Man, rough weekend for the Blue Jays lol…
Zimmy back tonight! Amazed the Nats are 30-36 with the lineup we’ve been running out there without him.
Just wait until the Braves start hitting…If we can win with out hitting, wait 'til Uggla’s ass starts swinging a hot bat.
What the hell 4-0 in the top of the 5th?
Ump gave the game to SFGs.
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
Ump gave the game to SFGs.[/quote]
Bullshit. The Diamondbacks had plenty of opportunities to score and also were the benefactors of a missed call in the 9th when Sandoval tagged the guy out at third (I think it was Roberts). The guy never even reached the bag and was out, but was called safe and the Diamondbacks managed to end up with the tying run at third and the winning run at second as a result. But they didn’t capitalize on that break.
And THAT is what good teams do. They capitalize on breaks, they make their own breaks. I’ve always argued that in virtually any circumstance it’s never the fault of an umpire when a team loses. There are too many times in a game where a team has the opportunity to score or hold a team from scoring for one bad call, or even a couple of bad calls, to really be the difference maker in a game.
Last night is a perfect example. Let’s say the tying run scored from third in the 9th last night as a result of the bad call. Is it the umps fault? No, it would be Brian Wilson’s for allowing him to score. The bad break that they caught last night turned out to be a non-factor in the game because the Giants did not allow it to become one. THAT is the mark of a good team. Good teams catch the breaks, not bad teams, because they have the ability to overcome things like bad calls or bad bounces.
They have the mental toughness to overcome these things and that mental toughness is what makes them good. That’s why the Giants are so good. They’re the mentally-toughest team in baseball, and anyone who disagrees need only look at their astronomical record in one-run games.
There’s no statistic to measure this intangible, sabermetrics doesn’t measure it, it doesn’t show up in a boxscore and it doesn’t accumulate stats. It’s just a quality, THE most important quality in sports really, that the Giants have. Teams that continually suffer as a result of bad breaks or bad calls are really just teams that are not mentally-tough and can’t overcome adversity. So no, the umps did not blow the game last night, the Diamondbacks blew it.
[quote]DBCooper wrote:
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
Ump gave the game to SFGs.[/quote]
Bullshit. The Diamondbacks had plenty of opportunities to score and also were the benefactors of a missed call in the 9th when Sandoval tagged the guy out at third (I think it was Roberts). The guy never even reached the bag and was out, but was called safe and the Diamondbacks managed to end up with the tying run at third and the winning run at second as a result. But they didn’t capitalize on that break.
And THAT is what good teams do. They capitalize on breaks, they make their own breaks. I’ve always argued that in virtually any circumstance it’s never the fault of an umpire when a team loses. There are too many times in a game where a team has the opportunity to score or hold a team from scoring for one bad call, or even a couple of bad calls, to really be the difference maker in a game.
Last night is a perfect example. Let’s say the tying run scored from third in the 9th last night as a result of the bad call. Is it the umps fault? No, it would be Brian Wilson’s for allowing him to score. The bad break that they caught last night turned out to be a non-factor in the game because the Giants did not allow it to become one. THAT is the mark of a good team. Good teams catch the breaks, not bad teams, because they have the ability to overcome things like bad calls or bad bounces.
They have the mental toughness to overcome these things and that mental toughness is what makes them good. That’s why the Giants are so good. They’re the mentally-toughest team in baseball, and anyone who disagrees need only look at their astronomical record in one-run games.
There’s no statistic to measure this intangible, sabermetrics doesn’t measure it, it doesn’t show up in a boxscore and it doesn’t accumulate stats. It’s just a quality, THE most important quality in sports really, that the Giants have. Teams that continually suffer as a result of bad breaks or bad calls are really just teams that are not mentally-tough and can’t overcome adversity. So no, the umps did not blow the game last night, the Diamondbacks blew it.
[/quote]
I love the fact that a 6-word sentence set you off for 5 paragraphs. I can only imagine if I posted about how overrated Tim Lincecum is.
