Open Thread: Global World Series?
ByThe news: Bud Selig wants to implement an additional championship baseball series. Redundantly dubbed the Global World Series, the plan would involve the MLB World Series winner playing the Japanese champions. According to Japanese commissioner Ryozo Kato, Seligs “wants to realize the plan before his tenure ends,” in 2012.
Two cliches come immediately to mind: if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, and leave well enough alone. People will certainly have differing opinions on this, and there’s no need to shout down people who want to see this implemented, but I don’t think it’s necessary. The playoffs already run long enough, and there already appears to be a talent disparity between the Japanese and American leagues.
The unevenness of competition becomes evident when viewing which types of players move to each league. Elite Japanese players come to MLB, while fringe players move to Japan. It’s basically a one-way flow of talent. If Japan loses players from its elite pool, while America loses players from its fringe pool, then can we expect a series between the best of each league to be fair? I’m firmly on the no side.
I’m sure some people will mention Japan’s status as two-time WBC champions, but that should play zero role in this decision. It’s irrelevant, actually. If the Red Sox make the Global World Series, Daisuke Matsuzaka will still play for them. In other words, this is not a battle of nations. This is a battle of leagues, and it’s pretty clear that MLB owns a distinct advantage. It might be better entertainment than the World Series champs playing the winners of the Bricktown Showdown, but there’s little reason to believe that the World Series champs wouldn’t prevail in the vast majority of series.
Then there’s the issue of season length. The World Series champs already play a seven-month schedule. Presumably the series wouldn’t involve a home-away-home scheme for logistical reasons. But if Japan agrees to this, surely the series would rotate every year. Why make the World Series champions, after seven long months of baseball, travel to Japan? It seems like more of a punishment than a reward. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love more baseball. But I’m sure the players enjoy their off-seasons, especially after 162 games and a month-long playoff schedule. Let the men rest.
Ultimately, I do not see anything coming from this. There’s just too much working against it. I won’t say this is just another attempt by Bud Selig to secure his legacy — nah, who am I kidding. That’s exactly what I’m saying.
Since not everyone will want to talk about a potential Global World Series, this will double as the open thread. Enjoy.
225 Comments»
RAB Info
The Founders
Mike Axisa, Ben Kabak, Joe Pawlikowski
Editor-In-Chief
Mike Axisa Archives | Email
Managing Editors
Ben Kabak Archives | E-mail
Joe Pawlikowski Archives | E-mail
Contributing Editors
Larry Koestler (Archives)
Moshe Mandel (Archives)
Stephen Rhoads (Archives)
Weekend Writers
Hannah Ehrlich (Archives)
Matthew Warden (Archives)
Special Contributor
J.R. O'Grady (Archives)
Technical Consultant
Jay Gordon
Subscribe to RAB by RSS and Twitter
Follow @RiverAveBlues Search RAB
Banner Design By
The Mason Williams Watch
I’d be more into it if the Japanese league play could compete with AL-level competition.
Right now, I’m not so sure it can.
Convince me, then we’ll talk.
I say we do a test run.
How about the Yankees play the Scranton Wilkes-Barres affiliate two weeks after the 2010 World Series, and see how that goes.
ietcvm
Why make the World Series champions, after seven long months of baseball, travel to Japan?
Money.
Make them meet in the middle, and play in Hawaii.
And that will provide some incentive to the players too as they get an excuse to go to Hawaii
True but they could just go to Hawaii anyway and not have to talk to the media and do events and all that crap.
Yea, I thought about that but this would just another excuse to go. I’m not saying it will be a significant incentive for players but it is at least an incentive, even if a small one.
Great idea, but only if they fix the existing playoff problems. See post below.
I’d prefer if CC and AJ went home to their swimming pools filled with gold as opposed to going to Japan and throwing more innings after a strenuous playoff run. Unless the Yanks want to make a mockery of the event and start Sergio Mitre Eric Wordkemper and Colin Curtis I don’t see it happening.
+1,000
And you’re basically describing the WBC more or less. We don’t need more baseball after the WS.
If they blow their arms out, you at least have a 4 month head start on the surgery and rehab.
I’d prefer if CC and AJ went home to their swimming pools filled with gold
http://francisanderson.files.w.....cduck1.jpg
Who will have more home runs in 2010? Carlos Pena or ARod? Over the last three years Pena has 117 and Arod has 119.
I made a friendly bet with my sister, a Rays fan, and told her I would solicit opinions form RAB commenters as to whether it is a good bet.
Sorry, but this is repost from last nights Open Thread but I posted it too late to get any feedback.
Arod. I’m thinking 45 on the nose. Pena, not so much.
A-Rod: 47
Pena: 40
Hmmm…all biases aside, I’d go with Pena. He’s an all-or-nothing hitter with comparable raw power. A-Rod may take pitches Pena would look to as homers, and go for better contact.
I think it depends on how many games each plays. Tough call.
My sister loves that.
My prediction: Pena hits 46, A-Rod hits 43.
Dark horse candidate: Brett Gardner slams 47 (singles).
Contract year for Pena, so I bet he hits 50 and challenges for the MVP.
Oh, forgot about that. I’m changing my answer to:
A-Rod: 47
Pena: 48
My sister likes your prediction even more.
