jeffersonlives posted:

quote:

So who gets it? First, I am going to eliminate King Felix Hernandez from the pack, although, if I were building a team he might be my first pick. Hernandez's numbers are impressive - a 2.38 ERA over 211 innings with 200 strikeouts - but he is nonetheless 10-10. He got ripped off last year, in my opinion, with a 19-5 record he should have been the Cy Young winner over Zach Greinke. Not this year.

Wins matter. The most important thing a starting pitcher does is win games, and though a starter has less control over his decisions than he used to in the days of complete games, he still has a lot to do with it. Sabathia doesn't have 19 wins by accident. He has them because he holds leads, finds ways on nights when he doesn't have it, such as in Chicago last weekend, and goes deep into games, deep enough to allow his team to bypass shaky middle relievers and get right to the closer.

For this reason, I have usually used three wins as a benchmark margin. If Pitcher A has three more wins than his nearest competitor, I am likely to go with him for the Cy Young if the other numbers are reasonable close. In comparing starters, innings pitched is a big stat for me, too, because a pitcher throwing 230 innings has pitched through fatigue and helped his team, for the aforementioned reasons, more than the guy who has averaged six innings per start and throws, say, 190 innings. The ERA can be misleading - some pitchers win 8-0 and lose 3-2, others win 8-4 and 2-1. It's when you give up those earned runs that makes the difference in winning and losing. Pitching isn't like a golf tournament where the lowest aggregate score wins, it's Match Play - the job of a starting pitcher is to match the other guy on each given time out. This is why a great pitcher can win a ton of games for a bad team, like Steve Carlton in 1972, while others, no matter how talented, seem to find their way to .500 no matter what kind of team they're on, such as A.J. Burnett.

So Cy Young winners are great pitchers, durable pitchers, who know how to win, and all three of the contenders fit this category. Sabathia, Buchholz and Price all have a lot of wins, great numbers and they've done going up against the best hitting division, top to bottom, in baseball, the AL East. Even the Orioles are not easy to face in Camden Yards.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio — The most important statistic in baseball is a win. It determines which teams reach the postseason and which teams go home. It is not an acronym for a math quiz. It's the stat that makes baseball go.
Why is the pitcher the only player charged with a win or a loss on the stat sheet? I would imagine it has to do with him being the most important player on the field. As Dennis "El Presidente" Martinez loved saying when he pitched for the Indians, "Until I throw the ball, the game can't start."

Last year, Zack Greinke of the fourth-place Kansas City Royals won the American League Cy Young award with 16 victories. In the National League, Tim Lincecum of the third-place San Francisco Giants won it with 15 victories. They were the lowest-win totals by a starting pitcher for the awards since 1994 and 1981, respectively. The 1994 and 1981 seasons were cut short by strikes.
The value of the win has been devalued by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America who favor statistics meant to remove all influences on the pitcher except himself. This year, the case study will be Felix Hernandez, Seattle's fine right-hander. He leads the AL in innings pitched and strikeouts. He has everything going for him except for one thing -- he has won only 11 games headed into Saturday's start against the Angels.
Hernandez might get four more starts after Saturday. If he wins out, he could finish with 16 victories. Does that mean he should get the award over CC Sabathia, who goes for his 20th victory Monday for the first-place Yankees?
The time to give Hernandez the Cy Young award was last year when he went 19-5 with a 2.49 ERA, but he finished second to Greinke. He had the stats, including the most important one, to make a far more compelling case than this year.

leokitty posted:

Because Adam Dunn isn't near the end of his career. He hasn't even put in 10 years of service time. It's pretty goofy to write an article like that when the only possible conclusion is ~time will tell~.

Badfinger posted:

Way to become so enamored with an awful hitter who plays pretty good defense that you'd want to replace one of the league's better and most durable (outside of this year) shortstops.

Okposolypse posted:

I didn't find that article to be so bad. Yeah, its basically telling fans to not read into stats cause its a waste of time, but its focus is on the idea that as fans we should focus on the story, as players they should focus on creating the story, and as journalists we should focus on telling it. The stats behind it all are the GM's job. I disagree, I think understanding the stats makes for a more informed fan, but its not straight up saying its all BS.

Though I am also much more optimistic.

quote:

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quote:

[Comment From PhilliesPhan]
Even though it will not happen phillies should consider trading Utley as he is a liability in the field and in the next 2 years he will need a new position such as first base because in the long run he will not be a second baseman. This money could be used as money to sign Werth, and maybe even trade victorino and move Werth to center and Brown to RF.

[Hayes]
Yes. But Utley has a [limited] no-trade [clause].