[quote]scj119 wrote:
[quote]DBCooper wrote:
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
Ump gave the game to SFGs.[/quote]
Bullshit. The Diamondbacks had plenty of opportunities to score and also were the benefactors of a missed call in the 9th when Sandoval tagged the guy out at third (I think it was Roberts). The guy never even reached the bag and was out, but was called safe and the Diamondbacks managed to end up with the tying run at third and the winning run at second as a result. But they didn’t capitalize on that break.
And THAT is what good teams do. They capitalize on breaks, they make their own breaks. I’ve always argued that in virtually any circumstance it’s never the fault of an umpire when a team loses. There are too many times in a game where a team has the opportunity to score or hold a team from scoring for one bad call, or even a couple of bad calls, to really be the difference maker in a game.
Last night is a perfect example. Let’s say the tying run scored from third in the 9th last night as a result of the bad call. Is it the umps fault? No, it would be Brian Wilson’s for allowing him to score. The bad break that they caught last night turned out to be a non-factor in the game because the Giants did not allow it to become one. THAT is the mark of a good team. Good teams catch the breaks, not bad teams, because they have the ability to overcome things like bad calls or bad bounces.
They have the mental toughness to overcome these things and that mental toughness is what makes them good. That’s why the Giants are so good. They’re the mentally-toughest team in baseball, and anyone who disagrees need only look at their astronomical record in one-run games.
There’s no statistic to measure this intangible, sabermetrics doesn’t measure it, it doesn’t show up in a boxscore and it doesn’t accumulate stats. It’s just a quality, THE most important quality in sports really, that the Giants have. Teams that continually suffer as a result of bad breaks or bad calls are really just teams that are not mentally-tough and can’t overcome adversity. So no, the umps did not blow the game last night, the Diamondbacks blew it.
[/quote]
I love the fact that a 6-word sentence set you off for 5 paragraphs. I can only imagine if I posted about how overrated Tim Lincecum is.[/quote]
You must be new here.
I just hope its not a Red Sox vs Phillies WS
[quote]therajraj wrote:
You must be new here.[/quote]
I said I loved it - I didn’t say it would surprise me.
Now that bball is over I don’t have much else to post about. Trying to be more diligent about my training log so people don’t think I come to T-Nation just to post on sports threads.
[quote]scj119 wrote:
[quote]DBCooper wrote:
[quote]Brother Chris wrote:
Ump gave the game to SFGs.[/quote]
Bullshit. The Diamondbacks had plenty of opportunities to score and also were the benefactors of a missed call in the 9th when Sandoval tagged the guy out at third (I think it was Roberts). The guy never even reached the bag and was out, but was called safe and the Diamondbacks managed to end up with the tying run at third and the winning run at second as a result. But they didn’t capitalize on that break.
And THAT is what good teams do. They capitalize on breaks, they make their own breaks. I’ve always argued that in virtually any circumstance it’s never the fault of an umpire when a team loses. There are too many times in a game where a team has the opportunity to score or hold a team from scoring for one bad call, or even a couple of bad calls, to really be the difference maker in a game.
Last night is a perfect example. Let’s say the tying run scored from third in the 9th last night as a result of the bad call. Is it the umps fault? No, it would be Brian Wilson’s for allowing him to score. The bad break that they caught last night turned out to be a non-factor in the game because the Giants did not allow it to become one. THAT is the mark of a good team. Good teams catch the breaks, not bad teams, because they have the ability to overcome things like bad calls or bad bounces.
They have the mental toughness to overcome these things and that mental toughness is what makes them good. That’s why the Giants are so good. They’re the mentally-toughest team in baseball, and anyone who disagrees need only look at their astronomical record in one-run games.
There’s no statistic to measure this intangible, sabermetrics doesn’t measure it, it doesn’t show up in a boxscore and it doesn’t accumulate stats. It’s just a quality, THE most important quality in sports really, that the Giants have. Teams that continually suffer as a result of bad breaks or bad calls are really just teams that are not mentally-tough and can’t overcome adversity. So no, the umps did not blow the game last night, the Diamondbacks blew it.