Really? A guy who has hit .247 and .227 in the last 2 years is going to challenge for MVP? Not saying a .247 hitter wouldn’t deserve to challenge, but he wouldn’t come close in the actual balloting I would think. Voters like an empty .315 over a full .247 still don’t they?
Batting average fluctuates tremendously. If he gets up to .270 or so, which is entirely possible, he’ll contend. 50 homers is 50 homers, especially if the Rays stay in the race all year.
I always thought the “conract year” theory is a little overrated.
In fact, there’s an idea for a post for you. Look up 10 star pitchers and ten star position play7ers and see if they performed any better in their contract years, or something like that.
Anyway, I take A-Rod. I think he has an epic year. A-Rod HR’s-48. Pena-43.
I’m sure that WS champions would rather go to play more baseball than to frolic in the Caribbean with their long-abandoned families and friends. People will start throwing the WS just to avoid it.
NPB needs to drop its limit on foreign players (4 players per team) before any talk of “Global World Series” starts.
I agree 100% with Joe
Unless the season is cut to 154 games and the play-offs sortened then maybe at a neutral site in either the US or Japan….
Still breifly interesting idea but, no
This is the silliest argument yet. The idea is to make MORE money, not less. Shortening the season would cost all 30 owners money, instead of adding a bit of revenue to the one WS winner.
end comment says it “No”
MLB has to tighten up the playoffs before it starts extending the season even further. Here’s what needs to be done:
1 – Start the season one week earlier with all teams playing in warm climates or domed stadia.
2 – Then make the ALDS seven games instead of five to make it less of a crap shoot.
3 -Stop this mindless (yes . . . I know it’s for TV) day off between each game.
We’ll have more games, a better ALDS and we’ll be finished by October 20th.
THEN and only then . . . we MIGHT consider adding an International contest.
I’d add…
4 – Add a second WC to both leagues and make a WC 3 game series between the two teams. There’s no penalty for being the wild card team as it stands. There should be.
I’m open to that but what do you propose for the length – a single game play-in or something longer?
I like the excitement factor of a one day play-in. But so long as the WC has some disadvantage placed on it I wouldn’t be against a 3 game series either. I would want to be really careful about throwing off the schedule for the division series.
Totally agree.
So, the wild card is broken and your solution is to … add more wild cards? Are you daft man? The solution is to get rid of these ridiculous three-division configurations, go back to the two-division setups (7 teams each in the AL; 8 each in the NL) and dump the wild card which is just an excuse to wring more TV $$$ out of the networks. This ensures more deserving division champions, restores real pennant races, prevents teams from not competing until the last out because second-place can be good enough and eliminates a week from the playoff schedule.
Of course, even with all of this the idea of a playoff series against the JPB champions is silly and I’m not for it. You might as well have the MLB champs play the PCL or IL champs, or the Mexican league champs (less travel).
Totally disagree. I love the wildcard. One of the best things to happen to baseball. It gives teams that’d normally be out of it a chance to compete and adds more baseball to the schedule, which I’m always for.
1 – Start the season one week earlier with all teams playing in warm climates or domed stadia.
While that sounds great, it won’t work. Attendance is higher in the summer and (for contending teams) fall, so southern/domed teams would lose money in this scenario. MLB complains about the difficulties of scheduling, but that’s just an excuse. The loss of revenue for some teams is an actual problem with this plan.
I understand the revenue issue you bring up but my gut tells me it’s not that big a problem. I haven’t done any analysis on this so I cant’ back up my gut feeling. It seems like there has to be a solution to the revenue issue if it is significant. Just of the top of my head . . have the paired-teams split the revenue from these early series and a later one in the heart of the season.
There are better ways to drum up interest in international baseball than this one. It’s an interesting concept, but the logistic mess is an unsightly one.
The season is already grueling. Asking your top three starters to pitch another full series is ludicrous. Cole Hamels is still crying (though I thought he was great in Twilight: New Moon). You can’t do it before Spring Training next year either, since the team will not be the same. I also doubt their level of competition is on par with MLB.
If they cut the MLB season by 10 games, MAYBE, and it’s a small one, it has a chance. I also doubt the players would give a shit. They don’t care about an All-Star game, why would they care about this?
Bud Selig is like a Magic 8 ball of bad ideas.
Random note regarding Twilight:
In the DU bookstore today, I heard some lady telling a guy that “vampires are so last year and are out of style now.” She said “it’s all about fallen angels now.”
Don’t know why I thought this was interesting or even worthy enough for a post but whatever.
IETCVM
plus, I doubt a team would want to risk their players for something as pointless as this. Why make CC throw more innings when the amount he throws is already enough and I think you’d rather have him fresh for the new season.
5AM Baseball!!!!!!
YAY!!!!!!!
Yeah, forgot about the time zone thing, too.
Mike Mussina hasn’t. He’s still bitching about it.
RAB needs an mlbtr/ facebook style ‘like’ button. Mike Mussina, what a bad apple.
Source: http://blog.nj.com/ledgeryanke.....epste.html
Said Mussina: “You need a comment from me about him calling me a bad apple? I don’t have one.”
I miss Mike.
RAB should to start a campaign to make Mike Mussina the David Cone replacement on YES.
