There's good small forwards to peep up on you. A true test of why there is no chance we can know just how Stephen Strasberg is going to do. (And I am looking at you unnamed Padre Scout saying he's an NL-ready starter. You don't know. Stop lying.)
But suddenly, I have a Chris Coghlan-The Happy Youngster take. And suffice it to say? There are habits that are cute, and there are habits that are annoying. This guy's behavior? Definitely gone beyond the pale.
He's not playing free safety for the Badgers. He's not attacking the passing lanes like Mike Kelley. He's an adult. He does not need a major league baseball if he's not going to play the game. He is everything that is wrong with fandom. He is Ronnie Wickers, he is Red Sox nation, he is every fan who gives their city or a bad reputation.
You don't wear the opposing teams colors. You don't make diving catches for a baseball. You don't cheat from your seats. And you don't make Steve Bartman look good.
Man...I'm writing for writing sake here. Sorry. More to come.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Oh, for craps sake.
I have made mention of my feeling that this was the year that Rickie Weeks was supposed to be at long last hitting his stride. And for a while there? I was looking pretty smart, Marlins winning the NL East style. In fact, this Friday, despite my misadventures as a Substitute Gym Teacher, I was a goddamned genius.
But like a wise man once said? A lot can happen in 48 hours. And unlike the Eddie Murphy-Nick Nolte vehicle? This does not turn into a buddy comedy. Rickie Weeks is having wrist issues. Again.
Why is this more annoying than having Weeks as a perpetual breakout machine? This does not leave Milwaukee in good shape offensively if it's not just some sort of Carlos Zambrano internet related wacky. Craig Counsell would likely become your second baseman in peril. His offensive hot start would become obliterated. We would get Mat Gamel staying around longer than the first series of interleague play. But that being said?
You cannot be happy when you have a player who seems to have found his stride get his third flippin' wrist injury.
But like a wise man once said? A lot can happen in 48 hours. And unlike the Eddie Murphy-Nick Nolte vehicle? This does not turn into a buddy comedy. Rickie Weeks is having wrist issues. Again.
Why is this more annoying than having Weeks as a perpetual breakout machine? This does not leave Milwaukee in good shape offensively if it's not just some sort of Carlos Zambrano internet related wacky. Craig Counsell would likely become your second baseman in peril. His offensive hot start would become obliterated. We would get Mat Gamel staying around longer than the first series of interleague play. But that being said?
You cannot be happy when you have a player who seems to have found his stride get his third flippin' wrist injury.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
You know why I had nothing to say about Manny?
Because I'll be honest. I didn't care. I don't care. Sure, way back when, my first big post was based on the cheatery of three Baltimore Orioles. But that was just because I am a whore for readers. That one person who doesn't come here for the pictures of Bianca Beauchamp? I love you.
Anyway...why I don't care about Steroids. Simple. My baseball team sucked for the duration of the era. As you know, the kid is a fan of your Milwaukee Brewers. And from 1988 to 2006? The Brewers were good exactly once. And you know why they were good?
Pat Listach. The 1992 American League Rookie of the year. Straight speedster. The 1992 Brewers were the team that held the record for most players with 10 or more steals. They had a game where they used 24 singles to score 22 runs. This was not a team built on two power hitters.
Maybe that's why they fell short. But that's neither here nor there. The team was usless for most of my childhood and the majority of my adult life. If Jeromy Burnitz or John Jaha cheated? They clearly did not cheat enough. In fact? Purely on speculation, Jeff D'Amico probably cheated at some point during the mid 1990's. But it got them nowhere.
It's like the aphorism. Cheaters never prosper. If the Brewers did the former, it never got them the prosper. So you know what? Meh.
(Now watch Ryan Braun test positive for lady drugs.)
Anyway...why I don't care about Steroids. Simple. My baseball team sucked for the duration of the era. As you know, the kid is a fan of your Milwaukee Brewers. And from 1988 to 2006? The Brewers were good exactly once. And you know why they were good?
Pat Listach. The 1992 American League Rookie of the year. Straight speedster. The 1992 Brewers were the team that held the record for most players with 10 or more steals. They had a game where they used 24 singles to score 22 runs. This was not a team built on two power hitters.
Maybe that's why they fell short. But that's neither here nor there. The team was usless for most of my childhood and the majority of my adult life. If Jeromy Burnitz or John Jaha cheated? They clearly did not cheat enough. In fact? Purely on speculation, Jeff D'Amico probably cheated at some point during the mid 1990's. But it got them nowhere.
It's like the aphorism. Cheaters never prosper. If the Brewers did the former, it never got them the prosper. So you know what? Meh.
(Now watch Ryan Braun test positive for lady drugs.)