[/quote]
I love the fact that a 6-word sentence set you off for 5 paragraphs. I can only imagine if I posted about how overrated Tim Lincecum is.[/quote]
What it really boils down to is that I absolutely abhor the possibility of instant replay being used in baseball, so I tend to fly off the handle when someone complains that a team lost on a bad call because, as mentioned previously, it’s almost NEVER simply one bad call that actually makes or breaks a game, let alone a whole season. The game doesn’t need it.
Furthermore, I don’t understand this incessant need to constantly change how games are played. Football seems like it goes through a dozen rules changes every year. I don’t want to see baseball end up like that because really, it’s been just fine the way it is for a long time now. If you examine the history of the game you’ll see that there were a flurry of rules changes in the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th (mostly involving the pitcher) and I think the fact that baseball has been as popular as it has been for well over 100 years is proof that they got it right back then.
In all honesty, without trying to go TOO far into this whole thing, I think that the pressure from many to institute some sort of instant replay system in major league baseball is a result of the massive culture of consumerism in this country. We always want MORE, we’re never satisfied with what it is we already have, we always think of how great things COULD be instead of how great they ARE. The day that we see that attitude creep into one of the most American, longest-enduring aspects of what makes this country so great will mark the beginning of a dark, desperate time for us all.
In other news: Michael Morse is fucking killing it for my fantasy teams right now. Where the fuck did this guy come from?
I’m beginning to think the Jays have one of the best if not THE best GM in baseball.
He just signed Yunel Escobar to a 2-year $10m extension. The guy is only a small step down from Jose Reyes which some are projecting will get Carl Crawford type money this offseason.
I’m sure Jose Reyes will get 5 years $70 million at the very minimum this offseason. By that estimation I bet Yunel could’ve easily gotten $10m/year for 2-4 years if he continues to play at the level he has. Lets also not forget how the Jays GM acquired Yunel Escobar. He fleeced the Braves by trading away Alex Gonzalez in the twilight of his career + 2 crappy minor league prospects for Escobar and a decent bottom of the rotation starter in Jo-Jo Reyes. Jo-Jo has been getting stronger as the season has progressed and looks like he’s going to be a legit 4-5th rotation man.
He trades away Vernon Wells HUGE contract to the Angels for Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera with no money going the Angels way (it’s arguable that Wells has the worst contract in baseball).
He trades away Brandon League to the Mariners for Brandon Morrow. Morrow is looking more and more like he will be a solid 1-2 guy in the future. Not sure if you guys remember but he had a 1-hitter complete game with 17 strikeouts against the Rays last year. Even with the no hitters last year, I would still consider Morrow’s start the best pitched game of the year last year. To give you an idea of his potential he was in the same draft as Tim Lincecum and Clayton Kershaw.
The moves that have yet to pan out thus far have been the Shaun Marcum for highly touted prospect Brett Lawrie, and Roy Halladay for Kyle Drabek. The Jays are missing Marcum (Marcum’s been great for the Brew Crew) but Lawrie is producing at the minor league level and is looking more and more like he will be a quality Major Leaguer. Drabek has struggled in his first full season in the Majors, but people are saying he’s the real deal.
tl;dr I’m pretty damn excited and happy to finally have a GM (since Gillick) to have a fucking clue what he’s doing.
Honestly the way the Jays GM Alex Anthopolous has fleeced the Braves, Angels and Mariners, I bet other GMs will just stop returning his phone calls -lol
[quote]DBCooper wrote:
What it really boils down to is that I absolutely abhor the possibility of instant replay being used in baseball, so I tend to fly off the handle when someone complains that a team lost on a bad call because, as mentioned previously, it’s almost NEVER simply one bad call that actually makes or breaks a game, let alone a whole season. The game doesn’t need it.
Furthermore, I don’t understand this incessant need to constantly change how games are played. Football seems like it goes through a dozen rules changes every year. I don’t want to see baseball end up like that because really, it’s been just fine the way it is for a long time now. If you examine the history of the game you’ll see that there were a flurry of rules changes in the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th (mostly involving the pitcher) and I think the fact that baseball has been as popular as it has been for well over 100 years is proof that they got it right back then.