/signed I’d love to hear him shit on Michael Kay’s Fordham nonsense. Though I think he’d be more on the O’neill “I come around whenever the hell I want.” schedule than the one Cone had.
I get the feeling Mussina would be a freakin’ bore.
Mussina does have a dry/sarcastic sense of humor.Somewhat snarky,actually.We like snarky…
I believe he also does some commentary for the Little League World Series or something like that in Pennsylvania, where he lives. So obviously he’s not totally inept if they keep asking him to come back. Either that or they just like having a former MLB player doing commentary.
-JM
There shouldn’t be a replacement to David Cone on YES. They should leave the seat empty, in memoriam.
I agree. That would be the shit.
Found out we have mice all over the house, mostly in the walls. They shit in the pantry, the silverware drawer and Mo knows where else. There’s a solid chance I’ve eaten a good deal of mouse crap over the course of the last six months.
Really? Don’t you have like 4 cats? How come they’re not in murder mode?My parents house is pretty much in the middle of the woods out on Long Island and birds wont even land in the yard because they have one outdoor cat.
Yeah, we do have a lot of cats. We found out we had the problem when we discovered one of them playing with a mouse. There are still mice, though. Who knows how many. None of the cats have their front claws anymore, so that may be a factor. Mice may have been hanging out here for years and we just haven’t noticed. Whatevs, it’ll be taken care of and they’ll be gone in a month. It’s just a hassle for now.
Uhhhhggg.
I’ve had a problem with boll weevils. They came out of nowhere. The only reason I found out was because I accidentally spilled some oatmeal on the counter. I went to go grab a sponge and when I turned around, the oatmeal was moving. There’s no telling how many of those little bastards I ate over the weeks.
I have a wholesale bakery, I can help you on this.
Go to Home Depot and get a big package of those little rodent killer packets and some steel wool. Then buy a nice big jar of Jiffy Peanut Butter. Smear some peanut butter on the packets and stick them in the holes in your wall (look around, they’re there) and fill the holes with the steel wool. They can’t chew through the steel wool for some reason, and you should be rid of all of them within a week or so.
Hmm…nifty idea. We already have an exterminator coming. My parents would rather pay a guy who signed a guarantee than take the risk of doing it themselves and possibly screwing it up.
Thanks for the wisdom though.
If you have any pets (dogs/cats) make sure you tell the exterminator. You don’t want them using anything they can get into.
Also, a bakery? Do you guys make dobostortas? Best cake ever. (As a Hungarian, I’m biased.)
Ok, serious bakery-related question: what’s the deal with cakes? I have yet to have a good cake/cupcake from a non-cupcake bakery. Am I not going to the right places? Is it fondant? Am I just picky?
They’re not fresh. Many cafes buy from guys like me, and keep them way too long.
Ok, that’s a good reason, but I feel like the flavor doesn’t do it for me, whatever that flavor is.
How did you get into that?
Yeah, MLB already has exhibitions with Japanese teams before the season. I don’t see any reason to exand it past that point. If the goal is to market baseball in Japan, and show competition between the two countries; mission accomplished.
Another issue, I think, would be impending free agency. This means the games would have to be played before the 15 day window after the WS ends and any eligible players file. At that point, they would no longer be part of the team.
Even then, I think some FAs would opt out of playing. Risk of injury, however small < $$$$.
I agree that the WBC results are irrelevant. As the TV commentators were saying during the games, the US will never really compete. During the WBC last year, they left pitchers in that were getting shelled so that they could get their innings in for ST, pulled star players out after 4 in some cases to prevent over-extension, etc.
The US will never truly compete in the WBC as long as there is spring training.
So that, coupled with the fact that most of the players that play in the WBC are MLB players anyway, would absolutely destroy any chance Japan has to be competitive.
Of course factor in the crapshoot nature of a 5 or 7 game series and the fatigue of a playoff run and that could all be moot anyway.
It just seems like a bad idea that would be good for baseball popularity in Japan only if the Japanese team did reasonably well against the MLB team and a poor idea injury-risk wise for whatever MLB team had to play the series.
Scott Eyre Retires
By Ben Nicholson-Smith [January 7 at 2:45pm CST]
Scott Eyre tells MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki that he’s retiring after 13 seasons in the majors. The Phillies had offered the lefty a minor league deal, but Eyre, who only wanted to pitch for the Phils, chose retirement instead. Eyre originally asked for $2MM – the same amount he made in 2009 – but now says he’d prefer to spend time with his family.
“I think even if [Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr.] would have offered me a better contract I still don’t think I would have taken it,” Eyre told Zolecki.
Eyre pitched for the White Sox, Blue Jays, Giants and Cubs before joining the Phillies midway through 2008. He won the World Series with the Phillies just months after joining them and went on to have a strong 2009 season. Eyre allowed 22 hits and 16 walks in 30 innings, striking out 22 for an ERA of 1.50.
Damn. How many guys retire after posting a season like that?
Without bothering to look it up, even his WHIP is a respectable 1.25-ish. AND he’s a Lefty, and lefties can always find a job.
Not to keep talking about him but Mike Mussina — 200.1 ip 1.223 WHIP 132 ERA+ 20W-9L
I have an idea. Why don’t we let the worst team in MLB play in this Global World Planetary Earthly All-Around Ubiquitous Panoptic International Universal Series? It’ll be a closer game and it won’t require a team to play too much as that team won’t be in the playoffs anyway.
