04/26/24
August 14, 2013
SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
Joe Pos on the surfeit of young talent in baseball.
posted by yerfatma at 11:58 AM on August 14, 2013
I was hoping for some analysis of the reasons for so much young talent, but I was disappointed. Still, this article did indeed place the future of baseball into a clearer and more promising light.
One throw-away line caught my attention: By the way: It is SO much fun to hear Vin Scully talk about Yasiel Puig. It's worth a nightly check-in. My friends, it would be SO much fun to hear Vin Scully talk about anything from Yasiel Puig to the effect of increased corporate tax rates on the gross national product. Vin Scully belongs on the Mount Rushmore of baseball voices along with Ernie Harwell, Red Barber, and a few others.
posted by Howard_T at 12:28 PM on August 14, 2013
Jason Bay released by mariners.
In 2009 Bay had 36 Home Runs and 119 RBI with Boston. In the 4 years since he left the Red Sox he's hit 37 Home Runs with 144 RBI. He's 34 years old.
Of course Bay was involved in the trade that sent Manny Ramirez out of Boston. Manny was just released from the Ranger's AAA team. He's 41.
posted by justgary at 01:46 PM on August 14, 2013
Travis Johnson, doing his part as a citizen, has reported one of his fellow Texas residents for stealing.
posted by yerfatma at 02:19 PM on August 14, 2013
In the 4 years since he left the Red Sox he's hit 37 Home Runs with 144 RBI. He's 34 years old.
Man that Mets deal burned everyone involved.
Bay had a great spot in Boston - his subpar defence was masked to some degree in left field, he was hitting in a solid lineup and the short porch seemed (very subjective) like it allowed him to swing fluidly.
Moving to the Mets, he was hurt, terrible defensively, in a power-shortage lineup and a poor hitters park, and seemed like he was trying way too hard to hit the ball hard. It seemed like by season two, his confidence was shot and his body started to go, but for a while there he was a heck of a hot commodity.
posted by dfleming at 04:09 PM on August 14, 2013
In the 4 years since he left the Red Sox he's hit 37 Home Runs with 144 RBI made $43.75million.
He's had some nice high points in his career, and can look forward to his induction into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame sometime in the near future.
posted by grum@work at 04:13 PM on August 14, 2013
his subpar defence was masked to some degree in left field
Apparently so. The year in Boston was one of only two where UZR has him above average (albeit barely) as a fielder. Looks like he's been pretty unlucky when he played the last two years according to BABIP, but I wonder if the really low numbers there mean pitchers stopped respecting him and just threw fastballs past him.
posted by yerfatma at 04:45 PM on August 14, 2013
Houston Texans unveil two giant HD video boards in Reliant Stadium
posted by tommybiden at 06:57 PM on August 14, 2013
I would guess the concussions had something to do with Bay's decline. It was so fast, and at such a relatively young age. But that's just a guess. Still, gotta wonder where his career would be today if he had stayed in Boston.
posted by justgary at 10:03 PM on August 14, 2013
Foursomes will be teeing it up at 10 minute intervals.
posted by beaverboard at 11:50 PM on August 14, 2013
Looks like he's been pretty unlucky when he played the last two years according to BABIP, but I wonder if the really low numbers there mean pitchers stopped respecting him and just threw fastballs past him.
It's probably actually the breaking balls.
Perhaps the concussions led him to be less capable of recognizing breaking balls, but the increase in GO/FO and K% in his advanced stats over the last three years suggest he's not getting good contact on the ball, which would explain his low BABIP.
posted by dfleming at 06:41 AM on August 15, 2013
Am I missing something obvious, but I don't understand beaverboard comment with regards to the link about some 55 year old golfer I don't recognize.
posted by grum@work at 08:35 AM on August 15, 2013
I don't know anything about the golfer either. It was the casually crafted headline that got my attention.
I figure that the editor who approved that is either a church lady or a life member of the Beavis and Butt-Head fan club.
posted by beaverboard at 09:01 AM on August 15, 2013
Looks like they changed it, given the headline and slug in the url no longer match.
dfleming, good stuff, that makes a lot of sense.
posted by yerfatma at 09:50 AM on August 15, 2013
It's nice that the Brewers let their bat boy participate in the celebrations:
