Friday, July 07, 2006
friday mlb notes, redux
i dug the following out of my july 2004 archives, something i wrote after the mlb all-star game that year. i'm putting it up here again, because i still think they could expand from the homerun derby to showcase other ridiculous talents these guys have, and i want people on my bandwagon. feel free to add some events - something like "minor league bat-to-umpire toss" would be very applicable this year. they could put it on just before the futures game and have delmon young critique the participants.
anyway, here it is:
what i'd really like to see is some other types of skills challenges. here's a few ideas:
-put up nets/screens (maybe 8'x8') at various locations (i.e. right behind second base, in the holes between 1st and 2nd, and 3rd and short, one each in the gaps). assign them some values and give hitters 15 swings to hit line drives into the screens. give people a chance to see guys like juan pierre perform. i would've loved to see gwynn vs. boggs in something like this.
-put a ball on a tee at various locations in the strike zone and give pitchers 10 throws to knock the balls off the tees. inspired by watching dave piho unsuccessfully try this one winter for like 2-3 hours.
-have an OF throwing contest where they throw from increasing distances into a 4'x4' net.
these are the types of things i would definitely watch. plus, since the all-star break is really hyped to be used as a way to broaden the fan base, maybe it'd pique some interest among those who don't wanna sit thru the all-star game (and you know the commercial breaks are gonna be huge during it, extending game time).
i dug the following out of my july 2004 archives, something i wrote after the mlb all-star game that year. i'm putting it up here again, because i still think they could expand from the homerun derby to showcase other ridiculous talents these guys have, and i want people on my bandwagon. feel free to add some events - something like "minor league bat-to-umpire toss" would be very applicable this year. they could put it on just before the futures game and have delmon young critique the participants.
anyway, here it is:
what i'd really like to see is some other types of skills challenges. here's a few ideas:
-put up nets/screens (maybe 8'x8') at various locations (i.e. right behind second base, in the holes between 1st and 2nd, and 3rd and short, one each in the gaps). assign them some values and give hitters 15 swings to hit line drives into the screens. give people a chance to see guys like juan pierre perform. i would've loved to see gwynn vs. boggs in something like this.
-put a ball on a tee at various locations in the strike zone and give pitchers 10 throws to knock the balls off the tees. inspired by watching dave piho unsuccessfully try this one winter for like 2-3 hours.
-have an OF throwing contest where they throw from increasing distances into a 4'x4' net.
these are the types of things i would definitely watch. plus, since the all-star break is really hyped to be used as a way to broaden the fan base, maybe it'd pique some interest among those who don't wanna sit thru the all-star game (and you know the commercial breaks are gonna be huge during it, extending game time).
friday mlb notes
-is there possibly a happier person in the world right now than aaron guiel? consistenly buried in the minors by the hapless royals, he gets a chance to play in the bronx in a penant race. as a yankee fan, i am very pleased with this waiver claim. i definitely like him over bubba crosby (at least offensively), and i think he can be a more than adequate 5th outfielder next season. it has never made sense to me why kc kept overlooking him (i guess his obp was just too high in omaha to crack the swing-happy royal lineup) - after his solid 2003 season in the bigs, he has never (a) been given more than 200 ab's in the bigs, (b) posted an obp below .370 or a slugging below .500 in aaa. i know he had a poor 2004 in his stint with the royals, but kc wasn't exactly gunning for the postseason (good lord, t-long was a regular outfielder for them).
-isn't it time for cleveland to officially end the aaron boone era? i know andy marte isn't exactly dominating for buffalo (ops just shy of .800), but if cleveland is packing it in for the year it's time to let the kid play. oh yeah, and aaron boone is on pace to be a 1 win player this year (bp has him at 10 batting runs below average, and 0 above replacement right now)...
-is anyone else disgusting that the american league's best pitcher AND best hitter didn't make the roster? liriano and hafner should stop the train and set up a 1 on 1 competition in a hay field a la the natural. anything to showcase their ridiculous talents.
