Fun With Nick Carfardo's Mailbag
by Matthew Kory on Jan 4, 2012 7:01 AM EST
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Print[Writer's Note: I was supposed to write Daily Links today. Instead I wrote 2,300 words on Nick Carfardo's mailbag. Oops.]
You have to hand it to Nick Carfardo. He's been right a couple times recently. He was all over that whole "they should hire Bobby Valentine" thing before Terry Francona had even been shown the business side of Larry Lucchino's pimp hand. He was also right about something else. I forget. Maybe broccoli.
And yet the times he's written things that make me want to pull the hair out of someone else's head (why would I pull my own hair out? Silly!) dwarfs the number two.
Look, I'm sure Nick Carfardo is a perfectly wonderful person. I, however, am not. I kick dandelions, for example. Sometimes not only don't I open the door for old ladies, but I stand on the other side and hold it closed all the while laughing the laugh of someone who knows, deep in his heart, that old ladies aren't very strong.
My point: Nick Carfardo writes silly things sometimes. Exhibit 1 is his semi-weekly weekly mailbag wherein he collects questions from various sources (talk radio, his daughter's 3rd grade class, the old and infirm) and answers them. This is unique in that it presents not one, but two sources of comedy. Up until now I've been content to let Chip Buck over at Fire Brand of the AL have all the fun. Time to step on his toes.
Bring on the crazy. (after the jump)
Do you feel there will be any residual issues between Josh Beckett, the new management, and the press once pitchers and catchers report to spring training?
Mike, Troy, NY
It would be hard, Mike of Troy, NY, for there to be any residual issues between Josh Beckett and the new management as the word residual refers to something that has gone and the Red Sox new management just arrived. Ha ha! Semantics!
Hopefully, Josh Beckett will be mature about it, be accountable and pitch with a chip on his shoulder. I think he will.
For the record, mature and accountable means answering questions from the press until you pass out. Just so we're all clear on that. How about this: he'll be as accountable as the press is, or in other words, not at all even a teeny tiny little bit.
My concern is with Daniel Bard starting? We saw what happened with Joba Chamberlain in New York -- why risk losing our strong presence at the end of our weak bullpen?
Michael, New York, NY
My concern is with question marks ending sentences? Joba would be a great comp if the morons who ran the Yankees back then were in charge of Bard now. If the Red Sox do put Bard in the rotation, then a week later put him back in the bullpen, then back in the rotation, then back in the pen, then move him up to french fries, then back to busing tables, then he's back down the mailroom, then back to the bullpen, then yes, the plan will fail. Otherwise, there's a decent possibility of success. Nick?
Well, for one thing it's not etched in stone. It's going to be an experiment in spring training.
Completely true. Now I'm scared.
Secondly, when a pitcher comes to management and expresses that desire, you have to listen because to me it means he's not focused on wanting to be the closer.
Reporter: Daniel, would you consider starting if the team wanted you to?
Bard: Uh, sure.
Lucchino, Cherington, and Henry: [popping up from behind a couch] UNFOCUSED!!
And if you don't want to be a closer, and would rather start, then you don't have the mental makeup to want to do it.
All the articles I write here at OTM aren't paid. But I do hope to be paid one day. I told Marc Normandin so and he told me that because I hope to advance here at OTM that I don't have the mental makeup to want to be doing this job. I said, 'Huh? Was that English?' He said, "You're fired." I pooped in his mailbox.
Being a closer requires a tough mentality. If you're not into it that way, you're not going to be successful.
WHAT HE SAID:
Reporter: Daniel, would you consider starting?
Bard: Uh, sure.
WHAT HE SHOULD HAVE SAID:
Reporter: Daniel, would you consider starting?
Bard: [punches him in scrotum]
Where is it written that pitching the ninth inning is tough, but pitching the eighth is for sissies? Sure, being a closer requires a tough mentality, but so does being a reliever, being a catcher, being a first baseman, and so on. It probably requires some serious mental toughness just to exist in the major leagues. Come to think of it, it's probably a lot like writing a weekly mailbag column. Or making fun of that mailbag column in my underwear from my parent's basement covered in pudding.
