Open Thread: Regular Season Reminder
ByWith the final Grapefruit League game in the books and the team on their way back to New York, all we have left to do is countdown the 40 or so hours until the 2011 regular season gets under way. Now’s as good a time as any to remind you about all the different ways you can access our fine blogging establishment, some of which you may find easier than others.
Before we get into that, make sure you review our commenting guidelines. Emotions run high during the season, especially when a team with a $190M+ payroll has a patchwork rotation, but we have to make sure we maintain some sort of civility in the comments. Please review them, even if it’s just a fresher.
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We have two separate Twitter feeds here. Our main feed is @RiverAveBlues, where the three of us will muse on various topics, post any breaking news, engage in discussions with readers, stuff like that. It’s worth signing up just to read Ben’s knee-jerk reactions during the games. Our second feed is @RABfeed, which will automatically link to all of our posts as they go up. That’s pretty much all it’s there for, but it’s useful.
If you want, you can also follow the three of us on our personal accounts: @bkabak, @joepawl, and @mikeaxisa. I can’t promise everything we tweet about will be about the Yankees, or even baseball for that matter, but you won’t regret it.
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Believe it or not, the three of us use our blogging superpowers for good elsewhere as well. I contribute to MLB Trade Rumors and RotoGraphs while Joe contributes to FanGraphs. Curious about the NYC subway system? Ben’s got you covered there at Second Ave. Sagas. He’s gained some notoriety through the site, so check it out.
So, you got all that? Good, now use this as your open thread for the night. The Twins and Braves are on MLB Network (live), plus the Nets are on as well. Oh, and CC Sabathia will be on Letterman tonight, so that’s cool. Oops, that’s tomorrow. Talk about whatever, go nuts.
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The Mason Williams Watch
I’ll be here Thursday afternoon at 1 o’clock on the button for the game thread. Oh, how I’ve missed those game threads.
Just want to say thanks to the three of you (and the weekend writers!) for all you do. Looking forward to another great season with RAB, hopefully one that ends with a 28th championship.
Why do I have to be in school during Opening Day?!
by mlb.tv, whip it out in class.
im gonna try that but its gonna be hard for me to hide my laptop well, stupid high school banning electronics
Will Greg Golson’s Rocket Arm make it to the varsity this year?
That would imply that I have any athletic ability, which is completely false
You know what annoys me? That Greg Golson’s Rocket Arm is only rated in the 60s in MLB 2K11.
Another thing? Bartolo Colon has yet to exist in the game. I guess the devs thought he had no shot at making the roster either.
There is so much that is utterly annoying about that game.
How about a list of “improvements” that include a tighter strike zone where no part of the ball can be outside the lines or else its a ball, “realistic” fielding which only results in more errors, botched double plays, and fielders who actually run away from the ball and being awarded even less skill points in my players even though stats still cost the same. Just terrible, but alas us poor xbox users only have the one option.
I think there are definitely issues with the game that can cause annoyances and from I’ve read from other peoples experiences, but I have yet to notice anything crazy like that. Perhaps it’s because I’ve only had the time to play four full games (weak, I know).
Even with that SSS, I think I’m going to enjoy this game. The last baseball game I put a lot of time into was MVP Baseball 2005 (I still have it! Somewhere!) and the last 2K produced baseball game was 2K7. I bought 2K8 and was utterly flabbergasted at how terrible it was (IMO) and I never even bother with 2K9 or 2K10.
However, I did follow 2K10′s development because the switch to Visual Concepts (of the famed NBA series) when they took over. 2K10 wasn’t good, but it was a step forward. This years iteration appears to be playable for me because A). I have fun with it and B). I actually bought it. The few games I have played (SSS) I’ve enjoyed remarkably. Yes, the graphics are sub par for a current gen console, yes it’s not perfect, but I have found it plays a solid game of baseball, something various reviews have hammered home as well. Hopefully, Visual Concepts continues the trend of improving titles and they pump out a truly worthy game at some point.
Or they could just lose the MLB license and EA can start making games again. That’s be cool too.
I remember reading that their license expires after 2011. Please let it be true because I want to enjoy fake baseball again.
Sorry that’s 2012
Quick question:
Can commenters re-post comments in the open-thread that they previously posted in the off-topic thread?
I know there is a general rule against re-posting comments, but I was just wondering if there was an exception for comments posted in the off-topic thread.
