Bloody Sox Laundry - 9/4/09

by bdalebs on Sep 4, 2009 5:00 AM EDT in Daily Links

We just doubled our wins in the Trop from the past ~1.75 seasons in a single series - and it feels GOOD!!! Also feeling good about these links:

@AmalieBenjamin

Wake threw a 25 pitch side today. Decision on whether he starts on Saturday will likely come tomorrow. #redsox

Woot. Guess this means that either Byrd or, more likely, Taz, will be long relief for the weekend. Now for other good news:

2009 Carolina League Postseason All-Star Team

OF - Che-Hsuan Lin - Salem

One of the many very good center fielders we have coming up through the system. Of course, the coaches have to get credit too:

2009 South Atlantic League Postseason All-Star Team

...Bob Kipper of the Greenville Drive was chosen to be the Coach of the 2009 Annual All-Star team.

Cool beans.

After the jump, some more happy links and some frustrating links.

Probable Type A Free Agents - MLBTradeRumors.com

It's like the latest catalog - anyone seem particularly less interesting now that we know what they'll cost in terms of draft picks?

The Discovery and Development of Josh Reddick - Full Count

Papelbon fined a seventh time for slow pace - Boston Herald

Don't you wish you had several thousand dollars to not give a rat's donkey about?

Francona explains the eighth - Full Count

"Gonzy had been on everything," said Francona regarding his shortstop, who had ripped a leadoff double in his previous at-bat. "If I said I didn’t think about it I would be lying, but I didn’t think it was the right thing to do. We had bases loaded and he throws a wild pitch… Gonzy’s been on everything, and with David out, Mikey would hit in that spot… it gives us a little bit better chance to stay out out of the double play."

Today's Bloody Sox were the result of me trying to stop the bleeding from a head wound caused by slamming my head into my desk in frustration with Tito.

TGIF - find some good links and post'em in the comments, or just chat about the day. ON TO CHICAGO!!!

Tweet Comment 41 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

re: Papelbon's Fine

Honestly, I think this might be the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard come out of an athlete’s mouth:

"I don’t know why they keep coming after me. It’s probably because I’m not doing what I’m supposed to be doing

Wow. that’s just dumb.

Man I love that tuna casserole.

by Bloggy on Sep 4, 2009 6:24 AM EDT reply actions

Wow, a dumb athlete

Probably 95% of athletes are idiots.

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

by Drugs Delaney on Sep 4, 2009 7:19 AM EDT up reply actions

And so the fact that he's an athlete means he gets a pass on sayin' dumb shit?

Or am I reading that wrong?

Man I love that tuna casserole.

by Bloggy on Sep 4, 2009 8:02 AM EDT up reply actions

No

Why expect idiots to be anything other than idiots.

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

by Drugs Delaney on Sep 4, 2009 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions

I hear stupid I call it.

I don’t care what his or her profession is.

Man I love that tuna casserole.

by Bloggy on Sep 4, 2009 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions

well he may be a little autistic

but he can sure riverdance

by revived0103 on Sep 4, 2009 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions

ok and i just read the autism comment below me

after i wrote that. wow the irony. sorry

by revived0103 on Sep 4, 2009 3:38 PM EDT up reply actions

hahahahahaha

This is the funniest thing ever.

by Gnick on Sep 4, 2009 4:44 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m part of a company fundraiser for the Doug Flutie’s autism foundation. The employee that raises the most money will present the check to Doug Flutie during a Red Sox game later this month. One of my co-workers (a yankees fan) is in the lead, and if he wins he going to wear his yankees hat during the presentation!! We can’t let this happen. A yankees fan should not be allowed to step foot on that field!! Especially wearing a yankees hat!!

Please help!! Here is the link to my fundraising page – any amount you can give will help! Not to mention it’s a great cause in the fight against autism!
www.firstgiving.com/christinamossey

by CJM - Red Sox on Sep 4, 2009 8:50 AM EDT reply actions

Game speed

I understand MLB’s wish to keep the games moving along…
So why not do something about the excessive game delays Joe Maddon causes with the pitcher changes and multiple mound visits?

by jacques45 on Sep 4, 2009 10:35 AM EDT reply actions

Amen.

Man I love that tuna casserole.

by Bloggy on Sep 4, 2009 11:13 AM EDT up reply actions

They can't dictate how he manages...

But there is supposed to be a limit to how many visits he can make.

@bs_uf15bosox9be The Original Gameday; Learn to use SB Nation

by bdalebs on Sep 4, 2009 8:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Jason Bay

I hope we can upgrade to Matt Holliday and pay Holliday like 4-6M$ more than Bay would cost us. Bay is only a 2.3 WAR player so far and i have the feeling that he is extremly overrated (on the FA market) because he has all his value in his bat.
War last 3 Seasons:
Bay: 07:0.1; 08: 2.9; 09: 2.3
Holliday: 07: 7.9; 08: 6.2; 09 5.0

In the last 3 years Holliday was the way better player, even without Coors inflated stats its reasonable to assume he is atleast 2 WAR better than Bay. He is also 1 Year 4 months younger than Bay. So if it turns out that Holliday would be available for a better WAR/money contract i would be all for it.

by German Red Sox Fan on Sep 4, 2009 12:04 PM EDT reply actions

Really depends on the Yankees

Both Damon and Matsui are looking at free agency, and it makes more sense for New York to sign one of Bay and Holliday. The question is whom do they sign? If the Yanks are smart, they’ll grab Holliday; if they’re jerks, they’ll grab Bay. Presumably the Sox sign the other, barring something wacky (Theo deciding a minor leaguer is the LF of the future).