1. Does Michael Bowden have a future with Boston?
2. Is there a better bargain anywhere in MLB than paying John Lackey over 15 million dollars not to pitch?
3. Is it true Terry Francona was such an unimaginative game manager that he wouldn't even allow a bundt cake into his home?
Fred, Hope, R.I.
1. Well, he could put in for that opening at the sanitation department.
2. Yes!
3. Fred from Hope, RI, is opening Mondays at the LOL Shack up on Route 13 in between the Citgo and the McDonalds.
1. He may. Perhaps starts out in Dan Wheeler's role of mop-up, multiple innings. Bowden has a chance to win a job in spring training as a reliever.
2. I think it's good for Lackey and the team that he's not around this season. He needs the year to regroup physically, mentally and emotionally.
Yup, sure is a good thing he blew out his elbow! Thank Buddha! Now that his arm exploded he'll get some of that much needed me-time.
3. Francona was a good manager who won two titles. Not many managers in the history of the game will ever be able to say that.
YOUDONOTTALKABOUTTERRYFRANCONALIKETHATINMYHOUSEORIWILLENDYOU!!!!
It has been said that the Sox don't need an ace for a fourth or fifth starter. Do you think Bartolo Colon might fit the bill?
Len, Wallingford, Conn.
There aren't many things Bartolo Colon will fit..uh, in...um... um...because he's, uh, he's fat. FRED, HOPE, RI!! I NEED HELP!!
Colon could fit the bill, but after their first experience with him, the Sox will likely stay away.
Lest he eat them.
[checks list] Two 'Colon is fat' jokes... check. OK, next!
How do you explain the difference in execution and on the field product in Tampa Bay and Oakland? The Rays were competing in a more competitive division and have put a very productive team on the field, while Oakland has not.
Barbara, Lowell, Mass.
Great point. I think Tampa Bay had built up a head of steam with so many top picks when they were the doormats of the league. As I said in the Sunday Baseball Notes, I think Oakland has tried to prove a point with Major League Baseball that we can't compete, therefore we're trading away way our prime players. That's the tack they've taken. TB also complains about not having money, but their talent is so good, they can't help but win.
Through a complex chemical process, I've distilled the above down to its essence:
Why are the Rays better than the A's?
Barbara, Lowell, Mass.
Yes!
Have the Red Sox and Cubs worked out compensation for Theo going to the Cubs?
Bill, Carver, Mass.
...because I assume you wouldn't bother reporting on it if had happened.
Nothing yet. We're waiting. Get the feeling it may be later this winter.
Get. Over. The. Compensation. Thing. People! You know what's coming back from Chicago? A dogeared copy of Funny Stories I Overheard While Vomiting by Kate Moss. A never been touched copy of Hilarious Misspellings From Local Newspapers That People Sent To Me So I Don't Have To Actually Do My Job Which I'm Not Very Good At Anyway by Jay Leno. Nothing. We're getting nothing. If we're lucky we'll get a delicious throat lozenge to be named later. Rob Neyer will be excited. No one else will care.
[question and answer omitted; made too much sense]
Couldn't the Red Sox (or any other team) lower the amount of prospects included in a deal for Matt Garza by offering to take Alfonso Soriano as well?
Jim, Conway SC
The Red Sox could also insert an entire DVD collection of Full House, DVD by DVD, into the rectum of a live goat. That doesn't mean it's a good idea though. (Doesn't mean it's a bad idea either, Full House fans!)
Probably so. Not sure he's attractive to a lot of teams.
Yeah, he might maybe not coulda kinda maybe not really be all that desirable since he has a .768 OPS over the last three years, sucks at defense, will be 36 years old, and is owed the GDP of Botswana for each of the next three years.
[blah blah blah] threshold calculations [blah blah blah] 60-day disabled list? It looks like [blah blah blah] threshold.