In all honesty, without trying to go TOO far into this whole thing, I think that the pressure from many to institute some sort of instant replay system in major league baseball is a result of the massive culture of consumerism in this country. We always want MORE, we’re never satisfied with what it is we already have, we always think of how great things COULD be instead of how great they ARE. The day that we see that attitude creep into one of the most American, longest-enduring aspects of what makes this country so great will mark the beginning of a dark, desperate time for us all.
In other news: Michael Morse is fucking killing it for my fantasy teams right now. Where the fuck did this guy come from?[/quote]
I actually agree with most of what you wrote. While I’m not against instant replay in general (no reason to get a call wrong if it can easily be made right), I do agree that, in sports, losing a game can never be blamed on one call - an opinion that got me flamed a lot in the NBA threads. You have to score as many runs as you can with 27 outs to use - and you have to prevent the other team from doing the same. The most a bad call can do is use 1 or 2 of those outs.
Morse was supposed to be a guy who can only crush lefties (given that 1/4 of pitchers are lefties that’s not very useful) and has been hitting everyone. I don’t know if he can continue it (the dude looks like Richie Sexson and very few guys that tall can stay in the majors) but we wouldn’t be near .500 if he hadn’t done what he’s done so far.
[quote]therajraj wrote:
I’m beginning to think the Jays have one of the best if not THE best GM in baseball.
He just signed Yunel Escobar to a 2-year $10m extension. The guy is only a small step down from Jose Reyes …
[/quote]
I’ma stop you right there. They are actually similar hitters (Escobar gets on base a bit more, hits for a bit less power), and I think they are both good defensively, but Reyes’s ability on the basepaths is what makes him unique and valuable; Escobar doesn’t touch him in that department.
AA has done a good job but let’s wait till they get out of 4th place in the division to call him the best GM in baseball.
[quote]scj119 wrote:
[quote]therajraj wrote:
I’m beginning to think the Jays have one of the best if not THE best GM in baseball.
He just signed Yunel Escobar to a 2-year $10m extension. The guy is only a small step down from Jose Reyes …
[/quote]
I’ma stop you right there. They are actually similar hitters (Escobar gets on base a bit more, hits for a bit less power), and I think they are both good defensively, but Reyes’s ability on the basepaths is what makes him unique and valuable; Escobar doesn’t touch him in that department.
AA has done a good job but let’s wait till they get out of 4th place in the division to call him the best GM in baseball.[/quote]
Yeah Reyes is a better base stealer but he’s also far more brittle. I think that should be taken into consideration as well.
Also you are right but lets not forget he is obviously preparing this team to peak in 2013.
He could’ve kept Marcum and this team would probably have 4-5 more wins at this point. Instead he traded for Bret Lawrie to fill a future need. He also traded Bret Wallace (Astros Current 1st basemen) to also fill another future need in Anthony Gose.
My point is, there’s really no point in judging the team on how they do this year but instead by the moves he’s making to shape this team in the future while being fiscally responsible.
I mean if we’re going by field performance are you going to say the Red Sox GM is the best in baseball? Does it really take a genius to know signing A-Gon and Carl Crawford for a shit load of cash will significantly improve your team?
[quote]therajraj wrote:
[quote]scj119 wrote:
[quote]therajraj wrote:
I’m beginning to think the Jays have one of the best if not THE best GM in baseball.
He just signed Yunel Escobar to a 2-year $10m extension. The guy is only a small step down from Jose Reyes …
[/quote]
I’ma stop you right there. They are actually similar hitters (Escobar gets on base a bit more, hits for a bit less power), and I think they are both good defensively, but Reyes’s ability on the basepaths is what makes him unique and valuable; Escobar doesn’t touch him in that department.
AA has done a good job but let’s wait till they get out of 4th place in the division to call him the best GM in baseball.[/quote]
Yeah Reyes is a better base stealer but he’s also far more brittle. I think that should be taken into consideration as well.