Yeah go for it, the open thread is kinda of a free for all.
Oh, how I’ve waited for Opening Day.
ESPN Insider has its divisional previews up and has used the ZiPS projections for the team’s overall record, hitting, and pitching. I know we can’t share the blurbs from the site because it’s a subscription-based service, but I just wanted to relay that the Yanks have been pegged to finish 87-75, 3rd in the AL East. Personally, I find that ludicrous — almost as ludicrous as the apparent glee that the writers took in bashing the Yanks throughout the entire AL East preview.
In my estimation, while the Sox are slightly better than we are, I wouldn’t consider it a Davidian upset if we were to win the division. Also, 87 wins?? I feel like a suitable lower bound would be 90, with the common range being 91-93 wins. The seemingly inevitable rotation upgrade coming later in the season (which, at this moment, cannot be accounted for by analysts ) should bump that total up by a win or two.
Not related to what you just said, but thanks for helping me out with my fantasy stuff yesterday. I wound up trading Santana for Chris Perez, he accepted, just gotta wait till tomorrow for it to be official.
Hey, you’re welcome.
Just wanted to point another thing out: if your league doesn’t have a max acquisitions (per week or season) setting, or has a high FAAB, beware of opponents streaming pitchers. That’d be where they acquire pitchers to pitch when members of their regular staff aren’t; this allows them to accumulate wins and K’s more easily (though it could come at the expense of ERA and WHIP). This is especially likely if it’s a standard 5×5 league and there aren’t negative categories (L’s, BB’s, etc.) or other rate categories (K/BB) that would serve to disincentivize the acquisition of lesser pitchers.
Ah OK, I’m pretty sure our league is like that. Thanks for the advice.
Now to reply to what you actually said:
I try really hard to look at the ESPN stuff objectively to convince myself they’re not biased against the Yankees, but it’s just not possible. I know the rotation has question marks, but 87-75??? Really?
“I don’t think I’m being controversial if I say they have maybe two starters I trust.”
Keith Law speaking about the Yankees in his MLB predictions. I assume he’s talking about CC and Hughes and he has the Yanks squeaking by the Rays and Twins with a record of 90-72.
I agree with that. But I bet in the next breath he said how great Boston’s rotation is. Yes, they definitely have more upside, but it’s just as likely that Beckett and Lackey continue to slide and Buchholz’s results fall back in line with his peripherals.
The Yankees are simply held to a different standard. There’s bias there no matter how hard analysts try to be objective. ESPN doesn’t even try to hide it anymore…but that’s a different discussion.
Anyway, how many teams can you say that you can “trust” more than two or three of their starters. Take, for instance, the much-hyped A’s rotation that’s the ESPN MLB cover story today. It’s no question they’re a young, talented group of pitchers with a lot of upside, but do you “trust” Cahill to reproduce his ’10 performance? Do you “trust” Gonzalez will improve his BB% and become anything more than a wild, inconsistent pitcher? Do you “trust” Anderson given his recent injury history?
The point is that if you did deep enough in almost any rotation – using Oakland as an example because of the ESPN story – you’re going to find a lot of question marks. The Yankees are simply held to a different standard; not higher, just different.
So what they’re saying is the overall loss of Andy Pettitte, who didn’t even pitch for over two months last year, will result in the Yankees winning eight less games than they did in 2010? That doesn’t even account for the improved bullpen, improved defense at catcher, most likely improved hitting from A-Rod, Tex and Granderson, and more consistent production out of the DH slot.
Uhh, can I get these odds in Vegas, cause I’ll take the over 87 wins!
You want proof that ESPN is biased?
The oddsmakers put the Yanks over/under at 91.5
http://www.betvega.com/tag/ny-.....wins-2011/
Because ESPN and Vegas have to agree?
Last year, if Javy & AJ pitched like 2008 or 2009, add in a solid Nick-the-stick, an average Jeter/Teix/Arod year and we win 100-plus. Mix in a non-Lee and unfrozen bats and we head into the WS…add Lee and we likely roll.
This year, we have only upside with the rotation as Javy should of been the #3 and Hughes the #5 SP last year but it ended with Hughes the #2/3 and Javy the #5/6 along with a bad AJ.
Cashman has viable young guns with the deepest pockets and any recession based greedy owner will give him their direct line.
I think it is mostly a five team race, in this order;
Yankees
Giants
BoSox
Phillies
Rays
Not much seperates them.