Gabriel, Naples, Fla.
[blah blah blah]
Will Carl Crawford overcome his Red Sox rookie jitters and play up to his capabilities?
Bill, Bonita Springs, Fla.
Also, what are the winning lottery numbers next Friday?
Everyone thinks his skills are still top-notch and he should rebound. We'll see. I think he needs to be the No. 2 hitter, where he feels more comfortable. I think he's a creature of habit and moving around the order wasn't good for him.
Carl Crawford was so comfortable in the number two spot last season that he hit .186/.205/.256 there. That's an OPS of .461. Those are called "numbers" and they available free of charge at your local internet! Also, you really think the guy's OPS dropped 157 points because he was uncomfortable with his spot in the batting order? I mean, you really actually think that?
What do you think the odds are that the Sox actually already have their future right-fielder in-house and are quietly looking for a righthand-hitting center fielder? Jacoby Ellsbury now has the kind of output you want from a corner outfielder, which is what I think his absence in 2010 was all about -- strengthening. This, I believe, is what the Mike Cameron experiment was all about -- not Ellsbury's defense, but allowing him to focus on his offense.
Ray, Woodbridge, Va.
The rest of my plan involves moving Kevin Youkilis to shortstop, Jason Varitek will close, Dustin Pedroia will be the sous chef, Bobby Valentine will announce games on TV, and the Red Sox signing Prince Fielder and putting him in center field. OK, you got me, I was kidding about the 'Valentine back to TV' part.
That would surprise me. Ellsbury was the best-rated defensive center fielder (according to UZR) and a Gold Glove winner. Don't think he'll be moving unless he leaves as a free-agent.
It would, I believe, surprise me as well, mostly because it is, I believe, very not smart.
[fair and decent question]
Geoff, New York, Nev.
[hearsay]
[speculation]
[unsolicited opinion]
[self promotion]
My question is about right field - why don't the Sox take a flyer on the Cuban player, Orlando Cespedes?
Guy, Belleville, Mich.
OK, we're calling dropping $50+ million on a player "taking a flyer" now, are we?
They're looking into both Cespedes and Jorge Soler, and in fact could be a sleeper on one or both.
Now that Theo and Tito are gone, who not re-sign Manny Ramirez for cheap and let him sit out his 50 game suspension with the Red Sox? That way he will come back in clean, with a clean slate with Bobby Valentine, and if Carl Crawford doesn't turn it around by the All-Star break, then trade him and re insert Manny back into left field.
Gordon, Margate, Fla.
The excellent and missed site Fire Joe Morgan used to give the above call and response treatment to chats their namesake would hold on ESPN every week. It was a great source of material for the site and a great source of laughs for the readers. This went on and FJM got bigger and more well known and eventually FJM readers began to send questions into Morgan's chats in attempt to bait Morgan into saying something ridiculous (note: this always worked). It happened so frequently that FJM dubbed the practice "JoeBaiting" which I realize, now that I just typed it, is funny for a number of reasons.
I feel like Gordon from Margate, Florida's question might just be a bit of a JoeBait. I mean, re-sign Manny Ramirez, then when he comes off his 50 game suspension, trade Carl Crawford IF Crawford hasn't turned it around by then. That is a masterstroke. Think about it. That suggestion upsets both the talk radio types who dislike Ramirez for his PED use and the way he departed Boston, AND it upsets more analytical fans who know trading Crawford, especially if he starts off poorly, would be impossible. That's well done and very hard to top. But I'll try. How about this:
Why don't the Red Sox sign Prince Fielder, move him to DH, move David Ortiz to first, and move Adrian Gonzalez to right field? That solves all three positions and it's also totally unrealistic, dangerous, and completely nuts!
Nah, Gordon's is much better. Any thoughts on this, Nick, preferably with a good horse reference thrown in?
Don't have too many thoughts on this topic, other than to say "No chance." The horse is out of the barn, as they say.
