007, I want you to judge his performance in 7 specific fielding categories.
It’s a very cool project, and I’d encourage everyone to participate. You don’t get an “I Voted” sticker or anything, but still. Padres fans need to represent, yo.
- Padres CEO talks finances, reluctantly (San Diego Union-Tribune, via Phantom in the comments). Old news, but better late than never. Quoth Sandy Alderson:
The franchise, relative to other franchises in baseball, is in pretty good shape. But it’s not going to stay that way if we make multimillion-dollar mistakes.
Yep, that pretty much nails it.
- A Baseball Smackdown–Ensberg vs. Kouzmanoff (Fantasy Baseball Generals). Confession time: Whenever I hear the name Morgan Ensberg I always think of James Ensor and that song by They Might Be Giants.
- Fresh arms come and go (North County Times). Heath Bell and Justin Hampson talk about their times shuttling back and forth between the big leagues and Triple-A. Quoth Bell: “People at LaGuardia started recognizing who I was.”
- Stansberry relishes debut (Padres.com). Rookie Craig Stansberry on his big-league debut: “I had some serious adrenaline going.” Maybe. You think?
- Again with the regulating (Friar Watch). Anthony examines Trevor Hoffman’s recent struggles.
- Jake Peavy: Pitch variation and velocity (Friar Forecast). More fun with Gameday data.
- Non-Prospect Diary: Dirk Hayhurst (Baseball America, via KRS1 in the comments). I’d run across these diaries earlier in the season and since completely forgotten about them. Thanks to KRS1 for the reminder. This entry is particularly poignant.
- Q&A with Nina Detrow (San Diego Union-Tribune). Don’t recognize the name? If you’ve been watching the Padres much over the past several years, you’ll know her as the ball girl stationed along the left-field foul line. Some fun stories in here, including this one:
Just recently, (the Cardinals’) David Eckstein hit as hard a line drive as I’ve ever caught. My hand hurt for a week. I had to move to my right to catch the ball. I didn’t have time to think. After I caught the ball, I looked back and there was an older couple sitting in the first row. They brought me some brownies the next homestand.
Plenty more anecdotes where that came from. Good stuff…
- The art of turning the double play (MLB.com, via Phantom in the comments). Some quotes from Khalil Greene. Also, we learn something shocking: ex-Padre Jim Leyritz got into three games at second base while with the Yankees. Derek Jeter remembers it well.
- Angels use wings to make up for lack of offensive muscle (CBS Sports, via Didi in the comments). One thing I miss from last year’s Padres is the aggressiveness of guys like Josh Barfield and Dave Roberts on the basepaths. I still think we were right to let them go, but it was fun watching them run the bases.
- The DRAFTYs: The 2007 MLB draft awards (Hardball Times, via Didi in the comments). Nick Schmidt checks in as the worst first-round pick. Andrew Cumberland’s #2 ranking among non-first-rounders comes with a request: “Padres, please don’t turn him into a slap hitter.”
- No mirage in Arizona (Hardball Times, via Didi in the comments). Chris Jaffe takes a closer look at the Diamondbacks’ success this season. Among other things, he likes the way Bob Melvin has managed his bullpen:
You’ve got to give Bob Melvin a lot of credit here. He’s putting the right guys in when it matters and sticking in the bums when it doesn’t.
- Long-Term Free Agent Contracts: A Historical Perspective (Baseball Analysts, via Brian in the comments). This is from March 2006 but it’s still instructive in weighing the risks and rewards of long-term deals.
- Craig Biggio Blames Media Pressure For Stalling At 285 Hit-By-Pitches (The Onion, via LynchMob in the comments). God bless The Onion.
Enjoy…
Nice win last night, it was in a lot of ways a necessity with Webb going tonight. I almost feel like I owe Blum an apology.
Blum is a maddening player. Please pick whether you suck or not so we can appropriately cheer or jeer you. Thanks.
Re: 1 even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once and awhile.
although I hope Blums warm bat will attract another team to give him a full time gig next year.