"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 Sep 4, 2009 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions

If the Cardinals are smart

THEY will re-sign Holliday, and pay him big bucks – whatever it takes. That team has been totally transformed since his arrival.

by ccthemovieman on Sep 4, 2009 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions

I dont think the Cards can afford Holliday

Red Sox and Yanks will be both looking for atleast 1 OF as stated and they have the deeper pockets. It comes down to how much of a discount Holliday is giving them if he wants to stay.

by German Red Sox Fan on Sep 4, 2009 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Also

Pujols is a FA in two years. I’d assume they’d want to re-sign him.

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

by Drugs Delaney on Sep 4, 2009 1:12 PM EDT up reply actions

That's why I doubt they will sign

Holliday but I enjoy spending the owner’s money, so I’d sign him, along with every other good player they have! (The same for Mr. Henry)

by ccthemovieman on Sep 4, 2009 5:49 PM EDT up reply actions

... Then why say they will resign him?

@bs_uf15bosox9be The Original Gameday; Learn to use SB Nation

by bdalebs on Sep 4, 2009 8:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Actually...

…he said if they were smart they’d re-sign him. Not that they would.

Man I love that tuna casserole.

by Bloggy on Sep 5, 2009 11:51 AM EDT up reply actions

Not for as much as he's going to cost if they try to compete with the MFY and Sox.

@bs_uf15bosox9be The Original Gameday; Learn to use SB Nation

by bdalebs on Sep 5, 2009 6:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Problems

the logical argument for Holliday over Bay is, well, logical. However, I have some problems with it. The first is named Scott Boras. The second concerns Bay’s WAR. It is hard for me to believe UZR here. Bay was a consistently near average left fielder by UZR for 3 straight years. A large sample theat culminated with a +3 UZR/150 in 2006. Then from 2007 on he has been an awful outfielder by UZR. It is hard to believe this kind of thing. What is the difference? It is not age related. The difference is huge-in 2005 Bay was a 6.4 WAR and in 2006 a 5.5 WAR despite wOBAs of .413 and .394, similar to this year’s .397. I find this suspicious. I agree with you Holliday is better. The question is is he really as much better as WAR suggests, and is he worth the amount that Boras will want.

by Buzzy on Sep 4, 2009 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree

Fangraphs WAR is based on UZR, a pretty flawed metric in my eyes (or a metric provided with too , the more i get used to it. Extreme swings for one thing and the obvious problem with the Monster. But he has been a bad fielder for most of his time in Pittburgh too: UZR/150: 04 -7.2; 05: -4.4; 06: 3; 07: -11.4. I still believe that both players wont be too far apart in Contracts. I’d guess 17M/year for Holliday and 12-13M for Bay and if that scenario would be reality come the offseason the Sox would be better of paying Holliday instead of Bay.

by German Red Sox Fan on Sep 4, 2009 1:08 PM EDT up reply actions

(or a metric provided with too ...

inaccurate data.

Forgot half the sentence

by German Red Sox Fan on Sep 4, 2009 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Agreed.

It’s just that 04-06 (roughly UZR/150 of -3 for year) is not so bad at all, and a far cry from -11 and worse…I don’t get it.

by Buzzy on Sep 4, 2009 2:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah I simply do not believe Bay's WAR this year

There is absolutely no way he’s been equal to Ryan Sweeney this year.

by Gnick on Sep 4, 2009 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Boras could be a deal-breaker at this point for Holliday.

Plus, as we’ve all seen over the years, not everyone can handle playing in Boston. Bay seems by and large impervious to the pressure and attention.

Ditching Bay—and losing him to the MFYs—and then finding out that Holliday can’t hack it here would be a major blow to the Sox.

by lone1c on Sep 4, 2009 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Maybe he didn't get worse...

But the rest of the league got better?

@bs_uf15bosox9be The Original Gameday; Learn to use SB Nation

by bdalebs on Sep 4, 2009 8:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Bring back the golf carts

that used to haul the bullpen pitchers to the mound. That would shorten and standardize the time it takes to get the game back underway. I realize those old carts would look kind of antiquated now, but they can definitely be souped up to a New (Nascar-like) Hotness. MLB will see these things as the branding opportunities (i.e., more money) that they are. Also, the use of hovercraft should not be ruled out (particularly appropriate for Paps or Joba, once he inevitably returns to the pen).

by Mister Snitch on Sep 4, 2009 1:26 PM EDT reply actions

I wonder if they remember the 02 team that won 103 games and got bounced, or the 03 team that won 101 and got bounced (albeit in the WS). We all know about 04, 05, 06, 07…

by Buzzy on Sep 4, 2009 3:04 PM EDT reply actions