Anything can happen, let’s play ball.
Non-Lee as if the Rangers didn’t get him.
would an offshoot of that type of upset be called Branch Davidian?
Yes! But the original upset wouldn’t accept the offshoot.
Guidelines?…we don’t need no stinking guidelines!
Should be a great year…Arod looks scary good, Teix/Jete/Grandy will be much better than 2010, best bullpen ever, Cash has 20-30M$ to get a stud, farm is rock solid with battery mates, & SP isn’t that bad (or so i hope).
Ohh, BTW RAB rules.
Moose is throwing out the first pitch on Opening Day; kinda wish it was Pettitte.
“The End of Spring Training is here, the Start of Something Great is Near.”
– Mike Stanton via Twitter
anybody else see the new 7 day dl for concussions
link?
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/articl.....8;c_id=mlb
That was meant as a reply to fruitless hypotheticals. And anyway, I like the move. I hope it isn’t abused to give a guy a week off for the hell of it or something. Jorge could’ve used this last season, IIRC, when he needed a couple days off with dizziness or some other concussion-like symptoms. It’s interesting to see this multi-sport movement realizing the seriousness of concussions and instituting policies to protect players.
fyi you should never reply to fruitless hypotheticals…that’s just people making up stuff that will never come true. just ask them: “are you asking about something that DID happen, or something you created that you’re afraid COULD happen? cause let me tell you–nobody has ever asked that before.”
thanks for the link. also, the next RAB post–these guys are ON it!
Was today’s game on TV? If so, how did Garcia look?
Like a mutant Dwayne Johnson……..he pitched pretty well though.
Wouldn’t Dwayne Johnson look like a mutant Freddy Garcia?
So I’m considering issuing this trade proposal and have some reason to believe that it would be accepted: I’d give up Albert Pujols and ask for Joey Votto and Ryan Braun in return.
While that is a relatively lopsided deal (the difference between Pujols and Votto certainly does not amount to Ryan Braun’s production), I think that Pujols’ sheer name value, plus the lure of this being his contract year, could make this an attractive trade for my potential trade partner.
I’m not crazy for wanting to propose this, right?
If the person would accept that I’d definitely do it. It’s almost a no-brainer. I just am not sure the other person will do that.
Yeah, if I were the other person, I certainly wouldn’t do it; Votto and Braun are both Top-10/Top-15 fantasy players. I was thinking of asking for Votto and Jay Bruce, which could be a more palatable duo for someone to give away, but I want to shoot for the moon. If the trade’s rejected, I’m fine with keeping contract-year Pujols all to myself.
Just got my Opening Day tickets. I am pumped.
(HIGH FIVE)
Fantasy question: someone in my league just dropped Joel Hanrahan. I really won’t be losing any depth (i have excess corner IF), and my current RP’s are: Bell, Broxton, John Axford and Leo Nunez. Should I grab him?
I would.
Yeah, had to pull the trigger on that one. The guy dropped Hanrahan and picked up Aardsma. Seriously. I have no idea what’s going on with his team. This is the same guy that drafted Starlin Castro with his first pick (with Tulo AND Hanley still on the board)… I might need to join an RAB league next year.
I’m afraid to join a RAB league…that’s why i was hoping they’d come throw with the ‘you get demoted’ plan they had originally–that way somebody would get depressed, quit, and I could take over a team in a crappy league. It would look like I was being helpful, but in reality, it would be masking my inability to run a fantasy league team…
You might as well just join a league. Probably too late now for a RAB league, but it’s free and you can’t get better without playing. What’s the harm in coming in 16th your first year?
Latos on the dl, not an auspicious start to my team in the RAb American Conference League.
I have him on one of my teams and it’s retroactive to March 22, so, as I read somewhere, the plan is for him to make his season debut on April 6th against the Giants. Fingers crossed.
*EMPHATIC SIGH*
I’m going to be in class all day Thursday when the game is on and I’m mildly annoyed at that fact. Guess I’ll have to DVR it :/ On Thursday, I will be shutting myself out from the intertubes until that game is watched.
On another note, I’m looking forward to my second full season as a RAB reader and flaky commenter that mostly adds nothing of value. Here’s to an awesome season and to TSJC coming back!
Oh yeah, and I wanted to thank RAB for being RAB. You make me sound smart amongst friends!