[Comment From Greg]
What do you think about moving Utley to Left field after the ibanez deal is done? I’m worried about his Knoblauch yips.

[Hayes]
They tried him in the OF. He’s worse there. He’s a good first baseman, and that’s it.

[Comment From PhilliesPhan]
It is funny that over the years Rollins and Howard get crucified in this city but Big Baby Utley gets nothing……

[Hayes]
Yes. It is interesting. Except Utley is white. And he likes to curse in public. Imagine if Jimmy had done that?

[Comment From Guest]
the arrogance of jimmy and howard contribute to people being critical of them. they are the first to accept praise. chase does not look for attention so he does not get a lot of bad attention

[Hayes]
Chase hides from criticism. He hides from everything. Some leader.

[Comment From Guest]
I love when journalists make claims with no proof. Offer any evidence?

[Hayes]
Are you blind, pal? You have two MVPs in town who get nothing but ripped. Rollins is worth more to this team hitting .250 than Utley hitting .300 with 30 dongs, simply because he can catch. And what have Howard or Rollins done that was remotely as vulgar and offensive as what Utley did after the parade? Evidence? World Bleeping Champions? Come on.

[Comment From Mike in SJ]
Thanks for your time Marcus…What do the future prospects look like in the farm system? Do the Phillies have the developmental personnel to establish a new core in the next 5 years? I’m thinking back to the WS win in ’08 and the core was homegrown.

Marcus: The farm system is shoddy, pillaged the past 2 years to win now.

[Comment From Kyle]
That’s completely inaccurate concerning the farm system. The Phils have a top 10-15 farm even with the trades. The issue is that all of their talent in A ball

Marcus: Talent in A-ball is worthless. Talent in Double-A and Triple-A means something.

quote:

Tirico: We’ve watched Roethlisberger in the fourth game after the suspension.Three and one during the four-game sitdown. Remember it is a six game suspension for violating the personal conduct policy going back to the sexual assault complaint in Georgia this past March. Civil suit, Nevada back in ’09. Was reduced to four and Roethlisberger subsequently spent time away from the team. Worked very hard. And every player you talked to, coach or player with the Steelers said Ben has come back humbled and a much better teammate. Keeping it there, he will be close to the first down. To the 46 yard line. A first down.

Mike Tomlin said it best, and so simply as he so often does. You know what, when you have something like that happen, it changes your outlook on life and approach to things, anecdotally, players talk about, here’s Ben playing ping upon in the locker room, being part of the group, not above the group. They’re encouraged with what they’ve seen since he’s been back.

Jaworski: I saw it from Ben when we met with him Sunday, I texted him all along while having those issues and I think he’s a guy that has matured.

Tirico: Throw for Heath Miller complete for a gain of six yards, Dhani Jones stops him and we’ll flip ends here for the fourth quarter.

Gruden: Sometimes it takes adversity to strike you back into reality. I think Ben Roethlisberger is going to be fine. I really do.

leokitty posted:

1) Describing his behavior as "having those issues" makes me want to puke.
2) Texting!!!!

quote:

A baseball-savant friend presented an intriguing trade to rejuvenate the Phillies offense: Send Chase Utley to the Dodgers for outfielder Matt Kemp.

It’s the most logical option I’ve heard this offseason. Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. usually prefers to shake up the clubhouse each spring. The acquisition of Kemp, 25, would reinvigorate the team and remake the batting order, my friend argued.

A player with enormous ability, Kemp could be on the trading block after a disappointing performance in 2010.

“Everyone around town wants him traded,” wrote columnist Bill Plaschke in the Sept. 18 edition of the Los Angeles Times. “Everyone in baseball wants to trade for him.”

I’d like to think Amaro has already discussed this option with his Dodgers counterpart, Ned Colletti. And that the two will continue to talk at the winter meetings, held this week in Orlando, Fla.

Breaking up the Phillies’ core seems to be the best way to fortify their offense. Utley, who turns 32 on Dec. 17, appears past his physical prime.

The Dodgers lack an everyday second baseman. And a player of Utley’s caliber should be able to help attract Kemp, a right-handed power hitter who runs like a leadoff hitter.

Ruben, utilize the same creativity that brought Cy Young award winner Roy Halladay to Philadelphia. And feel free to include outfield prospect Domonic Brown if necessary to seal the deal.

Expanding the Phillies' payroll an additional $20 million beyond the 2010 mark of $143 million to retain right fielder Jayson Werth, the team’s right handed power hitter, seems as likely as the failed Senatorial campaign of Christine “I am not a witch” O’Donnell in Delaware.

While replacing Werth with aging role player (Marcus Thames, Austin Kearns, Magglio Ordonez or Jermaine Dye) may better fit the team’s budget, they certainly wouldn’t match Kemp’s potential impact.

