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ashbury

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Everything posted by ashbury

  1. ashbury
    I don't disagree. But the context of this thread was set as "if/when [sano] can't handle the position". Not sure how to weigh the value of scoops at first base versus snagging balls hit to the hot corner. The conventional wisdom is that third base is a more demanding position than first. Anyway, I was just throwing Mauer's name into the conversation as an option if Sano's for any reason not one.
  2. ashbury
    I would be happy if merely the people who have GM jobs realize how just good Dozier has been, and make a commensurate trade offer. This is exactly what didn't happen last off-season. If Gordon's ready and Polanco slides over, the Twins are a better team with the return Dozier would bring, hopefully pitching of course. Let the next team decide the terms of the contract extension.
  3. ashbury
    FTFY
  4. ashbury
    "That's Kapler, Miss Litella. Kapler." http://memecrunch.com/meme/1XIK0/nevermind/image.jpg
  5. ashbury
    Crazy Idea #negative-one: Move Ryan Pressly to third. He's got the arm for it, and his fastball comes in nice and straight.
  6. ashbury
    Yeah, you're right. I was looking for a (quasi-)analytic way to cross-check what my eye tells me, but trade value is too bound up in future value too. And I don't know how to imagine what a GM would "pay" for just one season in isolation, of Dozier versus Buxton versus everyone else, so never mind about that at all.
  7. ashbury
    And just to be clear, I should have stated that my analysis wasn't meant in contradiction to your post, but to say that the players aren't just randomly or thoughtlessly prolonging the game, but are doing it in their individual self-interest, making it hard to remedy except by strict enforcement.
  8. ashbury
    The team's results during Buxton's time out of the lineup might be an argument in his favor.
  9. ashbury
    Crazy idea number N+1: Move Mauer to third, like we've always said he could do. He won't have huge range but he's nimble for everything he can reach.
  10. ashbury
    And give the starting pitcher credit for the Win if he completes three innings, because managers will still go to the bullpen for the final four or so.
  11. ashbury
    I tend to think that you can't cure a problem until you think about why it arises. You often hear players and coaches using the phrase "need to slow the game down". They don't mean it in the sense of delaying the game, but to say that if a player's not careful he can get overwhelmed by the pace of the game. I recall this being said about (or by) Buxton when he was going badly, for example. All the tactics you mention are an attempt to regroup and regain one's focus - the ritual of the batter adjusting his gloves and of the pitcher turning his back to the plate for a cleansing breath are examples. The pause, charitably viewed, means that hitter and pitcher are both at the top of their game, and the battle between them is acute. Unfortunately, the tactics do indeed slow the game down for the fans too. The remedy for that is to enforce rules that take away this regrouping time for both sides. Not much is really lost, IMO, if the batter is not allowed to routinely step out and if the pitcher is required to throw another pitch within a certain number of seconds; both adversaries are relatively disadvantaged, keeping the competition fair. Other rule changes such as expecting that a pitcher coming in from the bullpen is warmed-up and ready to go would help a little too. If players are to slow the game down for themselves, it needs to be figuratively but not literally.
  12. ashbury
    Those would be fantastic offense numbers even for a league-average fielder at that position. If you believe Lindor is a great-fielding SS, then I believe you are underselling him to say even "best 10 to 15".
  13. ashbury
    Not to hijack the discussion by bringing in a thought from another thread, but I expect an automated strike zone will help with some of the things you are bothered by. It takes away from the human element, they say; but the human element of umpiring means that batters, even the ones with an eagle eye, can't be sure what's a strike and what's not. This human element makes for an arguably more interesting game, just as soccer players' lack of precise knowledge of how much time remains in the game adds a certain interest. But in the cat-and-mouse game between batters and hitters, it plays entirely into the pitchers' hands (except maybe for the few pitchers with sterling command of every pitch in their arsenal anyway), and we are close to having a remedy. So to restate it, an "unintended consequence" of robot plate umpiring could be a tilt toward the batter and a reduction in whiffs, at least by the better hitters. Maybe at some later point some kind of further remedy would need to be thought of, to help the pitcher. Bring back the spitball?
  14. ashbury
    I don't have an exact definition of "Valuable" either, but for me it comes down to a couple of things. Who was most indispensible this year? Who would get the most interest from other GMs if you offered a trade? Either definition of valuable leads me to Buxton, with Santana a respectable second.
  15. ashbury
    Mod note: This kind of innuendo is irrelevant and is not needed here, thanks.
  16. ashbury
    Probably. Even more reason not to make 2018 rotation plans around him. That's trying to thread the needle too close. He's just not ready. Acquire some MLB-ready talent, and if Romero forces his way into the picture, you have a nice problem on your hands, with nice solutions available.
  17. ashbury
    Stew Thornley is not an MLB ump, of course, but he checked the case book for me and "there is stuff on appealing a half swing but nothing on what a half swing is. So the best answer is, "I know it when I see it,"
  18. ashbury
    I don't believe a FO that thought Romero was close to being ready would have had him pitch all year at AA, without even a look-see when rosters expanded in September. It's not impossible he goes north with the big club in 2018, but it's a longshot, and you don't make your rotation plans based on longshots.
  19. ashbury
    I don't think anyone was making this the goal or standard. You're probably familiar with the concept of an S-shaped curve. The disagreement seems mainly about where we each see Buxton on that curve, with regard to bodily risk versus accomplishment. My own opinion is dialing back just a little, an inch or so to the left on that curve, ought to be possible without losing too much. I'm with you about respecting the game. I've shouted variations on that phrase (to the chagrin of whoever I brought to the game) at minor leaguers who I thought were loafing on defense in some respect. I don't want Buxton to become timid. But it's called a Warning Track for a reason, and established players may have differing opinions on how one deals with it. The suggestion for Torii to have a conversation with Byron probably is redundant, but is for me on the right (ahem) track.
  20. ashbury
    Trauma includes things like concussions, torn ligaments, and even internal organ damage. Injuries can be recovered from, until one day they can't. And with some injuries, there is a cumulative effect.
  21. ashbury
    Fun question. Closest I can come is (2017 version) "Rule 8.02[c] Comment". It makes repeated use of the term "half swing". This term shows up nowhere else in the rules. Lacking any specific definition, common sense would tell me that a line perpendicular to the batter should be imagined, and if the bat goes beyond this, then it's a swing. Since the batter normally is squared away and is astride the plate, this would have the bat cross no more than half the plate. But if the stance is different, the bat might cross or not cross the plate at the halfway point.
  22. ashbury
    That wasn't even a shot. It was an outlet pass. He thought he saw his shooting guard seated in the eighth row for an uncontested midrange jumper.
  23. ashbury
    If MLB finds a way to monetize batters stepping out of the box, look out. "This Out Of The Box Moment has been brought to you by GEICO, who has been thinking outside the box since nineteen-umpty-ump."
  24. ashbury
    Step out of the batter's box a second time, there must be a physical problem, son. Manager, bring in a new player. Problem solved.
  25. ashbury
    Somehow I don't think it quite comes down to this. Changeups and breaking pitches are complementary, and both can fit into a repertoire. Moreover, it seems to me one is a skill, the other is more of a talent - with both needing hard work and repetition to master of course. I doubt either Allen or the front office is extreme in espousing one over the other. Allen was certainly known for suggesting the change, to anyone who would listen. FalVine may like breaking pitches. But a preference wouldn't be a dealbreaker. Allen didn't tell Berrios to ditch the bender. I think it just came down to results. Allen's job was to find answers, and at the end of the day he didn't find enough.
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