Friday, May 15, 2009
Break the Brewers DOOOOOOOOOOOOWN.
Okay, I napped a little longer than expected. Sorry about that. But here's something to make up for it.
The Brewers are hot. Red hot. In fact, these are the days that make up for scouring the six-year free agent wires and saying..."Oooh, I think Carlos Mendoza would be a nice fit." I'll have more on that later.
But we will break down the Brewers into 4 categories...
The Good
1) Rickie Weeks (If he stays healthy, he might have a chance at a 30 home run season. He has stopped running though, so for fantasy purposes you may want to consider selling.)
2) Craig Counsell (For a guy who was essentially ballast during his time in Milwaukee, he does deserve propers for his start. .328/.412/.466)
3) Trevor Hoffman (Milwaukee is in love with Trevor Hoffman. I know it's in eight games, but Eric Gagne was so bad last season. So, so bad.)
4) Mark DiFelice (This is why you need a smart GM. Overpaying for middle relievers is ridiculous when you can pluck a dude out of AAA and say hey, 31 year old who hasn't pitched before? You got this.)
5) Mike Cameron (If this be a contract drive? Let the gods allow him to turn a full on Adrian Beltre season.)
6) Billy Hall (For being the lefty masher in the soft platoon, he's doing very well. Better than 2007 or 2008 to be sure.)
7) Ryan Braun (Nobody expects to have an OPS over 1.000. Braun does right now. He's helping!)
8) Mitch Stetter (In terms of ERA+, you have to be happy with what he's done. His tendency to walk hitters is a worrying thing.)
The expected
1) J.J. Hardy (The dude's always been streaky. And it's too early to call it a slump yet. He's been bad for half-seasons at a time. This too shall pass.
2) Dave Bush (His ERA will always be a touch higher than his command indicates, but he's been solid this season.
3) Braden Looper (An innings eater with an ERA in the 4's is what the Brewers paid for, and it is what the Brewers have received.)
4) Todd Coffey (In terms of solid middle relief? He's been actually what you expected. His BAbip is .353, his luck will even out.)
5) Seth McClung (But not in a good way. He's walked more batters than he's struck out. He's allowed 28 baserunners in 17 innings. Maybe he was too much a product of the Mike Maddux whisperer.)
6) Mike Rivera (Passable offense when he plays, but he does not play often enough.)
7) Yovani Gallardo (Lost in Grienkemania was the fact that Yovani has developed into an ace. Stay healthy. Please. You're awesome when you do.)
The bad
1) Manny Parra (I have to worry if Ned hurt him by overworking him in 2008. When he loses the plate it's usually a signal that he has something deeper wrong with him. I'm hopeful that this is just a bad streak. But I can't not consider the injury question. He's a Brewer pitching prospect.)
2) Corey Hart (He's also streaky. But because I want in my heart of hearts the Kentucky Ninja to be a superstar? I am disappointed. He decided to be called Corey Hart. That's the decision of a man with swagger.)
3) Carlos Villanueva (He always struggles in April. And I keep expecting him to break through to superstar levels, because he can go months at a time as a stud. He's just bad long enough to keep his stats down.)
4) The Bench (With what Casey McGheehee and Chris Duffy have done? Mat Gamel's infusion couldn't have come at a better time.)
Just release him already
1) Jeff Suppan (I know, it's still only seven starts, but the Brewers trendline is scary bad. He's walking one more batter per 9 innings, he's on pace to allow one more dinger per 9 innings. His ERA+ is at the point where he was trying to face down the next Maddux claims. Pitchers die off earlier than 34, and if you're a finesse pitcher? The line is just that much thinner.)
2) Jason Kendall (Average in the .220's. 4 out of 5 runners stealing bases on him as steals come back into the playbook. If he didn't take a walk once in a while, he would be completely useless.)
3) Jorge Julio (Electric arms don't always translate. Let someone else take their shot.)
4) Brad Nelson (Outrighted to Triple-A. So. Thanks.)
Like I said, 87 wins can win the NL Central this year. And while there will be some regression to the mean, you have to wonder if the Brewers may not have another year of October Baseball. I love it.
The Brewers are hot. Red hot. In fact, these are the days that make up for scouring the six-year free agent wires and saying..."Oooh, I think Carlos Mendoza would be a nice fit." I'll have more on that later.
But we will break down the Brewers into 4 categories...
The Good
1) Rickie Weeks (If he stays healthy, he might have a chance at a 30 home run season. He has stopped running though, so for fantasy purposes you may want to consider selling.)
