witesoxfan

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Feb 28, 2014 -> 11:57 AM) Only would make sense if they are spinning off another SP someplace else. Leake is second year arb eligible and getting more expensive, he is pretty good, but not really what this team needs now. This is honestly my exact thought. On paper, he's a more valuable piece than anybody the Sox would give up, but it's just not a move that makes a whole lot of sense from the Sox perspective.

QUOTE (jhonnydanks @ Feb 28, 2014 -> 08:18 AM) GET IT GET IT My favorite posts of the year: first one for Spring Training game 1, and then the next for opening day. DONT STOP

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 28, 2014 -> 09:58 AM) He'll turn 18 during the season. And the only reason I said he'd be in AZL is because Buddy Bell said he would be. Oh no, I never doubted it, it just seems early. Hopefully he hits like crazy. Sorry, shouldn't say never doubted it, just that I never doubted you guys.

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Feb 28, 2014 -> 09:22 AM) Bennett is going to get crazy money this off season. Dude's gon get paid.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 28, 2014 -> 09:35 AM) He already spent some time hanging out with Bristol getting the routine down, traveling with the team, and taking BP for several weeks last year. IIRC he's a year older than some of the youngest guys signed out of there, so it seemed like it made sense to me. He's 17. Players at Bristrol, Great Falls, and the newest AZL team are going to be 18 or 19 at the youngest.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 28, 2014 -> 08:12 AM) AZL most likely, so yes, rookie ball. I didn't include on the roster board any of the DSL or LatAm signee guys, who have yet to play... nor obviously any 2014 draft picks. I'm assuming all those would go to a rookie affiliate when they open play or later. I just didn't drill all the way down to that level. The players I did list in the Rk/Ext/DL/Susp list are ones already in the state-side system. They're already bringing Adolfo to the states? I figured he'd spend a summer in the Dominican league and come over next year.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Feb 27, 2014 -> 09:43 PM) Right, but he had him on no roster, which indicated either a repeat of rookie ball or a cut, unless I'm misreading. He's on the rookie list, waaaay down at the bottom.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 27, 2014 -> 10:22 AM) Thornton for Borchard has to be one of the greatest trades in Sox history. Pfft, not even. Ryan Meaux for Geoff Blum, owner of the highest career OPS in World Series history.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Feb 28, 2014 -> 09:07 AM) Here's something that just came out today and illustrates greatly the effect of context on GB pitchers: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/exceptional...uches-everyone/ Sullivan is the man, and that article shows amazing stuff.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Feb 28, 2014 -> 08:51 AM) This is true. However the formula they use with ground balls and line drives and flyballs and such is much more accurate and makes more sense than any others. This formula takes out as much of luck and defense as possible while including more factors than FIP and xFIP. No stat is going to be perfect as we are dealing with humans not numbers but as far as any I've found it comes the closest to really looking at how a pitcher can control runs and thus giving the team a better chance to win. I think this is so perfect and is the primary disconnect between "stat heads" and "baseball purists." I put quotes around those because they are incredibly silly labels. While you will find some people who are use nothing but stats (this guy has an .700 OPS, HE IS A TERRIBLE HITTER), those who utilize statistics properly and incorporate them within the game itself will have a much clearer picture and better understanding of what's going on. I also love that you mention that because it's something that sabermaticians preach constantly, but so often goes unheard by others simply because WAR is cited so often. The reason it is cited so often is that, as a whole, it is the best way to determine overall value. However, we always look at others as well and, if asked, the initial point can be expounded and we can and will further define our point with more numbers.

For a while, it did say vibrator. I'm guessing, being NOORRT DAKOOOOTA, someone complained and they had it changed. At one point, it indicated that it was a purple vibrator. It created quite the, ahem, BUZZ in the office yesterday.

QUOTE (Reddy @ Feb 28, 2014 -> 08:43 AM) Haha no I'm not saying that - my point is, it's pointless to talk about how good he might be in the future. IMO right NOW he serves us best out of the 2 hole. But we'll see. If his power develops then id have no qualms batting him 3rd. You should have just said that in the first place, because it is much more logical and well reasoned.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Feb 28, 2014 -> 07:57 AM) Not even close. 3 threads have been closed in the last month due to (He who shall not be named) and (Him who shall not be named who signed with the Orioles because they dont mind giving up draft picks), this one has a ways to go Kyle's a buttface /thread win

QUOTE (Reddy @ Feb 27, 2014 -> 09:41 PM) Remember when Beckham wasn't done improving? Well that's about the worst argument ever. Saying "x" won't improve because "y" didn't is incredibly generalized and all together wrong. Maybe we should take each example individually and work from there, mmk?