A five-tool player (six if you count his girlfriend Rihanna), Kemp’s offensive abilities compare favorably with Werth, a free agent on the verge of earning a contract approaching nine figures.

Kemp — who averaged more than 17 homers and 66 RBI and nearly 21 stolen bases over his first five seasons with the Dodgers — would provide ample right-handed protection for Ryan Howard, a left handed power hitter, in No. 5 spot in the order.

He could even hit fourth, allowing Manager Charlie Manuel to bat Howard third.

Kemp plays defense at least as well as Werth and has a throwing arm comparable to that of Phillies’ center fielder Shane Victorino.

In 2009, his second season as the team’s regular center fielder, Kemp won the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards. He also finished 10th in the National League MVP voting after hitting 26 home runs and driving in 101 runs.

That season of individual achievements was followed by one of frustration. In 2010, Kemp’s batting average dropped from .297 to .249 and slugging percentage fell 40 points to .450, but he finished the season with 28 homers and 89 RBI.

Colletti criticized Kemp — who signed a two-year $10.75 million contract prior to the 2010 season — on a Los Angeles radio station, according to Times.

“The base running’s below average,” Colletti told KABC radio’s Peter Tilden in April. “The defense is below average. Why is it? Because he got a new deal? I can’t tell you.”

Since the Dodgers would be taking on salary, the Phillies would likely have to pay a significant portion of Utley’s 2011 salary of $15 million. And maybe a big chunk of the remaining seven year, $85 million contract that expires after the 2013 season.

Kemp — eligible for arbitration in 2012 and free agency in 2013 — is scheduled to earn $6.975 million in 2011, according to baseball-reference.com.

Then the Phillies would have to sign a free agent stop gap second baseman or third baseman, which would include moving Placido Polanco from third to take Utley’s place. Free agent infielders Orlando Hudson Ty Wigginton, Jorge Cantu and Cristian Guzman could be workable options.

Even if the general managers could agree on compensation, outside factors could prevent the consummation of a deal.

The divorce between Frank and Jamie McCourt, and dispute over ownership of the Dodgers, rages on. Later this month, or sometime in December, a judge will announce whether Frank McCourt is the sole owner of the team, according to an Oct. 20 article in the LA Times.

Utley, a Southern California native, could also veto the trade. A limited no-trade clause in his contract allows the player to name nine teams annually to which he many not be traded, according to a published report.

The broken bones posted:

e: scratch that, my favorite part is how he says Kemp isn't wanted, and then says the Phillies should throw in prospects to make the deal square.

quote:

It means, essentially, that win-loss record is no factor.

Sarah Spain posted:

The bottom line is this: If Brett Favre truly harassed Jenn Sterger and his advances were unwanted and unreciprocated, then a measly $50,000 fine doesn't cut it. Only Favre and Sterger know what really happened, but I'd bet the situation wasn't nearly as one-sided as she purports it to be. I just don't see how Favre could ask her out, get denied and decide the next logical step would be to text her the contents of his Wranglers. There's a disconnect there and I'd imagine some gaps in the findings resulted in the ruling of insufficient evidence. Whatever the league decided -- fine, suspension, no discipline whatsoever -- it should have acted on it a long time ago. Waiting until the Vikings' last game of the year, when Favre's retirement presser has been all but scheduled, reveals an unfair and inappropriate bias to ol' No. 4 and sets a dangerous precedent for future cases.

Melissa Jacobs posted:

Shame on you, websites that make your predatory living by floating out "scandals" such as this (and last week's Rex Ryan foot fetish) that don't get ignored after a day or filtered out simply because a big name is attached. An athlete hits on a woman the Jets opt to trot around in essentially a bra and he notices. Big frickin' deal. If the so-called sleazy perv was named Joe Webb no one would care. Just another victimless "crime" blown out of proportion. Well, victimless, except for Deanna Favre.

kaworu posted:

Well, a couple goon-friends that I was already familiar with did so jokingly, but nobody other than them. It's a cool avatar though, it produces amusing reactions and I enjoy that it marks both my gender and sexuality as ambiguous to some degree. I still don't know who bought it, though

quote:

[Name redacted], you're making this stuff up now.

And, no, we won't use your name. But this is a story, and this is a bigger problem than you think it is. The bottom line is, you talked to me, you talked to me on the record. You then went back on that. Then you went back on again but told me to say a "friend betrayed you". If you want to go through the entire process of where the legal lines are here, I'd be more than happy to go over them with you. But the reality is, this is a story.

Like I said, we don't have to use your name. But this story is going to run. I'd like more cooperation from you but it's not going to change the fact that this story is in the process of being done.