Also you are right but lets not forget he is obviously preparing this team to peak in 2013.
He could’ve kept Marcum and this team would probably have 4-5 more wins at this point. Instead he traded for Bret Lawrie to fill a future need. He also traded Bret Wallace (Astros Current 1st basemen) to also fill another future need in Anthony Gose.
My point is, there’s really no point in judging the team on how they do this year but instead by the moves he’s making to shape this team in the future while being fiscally responsible.
I mean if we’re going by field performance are you going to say the Red Sox GM is the best in baseball? Does it really take a genius to know signing A-Gon and Carl Crawford for a shit load of cash will significantly improve your team?[/quote]
Reyes is a year younger and Escobar isn’t exactly Cal Ripken. Dunno how late he was called up in 2007, but in his 3 full years since then he’s played in 136, 141 and 135 games.
It takes smarts to know how to use cash - a guy who watched the Vernon Wells signing should know this. I think there are a lot of good GMs, but if I had to pick one it’s hard to argue against Friedman. The Rays continually battle the two highest-spending teams in baseball and their revenue is comparable to my yearly salary (note: may be exaggerated for emphasis).
[quote]scj119 wrote:
[quote]therajraj wrote:
[quote]scj119 wrote:
[quote]therajraj wrote:
I’m beginning to think the Jays have one of the best if not THE best GM in baseball.
He just signed Yunel Escobar to a 2-year $10m extension. The guy is only a small step down from Jose Reyes …
[/quote]
I’ma stop you right there. They are actually similar hitters (Escobar gets on base a bit more, hits for a bit less power), and I think they are both good defensively, but Reyes’s ability on the basepaths is what makes him unique and valuable; Escobar doesn’t touch him in that department.
AA has done a good job but let’s wait till they get out of 4th place in the division to call him the best GM in baseball.[/quote]
Yeah Reyes is a better base stealer but he’s also far more brittle. I think that should be taken into consideration as well.
Also you are right but lets not forget he is obviously preparing this team to peak in 2013.
He could’ve kept Marcum and this team would probably have 4-5 more wins at this point. Instead he traded for Bret Lawrie to fill a future need. He also traded Bret Wallace (Astros Current 1st basemen) to also fill another future need in Anthony Gose.
My point is, there’s really no point in judging the team on how they do this year but instead by the moves he’s making to shape this team in the future while being fiscally responsible.
I mean if we’re going by field performance are you going to say the Red Sox GM is the best in baseball? Does it really take a genius to know signing A-Gon and Carl Crawford for a shit load of cash will significantly improve your team?[/quote]
Reyes is a year younger and Escobar isn’t exactly Cal Ripken. Dunno how late he was called up in 2007, but in his 3 full years since then he’s played in 136, 141 and 135 games.
It takes smarts to know how to use cash - a guy who watched the Vernon Wells signing should know this. I think there are a lot of good GMs, but if I had to pick one it’s hard to argue against Friedman. The Rays continually battle the two highest-spending teams in baseball and their revenue is comparable to my yearly salary (note: may be exaggerated for emphasis).[/quote]
They are actually only separated by 8 months.
I agree it takes smarts to know how to use money but I want to clarify one thing. The Vernon Wells signing wasn’t made by then GM JP Ricciardi. He was instructed to resign him by order of the ownership who saw it as a PR move. You can’t blame the GM when ownership ties his hands.
With respect to the Rays they have done good job as of late, but honestly when you’ve been horrible for a decade straight you rack up tons of high quality talent through the draft. Friedman and AA are both up there.
^^^^I’m not blaming Riccardi I’m just saying having money doesn’t guarantee success (cut to Mets and Cubs fans nodding wistfully).
I hear you about those draft positions, but the losing seasons weren’t Friedman’s doing. He became GM in 2005 and the vast majority of their decisions since then have been positive ones.
So the Marlins are tanking.
Is Josh Johnson gonna be available anytime soon? 