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Feb 28, 2014 -> 08:21 AM) If anyone has a code they can't use I would love to have it. up up down down left right left right B A Don't have any more Konami games

As a caveat, SIERA actually predicts what the ERA should look like with the numbers the pitcher has allowed, and it's incredibly accurate and usually is very close to the pitcher's ERA. It is also a solid predictor of future ERAs as well. However, it should not be used like that simply because those factors which a pitcher can't control - primarily luck and defense - can change drastically in one offseason. As an example, Justin Verlander's SIERA was 3.61 last year with an ERA of 3.46. I expect both of those to actually go down this year. Last year, for much of the year, the Tigers were running with Miguel Cabrera at 3B, Johnny Peralta at SS, and Prince Fielder at 1B, three very good hitters who have limited range in the field. This year, the Tigers should have 3 defensive upgrades in all 3 positions. This is something that SIERA cannot account for, so while we as fans expect Verlander's ERA to go down, SIERA does not because it cannot.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Feb 27, 2014 -> 04:28 PM) You framed him. Whaaaaaaaaaa I sent it to a couple of my friends. One of them said "Why does a guy buy a vibrator for his girlfriend anyways? Isn't that what his dong is for?"

QUOTE (SCCWS @ Feb 27, 2014 -> 03:46 PM) Then again, the Red Sox decided the best hitter should bat third. So they moved Pedroia from 2nd to 3rd, which raised a lot of eyebrows. They won a World Series doing it. The Red Sox best hitter hit 4th, which is where your best hitter should hit. And let's not undercut the contributions of Shane Victorino (.294/.351/.451/.801, 21 out of 24 in SBs) hitting 2nd and Jacoby Ellsbury (.298/.355/.426/.781, 52 out of 56 in SBs) hitting in front of Pedroia. Boston had a really good offense. This is like saying "The White Sox used Chris Widger as a backup catcher instead of Ben Davis. You know what happened when they did that? They won a World Series." The causation effect of what you are suggesting is incredibly small and limited. Yes, it most definitely had an effect, but there were about 500 other things that affected it too, a lot of them just as important (or more) as Pedroia hitting 3rd instead of 2nd.

http://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/crim...19bb2963f4.html

QUOTE (Dunt @ Feb 27, 2014 -> 01:54 PM) Links? I would actually be interested in reading up on that I'm sure Em has more proof in the pudding, but here's a look at the Sox from early 2012. They then acquired Youkilis in June, batted him 2nd, and the offense improved greatly. http://www.highheatstats.com/2012/05/what-...-hitter-really/

QUOTE (StRoostifer @ Feb 27, 2014 -> 03:27 PM) Thought or wished? I see no problem with this although I'm sure there's a few that will. If it were closer to opening day then yes, by all means complain but this early in ST its no biggie. Nah, I like Dunn, but I don't think he's happy with the Sox right now. That's mere opinion, I don't have quotes or sources or anything like that, just piecing things together.

I think the plan was probably to make the heist, get out of Dodge, and assume new identities hopeful that the feds never track you down. You assume the chances of that happening are low, but I wonder what your odds actually are of getting away with that (no, I'm happy with my current life and do not want to rob a bank, leave town, and assume a new identity).

QUOTE (Jake @ Feb 27, 2014 -> 12:56 PM) Difference between fastball and changeup speed isn't nearly as important as whether the changeup appears the same out of hand. Part of this means it can't be very different. For most starters, you want 8.5-9.5 mph separation between fastball and changeup. As it gets slower, hitters notice that it's slower. As it's faster, they of course don't notice because it is too fast but they hit it anyway (but not always). I remember a graph of BAA for Tim Lincecum's changeup by speed differential of previous fastballs. 11mph? .400. 7mph? .400. 8-9mph? .150 Santana's always been around 11 MPH. The problem with hitting him is that the slider was the same speed as you are saying the changeup is supposed to be, and his changeup moved very similarly to slider. During his best years, he was a 91-95 guy with the fastball, an 83-87 guy with the slider, and a 79-84 guy as a changeup. Everything looked the same at all times, but that changeup was unhittable because of how much it threw hitters off and because of how much it moved.

QUOTE (flavum @ Feb 27, 2014 -> 01:08 PM) And that's it for Melton. Now, I know that Daniel Vincentendo really struggled last year, but I think with this Hosee Braidoo on the team, he's really going to get his focus back and he might be a threat like that I-Squeal Peeg in the other dugout, and then the Sox would have 3 really good Cuban players on the roster. I really like the acquisition of Adam AndEve in CF though, he's a guy that can really go get the ball. Plus, Matt Davenson at third base and Scott Dawn in the bullpen, plus they got Mitchum Boggs too, though I don't know if he's related to Wadum Boggs. Hopefully Ron Bellsorry can get to camp soon too, because this bullpen could be really good.

Also, I totally thought this said Adam Dunn is headed to the Orioles when I first glanced at it.