/not serious
Wow, I couldn’t tell.
/Sarcastic
No thanks.
As far as Selig’s ideas go, this is worse than interleague play, but not as bad as having the All-Star Game determine WS homefield. In short: I hate it.
Unless travel advances to the point where we could have a truly global league, I can’t support this idea.
Remember the last time the Yanks went to Japan?
-The game started at 5:30 am IIRC.
-Hideki Matsui spent the entire trip whining about the substandard quality of porn they have in Japan.
-Moose stayed in his hotel room the entire trip and bitched about it for the rest of the season
-Kevin Brown was caught with a geisha girl in a police raid downtown Tokyo.
-The few Yankees that did venture out ate sushi and caught some sort of intestinal parasite that knocked them out for weeks. In Giambi’s case, months.
All of this is terrible…but could you imagine how much fun a Nick Swisher documentary in Japan would be?
Two words: fucking awesome.
i can’t fucking wait until nick swisher is on the MLB Network. He’d basically be Sean Casey but better.
Piggybacking on TSJC’s fine guest post this afternoon:
http://nomaas.org/?p=903
I’m not sure how I feel about such mocking. Sure, Heyman may be wrong, but what’s the point of making him look like an idiot?
I’m usually not one for snark as a replacement for an actual argument, but TSJC had plenty of (really) good arguments and the NoMaas guys are just a bunch of goofballs.
In any case, it’s Heyman’s own words that he’s being beat over the head with. That’s fair game.
Sure, Heyman may be wrong, but what’s the point of making him look like an idiot?
Are we really making him look like an idiot, or calmly stepping out of the way as he continues to make himself look like an idiot and then laughing at him after the fact?
Wow, no mention of the football game. I don’t have a dog in the fight but Alabama’s lineplay looks like it should be able to keep Texas under control.
I was just thinking the same thing. There was no mention of the game at the FAN on the Mike Francesa show today either. It was all JETS.
all about ratings
Seriously, I’m ready for this game already. They’re not going to kick this thing off until 8:50 or so for God’s sake.
That’s tonight?
Ok, so who thinks Texas has no chance, besides me?
I don’t care who wins but I’m rooting for Texas because they are the underdog.
I rank my college sport teams on how much I like the town/city or the people I know who attended the school. Needless to say, Alabama scores fairly low, just above Liberty University, Orel Roberts, Cal-Berkely and Boston College.
Chris Simms went to my high school. I know him (barely, but his father is nice) He also went to Texas (I like Austin, have an aunt as an alum, and love that Texans hate him). Simms also played for the Broncos, where he’s infuriated Salty on many an occasion.
So…I’m rooting for Texas.
The BBWAA HOF Bottom 11
Don Mattingly — 87 – 16.1%
Dave Parker – 82 – 15.2%
Dale Murphy — 63 – 11.7%
Harold Baines — 33 – 6.1%
Andres Galarraga – 22 – 4.1%
Robin Ventura — 7 – 1.3%
Ellis Burks — 2 – 0.4%
Eric Karros — 2 — 0.4%
Kevin Appier — 1 – 0.2%
Pat Hentgen — 1 – 0.2%
David Segui — 1 – 0.2%
I’m thinking of making this a post tomorrow morning. We can all argue the merits plus/minus for the top 11, but the deeper you go on the list the more you wonder what some of these guys are smoking. 22 writers voted for Andres “big cat” Galarraga? The two guys who voted for Ellis Burks and Eric Karros must have been the same two writers, and probably did it as a goof. Anyone who voted for Kevin Appier or Pat Hentgen must owe them money, and anyone who voted for David Segui must be related to him.
“The two guys who voted for Ellis Burks and Eric Karros must have been the same two writers, and probably did it as a goof. Anyone who voted for Kevin Appier or Pat Hentgen must owe them money, and anyone who voted for David Segui must be related to him.”
And they should all have their vote taken away
I still can’t believe Dawson made the HOF. The man has NONE of the traditional requirements, let alone things like WAR and BA. He has less than 3000 hits, a below 300 BA, and less than 500 HR’s. I’m actually really surprised he was voted in.
He’s well-liked by the writers.
I also had a typo. It should be WAR and OPS, not BA.
Wow, his OBP is just bad.
as far as output value, he didn’t put up any of the numbers, but a lot of guys who watched him argued that he was the most purely talented all-around player in MLB when he was playing, which does count for something. He was also never in the circular-type lineups that baseball has today. OBP means a lot more with a great hitter behind you than without. In all honesty I have no quarrel with Dawson in the hall. All I’ve ever heard was that he was a truly electric talent and that he beasted baseball for a long time.
It doesn’t matter if he was an electric talent if the talent is unfulfilled. Don Mattingly and Keith Hernandez were electric talents too. Should they be in?
(For the record, I used to be for them but the arguements against convinced me. I still hope Mattingly makes it in though. He just doesn’t deserve it.)
Eric Davis and Daryl Strawberry were even more electric talents. So was Bo Jackson.
None of them are, or belong in the HOF.
Hall of Cocaine though, right?
Cocaine’s a Hall of a Drug!
