ashbury

http://blog.sandiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ucsd_library.jpg

Agreed. 2014 was supposed to be a year of figuring some things out. For some reason, time was invested in figuring out whether Santana could be a good CF. So now in 2015 we have Escobar versus Santana questions. I continue to see Escobar as a utility player (with a ceiling of "very good") on a contending team, and a starter only on a cellar-dweller.

No stick of gum. I'll pass.

Or, if I was employed elsewhere.

Bottom fishing is one of Terry Ryan's strengths; take two nickels and turn them into a quarter. It still disturbs me that much resources are invested in doing this, though.

It's amazing how much fun Chinese fortune cookies are, when you remember this trick.

Too many strawmen now. I'm putting this topic aside. I'm not heavily invested in it - as Brock said, it's ugly, and that's why I brought it up.

Miggy didn't lose his job when the Tigers signed Fielder; he moved to third and someone else got affected. We talk about what happens to Plouffe when Sano comes up, but it would be the same if we signed someone better as a FA; the discussion turns on moving Plouffe to RF or wherever, and someone else would be the 25th man who loses his role. It's not neat and simple when a FA is signed. So that's not a good analogy to use. Available managers (e.g. ones serving as talking heads on ESPN or Fox) are usually loath to discuss jobs where there is currently an incumbent. You can say they are just being tactful or whatever, but it clearly doesn't pass the smell test to them, not even the blowhards and self-promoters. Unlike in business analogies, the market for MLB managers consists of exactly 30 jobs, neither more nor less from one season to the next. By contrast, if Ginny Rometty decides she wants to leave IBM and gun for Mary Barra's job at GM, the job market is a lot more flexible for them both than in baseball. But I wouldn't invite them both to the same cocktail party. I can't imagine it being awkward for Molitor to run into Gardy the next time, or to run into Lovullo. "Congratulations, man." I can't imagine it not being awkward for Maddon/Renteria. Baseball managers are a lot closer to an exclusive fraternity than other jobs in baseball or than most jobs in the Real World. IMO Maddon broke ranks, and I would love to have a conversation with someone like Ryan or Molitor to get their insider take on this firing/hiring. Maybe they'd tell me I'm all wet. A conversation with Maddon himself would also be illuminating, even if I got my head bitten off while he explained to me why how he did this was A-OK.

Because, you know, Rick Anderson.

Top left corner: Gardy! / OK, Billy Gardner, but still, a future Twins manager.

http://youtu.be/zMRrNY0pxfM

Baseball-reference.com automates a similarity score based on the idea introduced by Bill James. I clicked on Hughes's age-27 (before Twins) comparison, and was amused to find a fellow named Enrique Carlos Nolasco among his closest matches. It's just a "fun" number, doesn't mean very much, of course.

http://thebrotherhoodofevilgeeks.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/nerds-3.jpg

Bud Black too? I think it's not all that rare. What is rare is a guy Molitor's age getting his first big-league managing job, regardless of experience. It just doesn't happen. I'd like to ask someone like Terry Ryan off the record for his thoughts about this. / and then I'd come here on TD and post them.

If that's in response to my post, the differences are several. For one, rarely does one player lose his job as a direct result of the team signing a player - there are 25 (or 40) jobs per team and one slot being filled does not dictate anything else.

Moderator's note: That's enough of the personal bickering; ChiTown already asked once. Please take it to the Private Messaging system TD provides, but in any case keep the personal back-and-forth out of the forums.

... except for the one little detail that a good man was going to be fired as a direct consequence, in order for there to be a job for him to take right now. I don't suspect tampering on the part of the Cubs; I expect they were as surprised as anyone to learn of his sudden availability, and they moved on it fast. But I can't get past this aspect of the deal, both from the team's perspective and from Maddon's. If Maddon looked ahead to the next time he would accidentally run into Renteria, at spring training or whatever, and the awkwardness didn't make him ask himself, "is this really the person I want to be?", well, I don't know what to say.

"So, Mister" [looks down at paper] "Maddon, tell me a little about yourself. I see you were most recently manager for the" [looks down at paper] "Tampa Bay Rays. Tell me, is that one of the minor league teams for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays?"

Ryan is currently listed as executive advisor to the Astros. I doubt there is any chance he would be looking for a random pitching coach position in the majors. It can't hurt to "gauge his interest" I suppose, but I wouldn't invest effort doing so. If I were TR and I wanted to go this route, and I bumped into Nolan at the winter meetings, I might say something leading and specific, phrased as a joke, and see if he perked up at all. Anything else could be almost an insult. He was previously CEO. "Seriously, Terry? But if you're interested, I probably could find a spot for you as a bullpen coach for the 'Stros."

I watched Star Wars during its first run and likewise for Guardians, so they are connected.

Gah, totally forgot about that. Even more reason to expect he'd be uninterested.

Glynn would be a solid choice IMO. But there are tons of solid choices at various levels of baseball and Molitor probably will pick someone else, just by the law of averages. TK would say thanks but no thanks, to getting back in to the 162 game grind again.

+1. For a team on the upswing, trade to relieve a logjam of talent at a position, after it occurs. Not to fill a need. Lemma: And there is never a logjam of good starting pitching. Corollary: A couple of starters champing at the bit because they are relegated to the bullpen is not a logjam.

When I realized, "oh, he's eventually going to have to go back for that Walkman", I stopped paying attention to the plot. Pretty much defines the state of the art for special effects, however. / sorry about the spoiler, all of you who really want to see the movie and haven't gotten around to it yet

The Eephus, the Knuckler, and now this. What novelty pitch won't you try?