2) Craig Counsell (For a guy who was essentially ballast during his time in Milwaukee, he does deserve propers for his start. .328/.412/.466)
3) Trevor Hoffman (Milwaukee is in love with Trevor Hoffman. I know it's in eight games, but Eric Gagne was so bad last season. So, so bad.)
4) Mark DiFelice (This is why you need a smart GM. Overpaying for middle relievers is ridiculous when you can pluck a dude out of AAA and say hey, 31 year old who hasn't pitched before? You got this.)
5) Mike Cameron (If this be a contract drive? Let the gods allow him to turn a full on Adrian Beltre season.)
6) Billy Hall (For being the lefty masher in the soft platoon, he's doing very well. Better than 2007 or 2008 to be sure.)
7) Ryan Braun (Nobody expects to have an OPS over 1.000. Braun does right now. He's helping!)
8) Mitch Stetter (In terms of ERA+, you have to be happy with what he's done. His tendency to walk hitters is a worrying thing.)
The expected
1) J.J. Hardy (The dude's always been streaky. And it's too early to call it a slump yet. He's been bad for half-seasons at a time. This too shall pass.
2) Dave Bush (His ERA will always be a touch higher than his command indicates, but he's been solid this season.
3) Braden Looper (An innings eater with an ERA in the 4's is what the Brewers paid for, and it is what the Brewers have received.)
4) Todd Coffey (In terms of solid middle relief? He's been actually what you expected. His BAbip is .353, his luck will even out.)
5) Seth McClung (But not in a good way. He's walked more batters than he's struck out. He's allowed 28 baserunners in 17 innings. Maybe he was too much a product of the Mike Maddux whisperer.)
6) Mike Rivera (Passable offense when he plays, but he does not play often enough.)
7) Yovani Gallardo (Lost in Grienkemania was the fact that Yovani has developed into an ace. Stay healthy. Please. You're awesome when you do.)
The bad
1) Manny Parra (I have to worry if Ned hurt him by overworking him in 2008. When he loses the plate it's usually a signal that he has something deeper wrong with him. I'm hopeful that this is just a bad streak. But I can't not consider the injury question. He's a Brewer pitching prospect.)
2) Corey Hart (He's also streaky. But because I want in my heart of hearts the Kentucky Ninja to be a superstar? I am disappointed. He decided to be called Corey Hart. That's the decision of a man with swagger.)
3) Carlos Villanueva (He always struggles in April. And I keep expecting him to break through to superstar levels, because he can go months at a time as a stud. He's just bad long enough to keep his stats down.)
4) The Bench (With what Casey McGheehee and Chris Duffy have done? Mat Gamel's infusion couldn't have come at a better time.)
Just release him already
1) Jeff Suppan (I know, it's still only seven starts, but the Brewers trendline is scary bad. He's walking one more batter per 9 innings, he's on pace to allow one more dinger per 9 innings. His ERA+ is at the point where he was trying to face down the next Maddux claims. Pitchers die off earlier than 34, and if you're a finesse pitcher? The line is just that much thinner.)
2) Jason Kendall (Average in the .220's. 4 out of 5 runners stealing bases on him as steals come back into the playbook. If he didn't take a walk once in a while, he would be completely useless.)
3) Jorge Julio (Electric arms don't always translate. Let someone else take their shot.)
4) Brad Nelson (Outrighted to Triple-A. So. Thanks.)
Like I said, 87 wins can win the NL Central this year. And while there will be some regression to the mean, you have to wonder if the Brewers may not have another year of October Baseball. I love it.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Here's something odd about me...
For such a draft nut? I hate hype. I hate players who are the subject of hype. If I can't wrap my head around the potential success? I'm anti-prospect. You kind of saw it with Matt Stafford. You saw me turn heel on Mark Sanchez.
And Stephen Strasberg? I will fucking believe in him when he hits the bigs. Anybody who deigns call him a sure thing is either foolish or willing to bet nobody goes back and reads these things. (I'm looking at you Anonymnous Padres Scout). Baseball Prospectus has their own aphorism that holds sway here.
There is no such thing as a pitching prospect.
Pitchers lose the plate. They lose the power in their secondary pitches. Their shoulders tear and their elbows pop. And even if they can swing the on-field stuff, fate may stop them before they get there. Every team has a pitching prospect that the fans will wonder what might have been. Oakland has the four aces. The Mets have Izzy, Pulse, and Paul. The Braves have Jung Bong.
And I will tell you now, bold prediction. The Naxpos will get Stephen Strasberg for the list.
And Stephen Strasberg? I will fucking believe in him when he hits the bigs. Anybody who deigns call him a sure thing is either foolish or willing to bet nobody goes back and reads these things. (I'm looking at you Anonymnous Padres Scout). Baseball Prospectus has their own aphorism that holds sway here.