/Rick James’d
Nice. Well played, Steve!
straw’s career was derailed prematurely, though. as was mattingly’s. Given a 21 year career like dawson’s, and yeah, they’d probably have made it.
But they didn’t play 21 years.
I concede your point. If things were different, they wouldn’t be the same.
sorry i wasn’t more clear. I should have said: “they’d probably have made it, too.” Dawson made it because not only was he an electric talent, but he also didn’t fall off the face of the earth like those guys. He was good for a looongg time. He excelled at what was at the time perceived to be “everything” – hitting, hitting for power, running, fielding, throwing. He didn’t excel at walking, but it’s hard to compare the standards of a much more sabermetrically-inclined era to one wherein things like OBP were not considered a priority.
Charlie Keller was one of the best all around ballplayers scouts had ever seen in the 1930s. Did everything exceptionally well. Played on numerous Yankee championship teams. Retired with an OPS+ of 152 that ranks him 28th to this very day.
http://www.baseball-reference......ch01.shtml
Not in the HOF. We could do this all day.
He was pre-steroids, so his numbers should be viewed in the context of his era, ballpark, etc. That’s why you look at OPS+, which adjusts for all those factors. He ranks 366th all-time in OPS+. BR’s black ink compares him with other HOFers, and he falls short there as well.
http://www.baseball-reference......an01.shtml
I feel like the thought process is that the years on the turf in Montreal ruined his knees, thus robbing him of several more productive seasons. Similar to the Puckett vote — injury credit.
(Not that I’m especially thrilled about either of them being in)
Does Donnie get injury credit for his bad back?
I don’t think so, or at least not as much as the others. Whereas Donnie’s injury just seems like a baseball injury, Puckett’s was unrelated, and Dawson’s were due to playing in Montreal.
At least that’s how I feel about how it’s perceived.
Appier actually had a pretty solid career. It wasn’t HOF worthy, that’s for sure, but he does merit at least a second look.
Haha. Big Cat had a wonderful smile. He deserves it! Pat Hentgen won twenty games once AND he’s from Meecheegan. They need something to cheer for. So he’s in.
David Segui? You know what? Fuck it. I can’t think of anything for David Segui. He may be the only steroid user to actually lose power other than patients on House.
Kevin Appier actually had a pretty good eight-year period from the early 90s. Hall of Fame? Ehh, who cares? Sure!
Kevin Appier was better than you might think.
he’s not Hall Worthy, but i don’t have a problem with a few writers throwing him a vote in recognition of a fine, fine career.
IOW, i wouldn’t lump him in with the rest of those guys
A Belichik moment. I love it! He’s going to be forever associated with boneheaded calls.
I love it.
What happened? I cahnged the channel.
Saban called a fake punt on 4th and 23 on their own like….13-yard line. It was intercepted.
In the words of TSJC…
Whiskey
Tango
Foxtrot
the sad thing is that the call from which this comment derives was actually the right call. The Pats defense is pretty bad, and their secondary is terrible, and the colts and especially manning were absolutely on fire in the 2nd half of that game. They would have scored regardless. Bellichick’s made that call so many times, and will continue to make that call so many times, you have to assume it’s going to come back to bite him every now and again. But it’s an example of a percentages move that backfires and LOOKS really bad, but in reality, was the correct decision. It’s like bringing in a dominant lefty reliever to face a lefty with bad LHP splits, and then that lefty immediately hits a HR. The manager looks like a dumbass, but it’s not necessarily the case.
Agreed. What the Pats did leading up to that really were screwups, but the call itself is very defensible. Wasting the timeout and not running the play before (if you know you’re going for it on 4th anyway) were screwups. And after all of that, the play could have been called either way, he was right at the 1st down marker.
Cosign with both comments.
Yeah, looks like Saban might be pulling another Belichick………..winning it all.
/lots of game left
Really Colt McCoy? You come out of the game in the first series of the National Championship? Looks like all his limbs were attached… He probably got a boo boo.
I don’t see this happening unless the Japanese agrees to play in the U.S. all season long. I’m pretty sure the MLB teams won’t like the idea traveling to Japan for 3-4 games then go back home. That is tiring and will wear the players out.
Why don’t they start getting teams first from Mexico. That’s is actually nearer and more possible.
Who wants to see Mexico v Yankees? No offense to them but we’re concerned about Japan keeping up with the MLB, Mexico wouldnt stand a chance.
How about we dont force meaningless games onto teams that pay their guys millions of dollars?
“How about we dont force meaningless games onto teams that pay their guys millions of dollars??
this. Rabid baseball fan or not, when it’s not your team or a super-awesome pitcher on the mound, baseball games can get pretty freaking boring. I don’t want to watch Shun Takaichi pitch his 3.1 innings of 5 run ball against a tired Yankee club that’s pitching its AAA vets to avoid injury to its actual starters at 5 in the morning. Baseball is about the MLB World Series. With the way major league baseball is constructed, great players play their way into the States, and play with the ultimate goal of winning the American (I know it’s ironic but it’s true) World Series. It’s a system that happens to be working.
My guess is the Mexican poster probably wants to see it.
This is the first time I’ve watched Ingram. I’m very impressed.