I think he means, "The horse is out of the barn and on the internet sending in questions to my mailbag which I will respond to next week because horses ask penetrating baseball questions."
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One idea from 1000 words of nonsense
Signing Prince Fielder to play 1st, while leaving Ortiz at DH, and putting Gonzalez in RF is not such a bad idea. A-GON is an athelete in the prime of his career. Using Spring Training to learn the position, he could be okay. The additional offense Fielder provides should make up for A-Gon’s shortcomings in RF. What a lineup.
Ellsbury
Pedroia
Gonzalez
Youk
Fielder
Scutaro
Ortiz
Crawford
Salty/Lavernway
This lineup would hammer teams into submission. If ahead after 7, they can put Sweeney or D-Mac in right. But, the Red Sox are pinching pennies this off season so John Henry won’t have to sell his yacht.
right
let’s move the slowest runner in baseball, who has played 21 innings in the outfield (mostly in interleague last year) into the largest right field in baseball while tying up another $150 million+ in a fourth first baseman/DH.
What can we trade the Angels to get ourselves Pujols? He could finally solve our shortstop problem!
Be Serious
Don’t be ridiculous,bringing up Pujols. Someone brought up the Gonzalez to RF idea before I did. For one year, with coaching, he could learn to position the hitters,and with a good enough lead,be replaced by Sweeney or Mac, as I said. I’m sure Dewey Evans could be persuaded to come in during ST, and coach. Next year, you send Papi,with his 15 million dollar contract packing. You then put Adrian back to 1st and Fielder to DH. If you are that concerned about the defense, there are plenty of teams that could use Ortiz bat this season.
He could learn the position with the dedication of monk
That doesn’t change that he is too slow to man the position. It’s just a really bad idea. On a scale from 1 to Daniel Bard as starter, this breaks the scale of bad ideas.
Joe, the reason we shout "WE ARE" and the reason the answer will always be "PENN STATE"
Problem being
You’ve got a $150MM slow guy running flat out in a position he’s not used to. That’s a huge injury risk.
When he played those interleague games last year, that was what one of the big concerns were, Gonzo sprinting back for a long fly ball and twisting a knee or some such.
It is just not a good way to address our current needs.
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
@#$%ing Twit: @blogtard
OTM | Silver Seven
being ridiculous is the thought of signing fielder to this team
and u really just suggested we take a mvp caliber player out in late game situations. we dont need offense ont his team we need better pitching and better character .
Fielder
This is not any FA. What more does this guy have to do? He is 27,durable,patient at the plate, and a game changing power threat. If you are not going to improve the pitching enough, and so far they haven’t,and probably can’t, at this point you may as well approach it from another angle. And,again, I said if they have a big enough lead, they put in a replacement for the 8th or 9th inning. IF.
fielder is a free agent that the sox do not need
and a contract they cant afford. i would rather them focus on signing ellsbury where in as little as 2 seasons if he keeps it up will start at 6 or 7 years and 160 million to start.
Ellsbury
I would prefer an Ellsbury extension above all. Right now, it’s hard to imagine him being here after ‘13. By 2014, Swisher will be gone and it’s an ugly possibility he will go there.
speaking of
Why wasn’t there a Jacoby Ellsbury long term extension along the lines of the Jon Lester, Dustin Pedroia deals?
My best guess is that 2010 would have been the best opportunity for that, but, being a lost year, it created too much uncertainty for a long term extension. Easy to be biased by hindsight, but still.
by dennet on Jan 5, 2012 7:34 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
And the whole city and organization seemed to turn on him...
… hence the media reports that he was soft, not trying hard enough to get back on the field (while Pedroia was fielding grounders from his knees), and that he was rehabbing away from the team (which, considering how poorly they diagnosed the original injury, you can hardly blame him).
Essentially, the Sox burned the bridge with Ellsbury as a bad defender, too soft to play through injury and a bad teammate, traded away his best friend on the roster (Lowrie) right after he turned in an MVP caliber season.