I'm not trying to ruin your life, I'm trying to do my job. If you'd been a little more upfront with me from the get-go, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Instead, we've had several which were ones that I told you I was going to use for this story.

Just think about it. I'll let you know where we are on Monday, but this is running on Tuesday.

Crazy Ted posted:

Remember back to that GQ article I posted where he told a girl who possibly being raped in a video he put up for a day to just calm down and deal with the fact that she did something stupid.

ryborg posted:

come on guys this is gold

NICK: Is she kidding with that t-shirt? "Keeping it Real?" There's nothing real in that shirt!

(laugh track)

MEGAN: Nick, it's time to move on. She's had the new boobs for a year.

NICK: I swear, I think they're still expanding.

(laugh track)

MEGAN: You would know. The way you were staring at them.

(raucous applause, audience goes nuts)

quote:

"I am so sad today," Bryant said. "I am sad today because this attack on me by the Massachusetts State Police and the Buckland Police has made it necessary for me to defend untrue allegations and repair my reputation when one conversation with either Veronique or with me would have diffused the entire situation. Instead, the police chose aggression first over dialogue, threatened to taser me whenever I tried to speak, and all in front of my 6-year-old son.

"As a result, I have to defend a charge that I attacked both the woman I love and the police when nothing could be further from the truth."

"This is all so unfair," Veronique Bryant said. "There was no investigation. The police made assumptions about my husband that weren't true. I was never abused or in fear of Howard on that day or any other day. I wasn't running from him or trying to get away from him. The police weren't listening to me and they attacked him with violence with our 6-year-old watching."

"I believe that witnesses saw things through the lens of race and if it were a caucasian male they wouldn't have blinked at what they saw," said Bryant's lawyer, Buz Eisenberg.

Bryant lives in Ashfield, which is about six miles south of Buckland.

"We are gathering information about it," said ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz.

Bryant joined ESPN in 2007 after a newspaper career that included stops at the Washington Post, Boston Herald, Bergen Record, San Jose Mercury News and Oakland Tribune. He has written three books, the most recent being "The Last Hero" about Hank Aaron. He also wrote "Juicing the Game: Drugs, Power and the Fight for the Soul of Major League Baseball" and "Shut Out: A Story of Race and Baseball in Boston."

Smorgasbord posted:

So if they happen to be white then that must mean they made the whole thing up because they are obviously racist?

BackInTheUSSR posted:

I don't think this is an incorrect opinion to have. He is slightly unnerved that Pujols is, by all means, kind of a dick to the fans. I can understand. It is not difficult to acknowledge fans and be friendly.

Not excusing Pearlman from sucking in other regards I just don't think this one's bad.

quote:

The Red Sox have the rest of the baseball universe right where they want.

Doubting them.

After being anointed champs before Opening Day, the Red Sox have looked more like chumps in their first six games of the 2011 season. But starting 0-6 might be the most revolutionary blessing to hit Boston since Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride.

Only two teams in baseball history have ever made the playoffs after starting a season 0-6: the 1974 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1995 Cincinnati Reds. Both teams lost in the National League Championship Series.

The Red Sox have an opportunity to be the first 0-6 team to win a World Series. In other words, the Red Sox have another chance to make history in 2011.

In 2004, the Red Sox became the first major league team to win a playoff series after being down three games to none, beating the Yankees in the ALCS to shock the world.

Now, the Red Sox have to dig themselves out of their worst hole since 1945.

The Red Sox historically have performed better in the underdog role than as a front-runner. After losing six straight to open this season, they might as well change the B on their cap to a big U, don capes and start fighting crime. The Red Sox have had the blue-blood sense of entitlement smacked out of their mouth, but they can get back to their blue-collar roots and take an us-against-the-world attitude.

They can get back to playing fundamental baseball -- throwing the ball, catching the ball, hitting the ball.

They can get back to hitting pitches where they are thrown, getting hits with runners in scoring position, hitting the cutoff man, painting the black, smacking home runs.

They can stop pressing and get back to being dirt dogs.

The team with the $161 million payroll needs to start having fun again.

Pop the Napoleon Dynamite dance scene into the clubhouse TV. Start smiling. Start high-fiving. Forget all the hype.

Imagine The Show is Little League. Play like nobody’s watching. Fast and loose like Eddie Felson.

Winning is a lot easier with a carefree, confident approach and some swagger.

Every player on the 25-man Red Sox roster has produced under pressure before. These are not greenhorns. This is a seasoned team. The Red Sox just didn’t forget how to play winning baseball.

Will they end up being the greatest of all time?

No title will be handed to them, but don’t underestimate a wounded lion.