1987 NL MVP Ballot
Ozzie Smith finishes 2nd with a .303/.392/.775 105 OPS+, 0 HR’s, 75 RBI, 104 runs, 43/52 on steals and stellar defense at SS.
Eric Davis finishes 9th with a .293/.399/.593 155 OPS+,, 37 HR’s, 100 RBI, 120 runs, 50/56 on steals and stellar defense in CF.
Yet, time after fucking time these idiot HOF voters will quote times on the MVP ballot and where people finished to justify their vote.
http://www.baseball-reference......1992.shtml
Heh.
Mike Devereaux>>Frank Thomas.
http://www.baseball-reference......html#ALmvp
Seriously, was Tejada any more valuable than Chavez that year? I guess Tejada gets the edge due to position, but when two teammates on the same side of the infield put up identical #’s one shouldn’t finish 1st while the other finishes 14th, (though Chavez was probably closer to where he belonged than Miggy)
The real crime is A-Rod losing that year.
It’s arguable that he should have five MVPs rather than three.
2002 WAR:
Chavez: 5.6
Tejada: 4.5
A-Rod: 9.8
That year is a straight-up joke. Even Joe Carter’s year was merely OK, nowhere close to 2nd place worthy.
1987 was a different era than 1987. No way to compare it.
/alex gonzalez’d
He only played 129 games. Health is a skill, unfortunately. Eric Davis: what could have been. 37 bombs in only 80% of the season? Absurd.
Yeah, but in those 129 games he was more valuable than Ozzie Smith in about 250 games.
Via CHONE in ’87
Davis: 8.0
Smith: 7.1
As awesome as it is that we have defensive data for those years via TotalZone, there has to be decent error bars on the runs saved.
On a realistic note, no way are the sportswriters giving the MVP to someone who played a partial season for a second place team.
Agreed, Davis shouldn’t have won it, but he definitely should have finished above Mr. Backflip.
Actual 1987 MVP Finish:
1.) Andre Dawson
2.) Ozzie Smith
3.) Jack Clark
4.) Tim Wallach
5.) Will Clark
6.) Darryl Strawberry
7.) Tim Raines
8.) Tony Gwynn
9.) Eric Davis
10.) Howard Johnson
How they should have actually been ordered:
1.) Darryl Strawberry
2.) Tony Gwynn
3.) Dale Murphy
4.) Eric Davis
5.) Tim Raines
6.) Jack Clark
7.) Mike Schmidt
8.) Pedro Guerrero
9.) Will Clark
10.) Andre Dawson
11.) Ozzie Smith
That’s right. The 1987 MVP award that was the centerpiece of Dawson’s candidacy, he was no better than 10th in the league that year in an actual vote of intelligent voters.
And, Alan Trammell (who came in second for the ’87 AL MVP) should have won his balloting, while Ozzie Smith (who came in second to Dawson) should have been 11th.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsogswrH6ck (Probably SFW)
I want to talk about Twilight for a brief moment:
Fallen angels are big right now. I talk to high school girls to figure out these trends and you know what? They’re always accurate. The next one is going to be demons and fairies. Mark it down.
By the way, when I want to pick up dates I occasionally try “The Edward”. It basically involves me being pouty, mysterious, ambiguous and malnourished. Scurvy is big with the kids these days too. Not sure why. Anyway, I’ll have a slow, strange conversation with the girl and then suddenly, pensively, I look up, gaze deep into their eyes and say, “I was just inside you,” before I toss stripper glitter at them.
Works like a charm.
That’s a hot tip for you fellas.
Here I was sure you favored “The Jacob” and picked up chicks in hospital nurseries.
No, that’s called “Thursday.”
Good stuff. I need all the lady advice I can get, as you know.
As somewhat of a ladies man (of all shapes and sizes), and well known to local authorities, I can give you a few bits of advice.
Keep a picture of some random kid in your wallet. Put it right next to your driver’s license. When you go to the bar and offer to buy a lady a drink, make sure she sees this strange picture of an adorable foreign-looking kid. She’ll ask about it. If she doesn’t, somehow interweave it into conversation. Explain to her that you adopted the child from some real shithole and fabricate some sob story about saving their life. They love that shit. Explain that you’re a single parent and you’re struggling to make it. The kid is at a friend’s house or something.
Oh, but make sure you get her nice and drunk and she doesn’t go back to your place. Splooge for a hotel or her spot. You don’t want to wake the fucker up or something.
IMPORTANT: DON’T ACTUALLY ADOPT A FOREIGN CHILD. THEY’RE NEEDY, EXPENSIVE AND DON’T SPEAK ENGLISH.
Thanks for that last disclaimer. I read it just in time to hang up on Sally Struthers before finalizing my purchase.
What’s Darfive?
Go to a bank ATM. Usually people leave their receipts with their balance lying around ESPECIALLY rich privileged douche bags. Find the receipt with the largest balance. Keep said receipt. Go to a bar. Find fine filly. Talk briefly, tell said filly you’re going to give her your number. Write said number on said ATM receipt.
Said filly will be like WTF? Said filly will inspect said receipt with said phone number and see said huge balance in said bank account.
Said filly will call back.
Not a bad idea. Make sure she doesn’t see the welfare checks scattered about the dining room table when she stops by.
It’s ok, this is how I handle by bizness when they try to leave…
http://www.youtube.com/user/ZO.....qbwGHqsb9A
That guy was on Criminal Minds.
HAHAHA! Oh man I remember watching that movie -whatever the hell movie that’s from – when I was a kid and laughing my ass off at that scene. I had totally forgotten about it. Classic shit.
Had Trammell won the MVP in 1987 would he be in the HOF? He certainly should have deserved it over Bell, but you could also make a strong argument for Dewey Evans (better HOF case than Rice) and Boggs.
Sadly, yes. If Trammell would have won the ’87 MVP, which he totally deserved over George Bell, btw, he probably would be in the Hall today.
But, since George Bell got 332 votes and Trammell got 311 votes that year, Trammell will forever be labeled as a “not dominant” guy like the idiots do with Blyleven, and he’ll never get in.
People disgust me.
Bad idea: playing in a Global World Series
Worse idea: rushing to have it played before Selig retires.
I have to say I really enjoy Jim Ric’s b-ref sponsor:
Fans of the 28 teams not named Red Sox (or Yanks) sponsor(s) this page.
Congratulations, Boston. You couldn’t win a title, so you bought TWO – just like the Yanks. Open the wallet for Curt, Keith, and Johnny – end 86 years of frustration. 175M reasons never to whine about NYY. PS 2007: Open wallet for Beckett, Daisuke, Lowell
Texas looks like a HS football team taking on Steel Curtain-era Steelers.
BabyHorse McCoy got tackled. You can’t possibly expect him to lead his team after that murderous hit.
Hah. Not a Texas fan, are we?
Went to TTU. One of the greatest moments of my life is when we beat Texas last year.
Plus how can you like anyone named Colt? I know I can’t.
Does the first guy ever bring Ingram down? Jesus.
HAHAHA What’s eating Gilbert?
Texas should of taken a knee. That was a horrible coaching decision. Take the knee and lick your wounds at halftime. Oh well.
Texas should
ofhave taken a knee. That was a horrible coaching decision. Take the knee and lick your wounds at halftime. Oh well./pet peeve’d
He’s a master of all trades… except for the trade of copyediting.
Can Selig just go away now.
Conan is 100x funnier than Jay Leno. I hope Conan fucks NBC over hard and takes his show to a competing network.
+1
Also, I wish they didn’t change the format when he moved to LA. I’m not a fan of the Richter addition.
Yeah, I could do without Andy too. He seems like a nice guy and all but his interaction with Conan always seems so forced and unnecessary.
I thought that was the whole point.
Dave Matthews is looking more like Jeff Van Gundy every year.
Bad, Bad idea, season too long. Will be totally anti-climatic. We are bred from birth that the world series is the pinnacle
The SEC >>>>>>>>>>>>>> The Big XII
Worst National Championship game in a while?
Meh, most of them are pretty shitty nowadays.
I love football, but the lack of a playoff and the annual parade of more and more obscure bowls with irrelevant teams is sapping my college football love. Ten years ago, the NFL and Division I were equally awesome to me. Appointment watching.
Now, I run errands on most Saturdays to keep my Sundays free.
It really is collusive that there’s yet to be even some legitimate playoff-based format to determine things. There’s so much time between the bowls and the final regular season game. The revenue lost from losing 40 irrelevant bowl game sponsors in the transition to say, an Elite 8 format, I think would actually increase due to more overall fan interest. They could have a bidding on the actual games from corporate sponsors.
/just throwing it out there
That.
I’d have no problem watching the Meineke Car Care Bowl in lovely Charlotte, NC if it was the opening round of an 8 or even 16 team playoff. If it’s just another Wake Forest-UConn matchup that won’t amount to anything other that bragging rights that won’t ever actually be used by anyone, though… bleh.
SEC>>>>>>>>>>>> WAC and Mountain West too. Does anybody else really think one of those teams would stand a chance against Bama?
No, not at all.
While we’re on the topic, TCU looked like fucking clown shoes. If I inherited a small fortune, I’d buy the Nike corporation and lock all their senior designers in their product lab and then burn the shit to the ground. Nike is destroying sports aesthetics. They must be stopped.
In re: the 24 karat gold baseball cards.
Mariano’s picture looks more like A-Rod. Damon looks like he’s wearing a Brewers’ helmet.
Mo looks like Dave Eiland.
About freaking time Texas did something.
Man this UT game has been fucking brutal for me but I see a slight glimmer of hope. I’m crushed that Colt for hurt, guy deserved to play in his god damn national championship as his final game. Too bad.
Please stop.
Fuck the Red Raiders!
So is Rolando McClain gonna be around at #15 for the NY Giants?
At #15? Perhaps, yeah. He’d be a great pick.
However, with the Broncos-Jags-Dolphins-49′ers-Seahawks right in front of you in the 10-14 slots, he could easily be off the board as well. I’d say McClain’s in the 11-17 range right now. Combine will add a little more clarity.
He’s certainly the elite ILB prospect on the board. Brandon Spikes is a worthy consolation prize, though.
Hey TSJC, who would you like to see the Jets pick?
I’ve gone back and forth on this all year long. Which is probably for the best, since we vacillated between a top-third pick and a bottom-third pick, so it’s not like we had a really good handle on who’d be available since we didn’t know where we were picking.