Yeah, I doubt we’re getting a discount, if we can convince him to stick around after all that.
I thought we’d never win it all. And then we went down 0-3 to the Yankees in 2004, and I thought it was the end of the world.
Wait ’til next year!
main reason ellsbury hasnt signed a extension is
Scott Boras. that is ellsburys agent. they might have had a chance before 2010 the year he got hurt but not after. after he got hurt was not the time to do it for ellsburys sake coming off a injury marred season would have hurt his value. now unless the sox pay 20 million plus a year he will wait it out the 2 years and become a free agent.
The Sox were one of the best offenses last year
Getting marginally better there does not help the team. As other people have said, Fielder is not a contract or skill set the Sox need right now. Plus you’re putting your other $20 million asset at risk every game in RF. I think you under estimate the time it takes to move somebody to another position and have them play it well.
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I Get That
it wouldn’t be easy. But, we are talking about a 29 to 30 year old world class athlete. You would think that such a person would be in good enough condition to play just about anywhere,if needed.
Yeah.
Nope.
Honestly, my friend, I’m sorry but it’s just a terrible terrible idea. It’s expensive, it puts lots of other expensive players in position to fail defensively, and it puts them all at risk of serious injury by doing so. It’s really just the very definition of a bad idea.
Writer at Over The Monster. Follow me on Twitter! It'll be super awesome fun! @mattymatty2000
He's not a world class athlete, he's just very strong, there is a big difference.
I know this because he could realistically fill in for the Pillsbury Dough Boy on a part time gig if he wanted to.
Joe, the reason we shout "WE ARE" and the reason the answer will always be "PENN STATE"
Pretty sure he meant Gonzo, not Fielder...
… in reference to him moving to RF.
Of course, it doesn’t make the point any less absurd.
I thought we’d never win it all. And then we went down 0-3 to the Yankees in 2004, and I thought it was the end of the world.
Wait ’til next year!
Yeah... not a whole lot of change, matter of degrees.
Neither are going to win a triathalon.
Joe, the reason we shout "WE ARE" and the reason the answer will always be "PENN STATE"
Nobody is saying Prince is a bad player
We’d all like to have him on our team. But he doesn’t address the needs we have as a team, and we already have a phenomenal player playing the position he plays.
It doesn’t work.
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
@#$%ing Twit: @blogtard
OTM | Silver Seven
Wait.
Gonzalez ACTUALLY played in the OF last year?
yeah
during the stupid like 2 week stretch we had with only interleague away games, when they wanted to get Papi in the lineup for a few at bats.
Interleague is so fucking stupid.
You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.
-Johnny Cash
IIRC he did get one day off
but that pisses of Gonzo, who keeps saying that his goal is to play every game- and he was clearly the best hitter on the team. Just sucks that the second best hitter on the team couldn’t play.
Why is it that the most ridiculous thing in this post is....
Scutaro hitting 6th in that lineup?
The Line Up
is designed to flip flop RHder and Lhders so a dominant left handed relief pitcher can’t breeze through an inning or two. Scutaro would be fine leading off,or batting 2nd. Lineups are not set in stone.
What floors me is how ridiculously serious you are...
You really, honestly think that this team, which has publicly stated they are tight against the budget should sign the most expensive FA still on the market, and move a guy that contended for the MVP last year to RF??
And that would tie up the money down the road that would prevent us from signing our current MVP caliber CF to a long term deal.
Seriously… where do you come up with this stuff?
I thought we’d never win it all. And then we went down 0-3 to the Yankees in 2004, and I thought it was the end of the world.
Wait ’til next year!
It is a horrible idea
Gonzalez is as fast as a turtle. He’ll even tell you that.
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not to bash you but this isnt a good idea
not only is prince way out of our price range unless u plan on dhing him its not a option. gonzo will not play right on a regular basis. not to mention its going to be hard enough to sign ellsbury when the time comes signing prince would end that. and also offense isnt this teams problem pitching pitching pitching and key members not quitting on this team. a lineup with ellsbury pedroia gonzalez youk ortiz crawford is going to be in top 5 in runs no matter how u slice it.
