Playing Catch

I really like gregmag's question, it's fun to consider. The advantages of having Burnes are clear. The advantages of having Ortiz are trickier. Two of the primary drivers of the Brewers team success this year is team defense, and being able to extend rallies with 2-out hits, often singles. Both of these are directly attributable to Ortiz's contributions. Having solid ABs, 1-9, makes it so much tougher for a pitcher to navigate.

I'm sure there are no shortage of appraisers/authenticators in NYC. Just Google it, and I'm sure you'll be fine.

I had a long treatise on my thoughts on moving the A's, and other teams, but I'll spare the IGT of my rantings. The IGT is no place for ranting.

Haha, yes, I was aware of his numbers... I'm just dubious. Similarly of Turang somehow grades out as a good, not great, second baseman with many of the metrics. I just cannot believe that Turang isn't a superior defender in ALL metrics. If I were to believe the metrics, than yes, I agree with the idea to put Chourio in center, or at least that he's superior to Frelick.

At this point, I think Frelick is better. Better routes. Better arm. I very well could be wrong, but that's what my eyes see. I suppose it's possible he could become better than Mitchell, but I doubt it. I think Mitchell and Perkins are both current 60's in CF, at least. Look, none of my opinions are a reflection of Chourio. He's awesome. I think he'll be a great centerfielder one day, perhaps as soon as next season depending on how the roster shakes out. I just think that if the roster were to remain static, it could be awhile before he's playing CF on a regular basis. I also can see a scenario in the immediate future where Chourio would be the DH with an outfield of Frelick, Perkins and Mitchell, left to right. I couldn't care less if he won a MiLB gold glove. And I also think that his mastering the position wouldn't take very long, regardless.

Not if Perkins/Mitchell and Frelick are in the lineup. Then, Chourio's greatest "value," is in left. Whether he plays "everyday," in CF means nothing. Now if Yelich and Frelick are playing the field? Perhaps Chourio should play CF. Although, even then, I'm not sure he's yet as good as Frelick.

Remarkable. Another exciting riser in the system.

Is Devin available today?

Someone observed the paucity of Black taking full hacks. I fear that in the minors he can get by with fouling off close strikes to stay in the AB, taking his walks, and waiting for a mistakes, but that the mistakes in the bigs are few and far between.

Win/Loss doesn't matter that much in the grand scheme of things, the decisions made could've ended up being fine if Devin gets one grounder for a double-play. With that said, it seems to happen all of the time... Using the DEV(in)CON scale: DEV(in)CON 5: Fatigued star closer gets asked to close out another game. DEV(in)CON 4: Said closer's command just a smidge off, HBP followed by a sharp double Event: Manager's undies bunch, says to self, "He's our indomitable closer, it's his game no matter what." Event: Closer shows signs with a K. Manager feels better DEV(in)CON 3: Long AB, leads to walk, fatigued closer now at 17 pitches. Fans' undies bunch. Event : Star closer gets another K. Two down. 23 pitches. Just. One. More. Pitch/Out. Still a two-run game. DEV(in)CON 2: Star closer gassed. 4 pitch walk. Run scores. 27 pitches. One run game. Now or never. DEV(in)CON 1: 8th consecutive ball. Disaster imminent. I disagreed with Murphy's decisions. I feel like Megill, being fresh, needed to be ready to go in at DEV(in)CON 3. Not just for Devin's sake, but for Megill's. It isn't fair for him to have to clean up the mess left over by Devin on his first appearance back. If accurate, I still disagree, but I think the only two explanations are (1) Murphy screwed up. Didn't have Megill ready in time, or (2) Murphy wanted to challenge Devin. He needs to know if Devin has "it" to go on when fatigued, or have to go long in the playoffs. I suspect that Murphy won't challenge Devin the same way going forward.

Let that number sink in for a sec. Twenty times more money. It sounds ludicrous when you say it out loud. For all the talk of collusion and whatnot when free agency rolls around, it would not be weird if teams simply started realizing, "yeah, that guy's simply not worth 20 times more money than this minor leaguer." I suspect that it will start happening a lot more often where guys get 3 years at $15M, instead of the 6 for $20M that the same type of player got 5 years ago.

I wonder if it isn't simply an "attitude adjustment". As in, "We want you to go right after hitters. Attack them. Use the heater! Strike them out using your fastball(s)." Instead of pitching to control the fastball on the edges, they are telling him, "Never mind maneuvers, just go straight at 'em."

Oh, no question! I didn't mean to disparage having a good eye --- it's just that over the last 10 or 15 years of the "3TO era," I've become bored with the sheer volume of .220/.320/.480 batting lines. Obviously, much different players, but Chourio's batting lines remind me of Miguel Cabrera. High average, good power. The game misses those kinds of superstars. (I think the "Soto Shuffle," upon taking a ball, is truly more distasteful for me than ANY bat flip/HR antics, the fact that kids are mimicking this makes me crazy)

If anyone should get a HOF "bump" for personality and being (effectively) a one-team guy, it's Votto. He must have as close to universal appeal of any superstar. I'm sure he'll get docked for the high-bar for HOF first baseman, but will anyone care if he got in? One MVP. His career wOBA of .394 would place him in this season's top-ten. Obviously, his career totals aren't awesome.

Three-peat.

It doesn't bother me, per se, but SHIFT+ENTER allows you to single-space your entries so you can make such lists... RHP Williams Peguero Etc. LHP Hudson Koenig Etc.

Far be it for me to question the validity of Spencer's reports, but I have a hard time believing a 19-year-old lefty is throwing 95+ with that easy delivery in that non-tall frame. If that's accurate?? Whoa. In other news, Dinges is my new favorite to outplay expectations. I think that the Brewers found a less-heralded, less-scouted gem --- especially if they can teach him to catch.

Someone should post this in tonight's IGT.

Me too... except for when the app crashes, or my phone glitches, or when some other kind of exception takes place where one requires assistance. It's like telephone customer service. We would all prefer to not have to wait for the live person, and simply punch the right combination of numbers to get what we need, but seriously, it's been what? 40 years of telephone customer service, and we all end up waiting for the live person because the options simply don't cover what we need about half the time.

Throw strikes that don't go out of the yard, and let the kids run after them.

I love guys who derive their value from driving the baseball rather than working the count. Walks are overrated. No one dreams about winning the game with a bases loaded walk.

Don't leave out Ashby.

I am generally bothered by the ubiquity of QR code phenomenon. I'm no luddite, but in my experiences, the whole thing ends up being more clunky than it's worth.

Ooohh, nice work.

After last night, I'm sure some of us are thinking about Montas getting a start. Before the Civale/Montas acquisitions, and the Tobias ROY chase, I'm sure most of us were thinking Freddy, maybe Rea, and then a whole lotta bullpenning. I'm feeling MUCH better. Even if ALL of those guys are only good through 3 or 4 in the playoffs, if they add Misiorowski and Yoho, who are both profiling as "shutdown multiple innings" guys, you've got enough innings to get to the backend without having to pitch Megill and Devin before their designated slots.