http://www.billjamesonline.com/contact_ ... 14_royals/

Teams that don't strike out much have little or no advantage in the playoffs. Teams that steal a lot and don't get caught have little or no advantage in the playoffs.

What about teams that do BOTH? That is, the KC Royals.

Small sample but interesting. Playoff baseball is certainly different than regular season baseball.

I would like to see the Phils try to get faster and smarter. I'd like to see them get better defensively. How about strike outs? Not a big, big thing but wouldn't mind seeing fewer strikeouts as the game has changed a lot over the last ten years or so.

Three-year extension for Cashman

smitty wrote:http://www.billjamesonline.com/contact_speed_and_the_2014_royals/

Teams that don't strike out much have little or no advantage in the playoffs. Teams that steal a lot and don't get caught have little or no advantage in the playoffs.

What about teams that do BOTH? That is, the KC Royals.

Small sample but interesting. Playoff baseball is certainly different than regular season baseball.

I would like to see the Phils try to get faster and smarter. I'd like to see them get better defensively. How about strike outs? Not a big, big thing but wouldn't mind seeing fewer strikeouts as the game has changed a lot over the last ten years or so.

That study is sorely lacking in statistical tests. Probably because nothing is significant... It's just noise.

Werthless wrote:That study is sorely lacking in statistical tests. Probably because nothing is significant... It's just noise.

I would think that if he ruminated another couple of paragraphs he might spot that his high contact/basestealing comparables to KC were probably also good in more instrumental aspects of the game.

They had a band?

drsmooth wrote:not actually specifically or even generally about baseball, but definitely about a beloved intangible of abiding interest to many here:

Vox - not ours but the other thing, wrote:'Grit' might be more important than IQ

....Researchers have learned that self-control can be taught and cultivated. The idea of growing grit, on the other hand, is in its infancy

hahahahaha the sermon from one of our sales VPs (part of my quarterly training) contained a snippet of the "Grit" talk.

(which i was going to looking up and post here)

drsmooth wrote:

Werthless wrote:That study is sorely lacking in statistical tests. Probably because nothing is significant... It's just noise.

I would think that if he ruminated another couple of paragraphs he might spot that his high contact/basestealing comparables to KC were probably also good in more instrumental aspects of the game.

Like extra inning home runs. I call it the bassoon effect.

The DBacks are expected to name a new manager on Monday, and the finalists are Jim Tracy, Phil Nevin, Chip Hale and Sandy Alomar Jr. Get excited

they should pick larry bowa

Thome turned down the Barves hitting coach job (wasn't interested), so they're looking at ol friend Milt Thompson as a possibility. Pendleton doesn't want it back

BigEd76 wrote:The DBacks are expected to name a new manager on Monday, and the finalists are Jim Tracy, Phil Nevin, Chip Hale and Sandy Alomar Jr. Get excited

Chip hale it is.

CHIP!

BigEd76 wrote:

choco wrote:

BigEd76 wrote:Qualifying offers for draft pick compensation jumped from $14.1M last offseason to $15.3M this offseason

Has anyone put out an analysis of which FAs might get a QO?

Just guessing here:
-- Scherzer
-- Shields
-- Nelson Cruz
-- Victor Martinez
-- Panda
-- HanRam
-- David Robertson

(Lester is ineligible for a QO since he started the season with Boston)

Robertson should take it. No one else would give him much more than 15 mil over 2 seasons.

Maybe if Robertson leaves, the Yankees might take Papelbon off our hands. Or the Nationals. Those are probably the only 2 teams with a need and the payroll room and might prefer a guy on a 1/2 year deal over a FA who might demand a 3-4 year deal.

lethal wrote:[
Maybe if Robertson leaves, the Yankees might take Papelbon off our hands. Or the Nationals. Those are probably the only 2 teams with a need and the payroll room and might prefer a guy on a 1/2 year deal over a FA who might demand a 3-4 year deal.

The Nationals have a need?

Shore wrote:

lethal wrote:[
Maybe if Robertson leaves, the Yankees might take Papelbon off our hands. Or the Nationals. Those are probably the only 2 teams with a need and the payroll room and might prefer a guy on a 1/2 year deal over a FA who might demand a 3-4 year deal.

The Nationals have a need?

Soriano's a FA. I know he lost his job by the end of the season, but getting Papelbon moves Storen and Clippard back into 7th and 8th inning roles they've had before. I've read that the 7th inning against the Giants has scarred the team some. Their other option is to get a much cheaper 7th/8th inning guy, which is probably the better thing to do.

Plus, Clippard is a free agent after 2015. They're in kinda good shape for next season in the bullpen without Soriano, but not after that. So they might not mind the 2016 vesting option, especially if it allows them to drive down the asking price. And they could maybe even renegotiate the contract with Papelbon into a guaranteed 2-year deal at a slightly lower price.

Then again, they're going to have to consider whether to re-sign guys like LaRoche, Asdrubal Cabrera (unlikely), Span (no-brainer for $9M club option), Schierholtz (unlikely), and Scott Hairston, plus they have to pay for Fister's final arb year, Strasburg's second arb year, Storen's third arb year (super two), and Detwiler's final arb year. They also have to consider whether to work on an extension for Jordan Zimmerman (2016 FA) and an early extension with Bryce Harper (arb-eligible in 2016). So in addition to the escalating salary of Werth ($20M), the decline of Ryan Zimmerman at the same price ($14M), and the slight increase (but still way reasonable) for Gio ($11M), their payroll is going to start climbing quickly.

And it's already been skyrocketing (per cots):

2014: $136,856,579
2013: $118,289,679
2012: $ 92,534,929
2011: $ 68,306,929

So bottom line is that I doubt they'd want to pick up a guy like Papelbon.

friedman left the rays to run the dodgers. some speculation maddon will follow him out there after next season.

at least we have amaro and sandburger

ReadingPhilly wrote:friedman left the rays to run the dodgers. some speculation maddon will follow him out there after next season.

lol he just went from a 30 mil payroll to a 240 mil payroll. good luck NL west