Tag Archive for ‘adrian gonzalez’ rss

Not Ironic, Really, Just Coincidental

Rain is falling and I’m trying to think of something — anything — to say about Opening Day. Well, it’s here… assuming the rain lets up at some point. The Padres come home after a 2-4 road trip that may tempt some observers to go all Nile Rodgers on the team. I dunno, it’s six [...]

Stuff I Mostly Didn’t See on Saturday

I missed most of Saturday’s win against the Rockies. Caught the first few innings while driving to Elsinore, then heard Heath Bell’s high-wire act in the 14th. Watched a little of the rebroadcast on Channel 4 when I got home. It will shock you to learn that I have some thoughts on the game anyway: [...]

Friday Links (9 Apr 10)

I kind of went overboard today… Gunter Finally on board the sabermetrics revolution (ESPN). Bill Simmons? Oh, my. Good man, and glad to have you with us! [h/t Baseball-Reference] Closer Bell opens door on many topics (Padres.com). Heath Bell has nice things to say about teammate Will Venable: “He’s showed a lot more power than [...]

Everth Has No Power: He Never Got the Memo

The people who say Everth Cabrera has zero power are the same ones who haven’t seen him bat. He drove the ball hard twice in Tuesday night’s 6-3 victory over Arizona, knocking a two-run double off the left-center field fence in the second and a two-run triple to the gap in right-center in the sixth. [...]

So Close, No Matter How Far

The tricky thing about spring training is figuring out what means anything. I guess that’s no different from the rest of life, but when someone tells me that Chase Headley has a boatload of RBI in the Cactus League, what am I supposed to do? “How nice for him,” I could say as I smile, [...]

Once Upon My Mind: Gwynn, Molitor, Ichiro, and the Optimism of Spring

I get all nostalgic and sappy this time of year. It’s a stupid thing to do, but I can’t help myself. Live in the present, right? Okay, most of the time. Today, we’ll indulge a little and revisit the past: Age and Treachery Will Overcome Youth and Skill (March 21, 1998). “While I am willing [...]

Friday Links (26 Mar 10)

Links, links, links, links, links, links, baked beans, links, links, links, and links… Talking with Bill James: Part 1 (Cincinnati Sports News) C. Trent Rosecrans chats with James about the relative merits of Barry Larkin and Tony Gwynn, among many other things. James responds to the question of whether we understand baseball any more now [...]

Me, Elsewhere: Translating Batting Lines into Pitching Lines

My latest at Hardball Times dusts off an old Bill James toy that attempts to show what a hitter’s output might look like recast as a pitching line. For example, if we take Adrian Gonzalez’s 2009 season, we get the following pitching line (see the article for methodology): IP H R ER BB SO ERA [...]

The Opposite of News

I’m reading a lot about Adrian Gonzalez these days. Why not? He’s a great player who deserves the coverage. The two basic “stories” right now are: Jake Peavy wants the White Sox to make a play for his former teammate. Gonzalez reportedly is seeking Mark Teixeira money, which the Padres can’t afford. To summarize, other [...]

Can MLB Survive in San Diego?

Websoulsurfer offers some interesting thoughts on the Padres current payroll situation and long-term prognosis. A few points deserve further attention: I have found that no team since the advent of Free Agency has won a World Series with one player making more than 16% of total payroll and no team has made it to the [...]