-o's fans must be pleased to see luis terrero finally called up. it's easy to forget that the one-time d-back prospect is only 25, and he's crushing the ball in ottawa to the tune of a ~.970 ops. the millar/conine platoon is not exactly helping them in the long run, and either is starting wee brandon fahey in rf.
-it's easy to credit super joe mauer and liriano for the twins resurgence, but don't forget justin morneau. the twinkies first baseman hit a whopping 10 homers in june, slugging .737 for the month in the process. he has easily overcome a terrible april, and it appears one big reason is his ability to hit southpaws. the last 2 years he did not crack a .720 ops against lefties, whereas this year he's at an .805 mark. there could be cause for concern in that last year his production declined each month after the all-star break, but his phenomenal june and hot start in july (1.310 ops!) certainly alleviate that worry.
-as if the hendrickson/hall-seo/navarro trade wasn't bad enough for la to begin with (honestly, would anyone have traded navarro for hall straight up, or seo for hendrickson straight up??): hendrickson has lost both of his starts thus far for the dodgers, and posted an era just under 5 in the process. why dodger fans haven't hung ned coletti in effigy (made with dodger dogs of course) i don't know.
-can someone tell ned yost to stop hitting damian miller ahead of gabe gross against right handers?
-is there possibly a happier person in the world right now than aaron guiel? consistenly buried in the minors by the hapless royals, he gets a chance to play in the bronx in a penant race. as a yankee fan, i am very pleased with this waiver claim. i definitely like him over bubba crosby (at least offensively), and i think he can be a more than adequate 5th outfielder next season. it has never made sense to me why kc kept overlooking him (i guess his obp was just too high in omaha to crack the swing-happy royal lineup) - after his solid 2003 season in the bigs, he has never (a) been given more than 200 ab's in the bigs, (b) posted an obp below .370 or a slugging below .500 in aaa. i know he had a poor 2004 in his stint with the royals, but kc wasn't exactly gunning for the postseason (good lord, t-long was a regular outfielder for them).
-isn't it time for cleveland to officially end the aaron boone era? i know andy marte isn't exactly dominating for buffalo (ops just shy of .800), but if cleveland is packing it in for the year it's time to let the kid play. oh yeah, and aaron boone is on pace to be a 1 win player this year (bp has him at 10 batting runs below average, and 0 above replacement right now)...
-is anyone else disgusting that the american league's best pitcher AND best hitter didn't make the roster? liriano and hafner should stop the train and set up a 1 on 1 competition in a hay field a la the natural. anything to showcase their ridiculous talents.
-o's fans must be pleased to see luis terrero finally called up. it's easy to forget that the one-time d-back prospect is only 25, and he's crushing the ball in ottawa to the tune of a ~.970 ops. the millar/conine platoon is not exactly helping them in the long run, and either is starting wee brandon fahey in rf.
-it's easy to credit super joe mauer and liriano for the twins resurgence, but don't forget justin morneau. the twinkies first baseman hit a whopping 10 homers in june, slugging .737 for the month in the process. he has easily overcome a terrible april, and it appears one big reason is his ability to hit southpaws. the last 2 years he did not crack a .720 ops against lefties, whereas this year he's at an .805 mark. there could be cause for concern in that last year his production declined each month after the all-star break, but his phenomenal june and hot start in july (1.310 ops!) certainly alleviate that worry.
-as if the hendrickson/hall-seo/navarro trade wasn't bad enough for la to begin with (honestly, would anyone have traded navarro for hall straight up, or seo for hendrickson straight up??): hendrickson has lost both of his starts thus far for the dodgers, and posted an era just under 5 in the process. why dodger fans haven't hung ned coletti in effigy (made with dodger dogs of course) i don't know.
-can someone tell ned yost to stop hitting damian miller ahead of gabe gross against right handers?