There is no such thing as a pitching prospect.
Pitchers lose the plate. They lose the power in their secondary pitches. Their shoulders tear and their elbows pop. And even if they can swing the on-field stuff, fate may stop them before they get there. Every team has a pitching prospect that the fans will wonder what might have been. Oakland has the four aces. The Mets have Izzy, Pulse, and Paul. The Braves have Jung Bong.
And I will tell you now, bold prediction. The Naxpos will get Stephen Strasberg for the list.
Hey Twitter...
What are you doing? I like hearing half of conversations. Hearing half of conversations allowed me to learn about the Playoff conversational magic between Russ Bengston and Courtside from NBA's finest. Hearing half of conversations allowed me to figure out that Matt Fraction is on twitter. Which is awesome.
But now? Nothing. It's only people I know and fuckers trying to spam me. Not to say that the Twitter Mayor of Portage isn't mad at the people who follow him. But I want the randon @replies back. For the love of Pete, I never knew the Matrix was on twitter.
But this is a microchasm of life on the internet. They keep fucking with things that are good. That's what chased me from the WordPress (and readers). That's why my MySpace is the same as it ever was. And that's why I am morose about twitter's state of affairs.
But now? Nothing. It's only people I know and fuckers trying to spam me. Not to say that the Twitter Mayor of Portage isn't mad at the people who follow him. But I want the randon @replies back. For the love of Pete, I never knew the Matrix was on twitter.
But this is a microchasm of life on the internet. They keep fucking with things that are good. That's what chased me from the WordPress (and readers). That's why my MySpace is the same as it ever was. And that's why I am morose about twitter's state of affairs.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Jerel McNeal: The second round pick who could steal hearts and minds...
Now, in the search for making a series? I found something out. There’s not much for the two guard. Really. I mentioned Jack McClinton. And I believe he’s going to be good.
But you know what? Jerel McNeal will be great. He will be drafted in the second round, and he will have seasons where, at the very least, Free Darko will sing his praises.
Why? I will break it down simply. Succintly.
1) His game is all-around golden.
Let me tell you what Jerel McNeal needs to work on. Off-ball defense. That’s it. Anything else is nitpicking. He hits the three, with a solid mid-range game. He passes well for a two-guard. He locks down his man. You want more?
2) The steal/foul didatic.
In a way? The steal is kind of like the NBA’s version of the strike zone. Or the stolen base. Look. It’s nice to have a guy who can get three steals per game. But if they get in foul trouble? They’re as useless as Alvin Robertson.
Jerel McNeal went from a freshman that gambled entirely too much to a senior who, while he does not have a red number under his fouls committed on Kenpom.com, has become at the very least competent at avoiding foul trouble because he gets too grabby.
3) Intangibles.
You want a college basketball player with a motor. Someone who can’t get fired up when he’s doing it for free will be even more of a dog when he turns pro. You have a 6′3″ two-guard who’s had to defend some of the best in basketball and developed a reputation as a stopper. You have a 6′3″ two-guard who’s just started to create his own shot with a general aplomb.
Put it this way. If he was 6′6″, he’d be threating to kiss the lottery. If he was 6′6″? He would not shock the world. But people are going to sleep on Jerel McNeal.
But I’m not. He’s going to win.
But you know what? Jerel McNeal will be great. He will be drafted in the second round, and he will have seasons where, at the very least, Free Darko will sing his praises.
Why? I will break it down simply. Succintly.
1) His game is all-around golden.
Let me tell you what Jerel McNeal needs to work on. Off-ball defense. That’s it. Anything else is nitpicking. He hits the three, with a solid mid-range game. He passes well for a two-guard. He locks down his man. You want more?
2) The steal/foul didatic.
In a way? The steal is kind of like the NBA’s version of the strike zone. Or the stolen base. Look. It’s nice to have a guy who can get three steals per game. But if they get in foul trouble? They’re as useless as Alvin Robertson.
Jerel McNeal went from a freshman that gambled entirely too much to a senior who, while he does not have a red number under his fouls committed on Kenpom.com, has become at the very least competent at avoiding foul trouble because he gets too grabby.
3) Intangibles.
You want a college basketball player with a motor. Someone who can’t get fired up when he’s doing it for free will be even more of a dog when he turns pro. You have a 6′3″ two-guard who’s had to defend some of the best in basketball and developed a reputation as a stopper. You have a 6′3″ two-guard who’s just started to create his own shot with a general aplomb.
Put it this way. If he was 6′6″, he’d be threating to kiss the lottery. If he was 6′6″? He would not shock the world. But people are going to sleep on Jerel McNeal.
But I’m not. He’s going to win.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
