10/25 - Those Crazy Kids

by bdalebs on Oct 25, 2009 5:15 AM EDT in Daily Links

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Barely anything today, because of the general lack of baseball activity recently. There are a few new, interesting links out there though:

Coming Soon: Jonathan Papelbon's Dubious Taste In Cinema - Deadspin

Wow, Paps, wow - anyone want to take a shot at predicting the new nicknames he's going to be bestowed with?

Baseball: Highly touted lefty Kikuchi opts for Japan over U.S. - Kyodo News

Darn. The best way to look at this, to me, is to consider that he could develop a little more in Japan - or maybe we avoid a disaster if a major flaw is exposed.

New book details 1912 World Series - redsox.com

The 1912 World Series, an eight-game act, is detailed in Mike Vaccaro's third book, The First Fall Classic: The Red Sox, the Giants and the Cast of Players, Pugs, and Politicos Who Reinvented the World Series in 1912.

Might have to pick this up - sounds like an interesting read.

On a related note, I'm going to spend part of today trying to locate a book I purchased a few years ago that contains loads of Sox moments' anniversaries for each date - blame my being 13 when I last saw this book for not knowing where it is. If I can find it, expect some mini-history stories each day; I'll even try to keep the dates straight.

Comments, links, suggestions on where to look for that book - whatever you feel like sharing, can all be entrusted with us.

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Kikuchi in Japan

There’s certainly another way to look at this as good news — you seem to assume that if he’d come to the U.S., he’d sign with the Sox, but of course he could have signed with the MFYs (or one of the other 28 teams).

by argo0 on Oct 25, 2009 8:46 AM EDT reply actions

This is also true.

@bs_uf15bosox9be 12 pieces of bacon, a Red Bull, and go get 'em; Learn to use SB Nation

by bdalebs on Oct 25, 2009 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions

I read an article this morning that the Red Sox may switch Ellsbury to LF

I love this idea.

VARITEK MUST GO
Brandon Webb in 2010

by gizmosandy on Oct 25, 2009 9:35 AM EDT reply actions

Link?

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Oct 25, 2009 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions

herald

by Buzzy on Oct 25, 2009 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Found it:

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/other_mlb/view/20091025sox_hot_stove_fired_up_early/

So what does this have to do with the 2010 Red Sox? While they see Ellsbury maturing into an excellent center fielder, they also have mulled moving him to left field, where they believe he would be outstanding. Such a move, though, means that the club would have to find an outstanding center fielder to replace him.

@bs_uf15bosox9be 12 pieces of bacon, a Red Bull, and go get 'em; Learn to use SB Nation

by bdalebs on Oct 25, 2009 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions

If you're gonna put Ells in LF

You better have Willie Mays or Mickey Mantle in center or you’re not going to be in the playoffs in 2010. A .770 ops from your LF isn’t gonna fly.

Strikeouts are boring- Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic.

by CasanovaWong on Oct 25, 2009 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions

It depends on who

the Sox could put in center, and on how good defensively Ellsbury was in LF. The Rays got to the world series with Crawford in 08. Crawford’s OPS that year? 0.718. But he was still a 2.7 WAR player despite his offense because of his defense. A 0.770 OPS offensive year + Crawford’s 08 defense would be a higher WAR year by a lot than Bay last year. However I doubt anyone could have a +25 year in LF at Fenway. Interestingly Crawford has the tools to play CF but he was always relcutant, I think because of the same issue Ellsbury has-very good side to side, but poor on reads up and back.

The frustrating thing is that Ellsbury was the one of the best offensive CFs in baseball this year. Only Span, Kemp and Hunter had higher wOBAs-and Span was only 0.02 points higher. If he could somehow improve defensively he would be extremely valuable. The cited article claims Beltran as a slot in for CF with Ellsbury in left. While I bet an Ellsbury-(healthy)Beltran-(healthy)Drew outfiled would lead all of baseball in WAR, the article fails to mention how precisely the Sox would land Beltran. Namely, it is a BS article in that sense despite the very real possibility that the Sox have probably discussed moving Ellsbury.

by Buzzy on Oct 25, 2009 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Word, all they said was that

Beltran’s salary wouldn’t really be a problem, kind of idiotic to even bring it up without suggesting a package. Oh well.

Strikeouts are boring- Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic.

by CasanovaWong on Oct 25, 2009 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Well, we can move this discussion here:

http://www.overthemonster.com/2009/10/25/1100130/should-the-red-sox-move-jacoby#comments

@bs_uf15bosox9be 12 pieces of bacon, a Red Bull, and go get 'em; Learn to use SB Nation

by bdalebs on Oct 25, 2009 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions

Another way to look at Kikuchi's decision

is that maybe Japanese pro baseball should get some of their top talent, rather than send the best young players here.

How would we feel if the Clay Buchholz’s and Jon Lesters of the US were opting to play overseas (say, Cuba or the DR) rather than here?

"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.

by 0157H7 on Oct 25, 2009 11:26 AM EDT reply actions

I don't know if there's anywhere else in the world that is willing to pay ballplayers as much as we do in America.

Aside from soccer, the rest of the world doesn’t seem to put as much money into sports. It would be really weird to see the best players playing elsewhere, just like it’s weird when one of the better soccer players comes to America.

@bs_uf15bosox9be 12 pieces of bacon, a Red Bull, and go get 'em; Learn to use SB Nation

by bdalebs on Oct 25, 2009 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Josh Childress went overseas to play basketball because they offered him more money. There are actually a lot of basketball players who have found they can make more money in Europe. Not nearly the best American players, but still.

"Ninety percent [of my salary] I'll spend on good times, women, and Irish whiskey. The other ten percent I'll probably waste."
-Tug McGraw

by BTLove on Oct 25, 2009 3:34 PM EDT up reply actions