I’ve primarily wanted another 3-4 OLB/4-3 DE passrusher to increase the edge pressure, since Calvin Pace is pretty much alone in that department (and Gholston looks like a bust). Had my eye on a Jason Pierre-Paul (who’s now rising) or a Greg Hardy (who’s falling). Now that we’re in the 21-25 range, Corey Wooten intrigues me as well.
The strong play of Bryan Thomas and the emergence of Jamaal Westerman, however, makes me more inclined now to wait for the second round to see what passrusher shakes loose there (Ricky Sapp? Everson Griffen? Brandon Graham?) and focus on adding either another offensive weapon, like an Arrelious Benn or Brandon LaFell, or possibly Patrick Robinson to be Revis’s partner at CB. I’d also love Earl Thomas at safety, if he’s still there in the 20s.
This draft class is pretty deep, so there should be two good players available at both of our Day One and Two picks (we won’t have a third rounder). And we don’t have any real needs at anywhere other that WR, but we can use a little of everything
That’s some knowledge right there. I’m not nearly in-depth with college football as I am the Yankees (I just focus on the Longhorns), I’ll keep an eye out for those names when I read Kiper’s mocks and whatnot.
*by Yankees, I mean all of baseball. Heh, the concepts are almost synonymous to me.
If you want to nail me down to a single name, it’s Arrelious Benn. He should be there, and he’d be a solid value with great upside in the high 20s.
I know its painfully early to look at mock draft boards , but I have been and McClain’s coming off before the Giants select on all updated boards.
I just dont want this Cody guy from Alabama. Looks sloppy.
I doubt Reese/Coughlin would ever even look at Cody. He’s a 3-4 NT. He wouldn’t fit your scheme, no matter what it ends up being once you pick a DC.
McClain’s firmly in the mix for you at 15. I think he’s probably somewhere in the 10-14 mix in terms of true talent level, but he’s still an MLB. Unless the MLB prospect is Patrick Willis-good, he’ll probably have his value depressed slightly while the bad teams at the top of the board fill other more pressing needs like QB/OL/DL.
I never understood why a 3-4 NT cant fit into a 4-3 scheme.If he’s big and strong enough to consistently take on 2 blockers in a 3 man line can’t he do it even better in a 4 man line?
He’s being asked to do different things.
In a 4-3, he’s lining up in a gap and trying to penetrate. He needs speed.
In a 3-4, he’s lining up over a man and trying to occupy a blocker and open two gaps on either side of him for blitzing linebackers and safeties.
It’s not about the size as much as it is about the speed. Albert Haynesworth and John Henderson are massive guys, but they’re still fast enough to rush the passer. Kris Jenkins and Haloti Ngata are massive but slow, but they’re strong enough to engulf one blocker and push him back into the pocket, opening passrushing lanes and clogging running lanes simultaneously.
Cody’s big enough to take on blockers, but you’re not asking your DTs to take on blockers in a 4-3, you’re asking them to shed blockers and attack the pocket.
Ahhhh ok word, thanks dude.
where does Vince Wilfork fit in that category? He’s a FA right?
He’s a classic 3-4 NT. Not a good fit for the Giants, IMO.
Speaking of watching the Giants and this championship game, keep your eyes on Bama’s LG Mike Johnson and Texas’s LT Adam Ulatoski and OLB Rod Muckelroy.
Muckelroy and Johnson may be worthwhile second round picks for you, and Ulatoski is a good upside play in the 3rd or 4th. The G-Men need to start replenishing that OL. Diehl and Snee have lost a step; Seubert and O’Hara aren’t far behind them.
True, another guard would be nice. I actually think they like the rookie Beatty from Uconn. He could stand to out on some lbs but he looks like he could be a pro RT someday.
I did like the Beatty pick. He’s got a nice frame.
to win the superbowl the Giants need Jesus Montero and Mo at LB.
LoHud listed a couple names of OFs that i havent seen floated about these parts often when discussing OF depth; specifically Right-handed hitting OFs. How about Rocco Baldelli?
It works the other way around too, having NPB guys come here/play another series at home after their season which is similar in length can’t be appealing for their players either.
Plus doesn’t the NPB participate in the Asia Series? That’s just too much and I am not sure the general public in the US would really get all that excited about it.
Shit.
Game. Over.
buy me some peanuts an cracker jacks…
im getting itchy
Ok. NOW its game over. That sucks.
Ingram dad’s in jail? First I’ve heard of it.
Yeah I think they mentioned bank fraud or something of that nature.
Sorry. Ingram’s dad is in jail? First I’ve heard of it.
Man, I knew James Ingram hadn’t released any music in a while, but I didn’t know he was that hard up for cash.
ESPN’s headline right now:
“Alabama is won the BCS title Thursday night 37-21, relying on its defense to make the big plays late after Colt McCoy exited early for Texas.”
/sic’d
it also says BREAKING NEWS as the banner, which i don’t understand. It’s a game that everyone knew was going to happen and obviously there is gonna be a result one way or another. that just isn’t really breaking news.
When you get paid $20000000 dollars a year with a 100-day holiday like Derek Jeter, how can you complain about a 20-day trip? (assuming a 7-game series with time for jet lag adjustments). Afterall, there are people who make $50000 a year and have to travel around the world 365 days a year.