Just so everyone is clear, I am a Willie Calhoun fan – I would love to see him overcome the odds of being a slow runner and a bad fielder and become the opposite. I do not denigrate him because of his stature – that is irrelevant! It’s his fielding and running, and when I say he has “tree-trunk legs,” it means that they are huge and stay in one…
Look, I am a big Positive Thinker. I believe that you get what you believe. A wise man once said: “As you believe so it shall be done unto you.” I have seen it work in my life (big time) , so I admire a guy like Willie Calhoun who is undersized and physically challenged in almost every aspect of the game of baseball… except hitting! When it comes to hitting,…
Yesterday, Bluto called our attention to Q & A session with Jim Callis of Baseball America. Callis has always been high on Yadier Alvarez but now he says he has a “Cy Young ceiling“. He’s still high risk, but he’s really high reward. He also mentioned Caleb Ferguson and AJ Alexy who are in the pipeline as prospects who make make big jumps this year. Neither are in the Top…
So, I hear that some people are saying that trading Chase De Jong was really stupid – that’s the word they used: STUPID! Of course, most of these people have an “end game.” They are FAZaphobes! They hate Andrew Friedman for reasons they can’t explain (or care to explain in public) and they prefer to wallow in their negativity. So it was stupid to trade a guy who was like…
Yasiel Sierra: Of course, I did not see him pitch yesterday, but the announcers were impressed and so was Dave Roberts. They said he threw a “heavy ball.” His fastball is 97 and he has a heavy slider which he tended to use too much until the Dodgers told him he could not use it until he had two strikes. His problem has always been command. He was switched last…
The Dodgers were ranked #14 in Organizational Ratings in 2014. In 2015, Andrew Friedman was hired and they climbed to #3 and in 2016 they were #1. Now, they are rated #4 by BA. Of course, the FAZ-O-PHOBES will try and say that Colletti’s Front Office was largely responsible and that Friedman did not deserve the credit and then they say “Look, they traded away 4 pitchers and are now #4….
I watched the Brewers feed yesterday. I sometimes do that just to hear what other baseball people have to say about the team and certain players. On e of the Brewers announcers said this: “The Dodgers have 10 legitimate Major League Quality Starting Pitchers.” “This is a team with a great deal of depth. They are built for the long haul.” I actually think it’s more than 10, because at…
It’s how you play the game. That’s what Spring Training is about. Nevermind the record. How did they do? Kershaw was Kershaw Wood was not Good and I can’t be ravin about Ravin. Fabio Castillo pitched well, but he is 28 years old and a career minor leaguer with a 32-50 record and a 4.50 ERA. Nothing to see here folks… move along! Then again, this is baseball… you never…
Paul DePodesta once said “If it can’t be quantified, it’s not important!” I am sure that is part of the reason why he in no longer in baseball. He is now the stat guru for the Cleveland Browns. In the book Moneyball, in which DePo was one of the characters, you also heard that he did not value defense very much. I guess that’s why he is so comfortable in Cleveland…
Start with a hungry team who fell just short and age it a year; Stir in a few new players; Blend in growing maturity; Add a dash of experience; Simmer with lots of competition; In a side pan, simmer Turner Ward’s system until gelled; Allow the creation to rest periodically; Boil in a large pan of determination; Slowly combine growing manager experience; and Broil away all vestiges of injury. Cook for…