Comments on: Friday Links (4 Apr 08)

By: oside jon

oside jon — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 01:11:41 +0000

In Vegas tonight and hoping to find a sports book that is playing the LA/SD game. OT — So much more building still going on here. I think the bubble has bursted. 6000 new foreclosures this month. Traffic too…….went to Hoover Dam today and it took 3 hours.

I still think they could get an MLB team someday. Tons of people out here now plus lots of out of towners who’d stop to see a game. If they built it right off the strip people would walk to the game. Only problem is the gambling thing =)

By: Coronado Mike

Coronado Mike — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:53:22 +0000

Mark…I like your story better than the likely truth. I will hold onto it.

By: Mark M

Mark M — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:49:52 +0000

Speaking of he Colemanisms I have an almost-Colemanism. I once was sure I heard him say, “Tim Flannery at the plate. Bad legs, no balls, two strikes.” I immediately pointed this out to someone with me and he told me that Coleman said, “battling, no balls, two strikes.” Oh, well. Almost.

By: Field39

Field39 — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:02:56 +0000

35, Mat Morris speaks film at 11:00:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08095/870484-63.stm?cmpid=pirates.xml

By: Schlom

Schlom — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:55:56 +0000

I think that a lot of teams are extremely negative when it comes to drafting. A lot of teams probably looked at Porcello’s price tag and figured that he wouldn’t pan out and so the money would be wasted, the Padres obviously thought this way. Now for some teams, like the Pirates or Padres, that might make sense because of their track record. Other teams, like the Tigers, know that they can develop pitchers (look at the difference between the #1 and #2 picks of 2004) so they don’t have a problem with spending the money.

By: Tom Waits

Tom Waits — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:26:42 +0000

34: Let me add that if you’ve experienced systemic failure that continues until the day of the draft, it seems to make MORE sense to take a consensus top talent. You already know that your process for evaluating amateur talent doesn’t work. Why continue to use a broken process in hopes that this time you’ll execute it better? Draft the best available player, get your process in order, continue.

By: Tom Waits

Tom Waits — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:23:45 +0000

34: Nothing stopped the Pirates (or any other team with a low-ranked system) from drafting Porcello, paying him with the money they later allocated to Morris (far from all of it), and then using their ‘regular’ draft budget on other players. Nothing except a desire to adhere to slot.

The Tigers built a tremendous farm system by continually purchasing crown jewels. They then traded almost everybody away, but at this point last year they had a great minor league system based largely on jewels like Verlander, Maybin, Miller, and Porcello.

By: Field39

Field39 — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:01:17 +0000

32, It is futile because an empty system is a systamatic failure and if you do not start by adressing that issue, continued failure goes with the territory. The perenial loser that sees Porcello as their savior is going to wind up with Porcello and nothing much else. IMAO. You cannot fix a broken system with one bold stroke. The solution for the Pirates was not Porcello or Morris, they need to build an entire system, not purchase a crown jewl.

By: Tom Waits

Tom Waits — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 21:43:30 +0000

30: To be clear, I’m not calling Hunter or Cumberland a failure at all. Just not a success yet, not until Hunter flashes either more power or better D in CF and at least until Cumberland has played a full season.

By: Tom Waits

Tom Waits — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 21:32:16 +0000

31: I don’t understand how that works. How is adding a potentially great player to your system ever futile? The kid they drafted in the first round, Moskos, got 2.5 million. He’s somewhat less likely to fail completely than Porcello, but he’s far more likely to turn into a situational reliever. A system doesn’t get better by adding less-talented players. But the question wasn’t between Porcello and Moskos. It was between Matt Morris and Porcello. Unless the Pirates trade him, they’ll have spent about 12 million on a player who will still not help them much. If they just need an innings eater to help protect their young major league arms, there were plenty around at a much lower cost.

The Padre system is stocked only compared to its recent barrenness. It’s better than it was, but it’s not stocked. It’s heavy on corner position players with limited athleticism and pitchability arms.