Yeah...this.
Not sure if you’ve noticed, but the reason we are in this mess is because we’ve gone out and signed “the best available free agent” while completely ignoring our needs. Lackey? Failed. Crawford? Failing. Prince….?
No.
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
@#$%ing Twit: @blogtard
OTM | Silver Seven
I've Noticed
Surely you are not putting Lackey and Crawford on the same level of talent as Prince? BTW, almost sure they are not paying all or any of Lackey’s salary this season. Insurance.
No one talks about this and the Sox aren’t going to mention it.
Up until last year
many people considered Crawford a better player than Prince.
You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.
-Johnny Cash
by TheLoneDavid on Jan 4, 2012 12:47 PM EST up reply actions
look at crawfords career he is def in line with the caliber of player that prince is
they are different types of players where as prince is a power guy crawford is a 5 tool player and was the best free agent on the market last year .
Prince
does all the things that you want from a player. Since we have become more aware of the importance of BBs,pitches seen,and OPS, this guy excells at these key aspects of the game. He is the kind of player that any team who has been on the skids (Baltimore Toronto Cubs) could build around. Maybe I should work for Scott Boras. Earl Weaver had this figured out long ago. He would say,“give me three run homers”.
But the Sox don't need a hitter to build around
You are right, Prince would be great for Baltimore, Toronto or the Cubs
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Pretty sure we have that guy at 1B already.
And hopefully, we’ll see a bigger power surge from Gonzalez another year removed from his shoulder surgery.
Personally, I wouldn’t trade Fielder for Gonzalez, as good as he is. I’d rather keep Gonzalez at first base, nevermind the ludicrous idea of adding Fielder to the team as it is currently built.
I thought we’d never win it all. And then we went down 0-3 to the Yankees in 2004, and I thought it was the end of the world.
Wait ’til next year!
We'll see if insurance kicks in. If so, great.
But it’s irrelevant to the overall point, which is he is a fantastic player….that just does not fit on this team.
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
@#$%ing Twit: @blogtard
OTM | Silver Seven
Maybe we're wrong about this...
… Ian Kinsler or bust!
The Year of Extreme Opinions
I apologize if this post has offended you in any way. Please retroactively ignore it. Thank you for your consideration.
by nuthinboutnuthin on Jan 4, 2012 2:06 PM EST up reply actions
I appreciate
your freindly response. Of course, this would never happen. I agree that the lineup is great as is, although you couldn’t prove it from last September. Of course they need pitching,but so far they have subtracted Papelbon and moved Bard to the rotation where they have no idea if he will succeed.They talk about taking the very effective Aceves out of the pen as well. They have added two good relief pitchers and still need to add another good starter and or reliever. I know Gonzalez would not love the idea of going to RF, but he is being paid enough to try something different if his team asks.The point is, any runs lost by A-Gon’s lack of range would be made up by Fielders bat. My personal belief is that they can afford anybody they want. They have set up a payroll limit that lot’s of folks buy hook line and sinker. Why so many are so concerned with their bottom line is beyond me. The team charges outragous prices for every service they offer. Would be nice if paying customers would draw their own line in the sand and say no,we won’t exceed a certain amount of dollars on your product,and we are not concerned with your budget.We won’t spend that much money to go to a ball game.
Customers can draw that line
They can just stop going to games
Quantum Woodworking: Hand crafted pens, bottle stoppers, bowls and more.
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The team charges outragous prices for every service they offer. Would be nice if paying customers would draw their own line in the sand and say no,we won’t exceed a certain amount of dollars on your product,and we are not concerned with your budget.We won’t spend that much money to go to a ball game.
In our society you are not forced to be a Red Sox fan. There are other options in the market that do not cost as much that you are welcome to become a fan of per your assumed citizenship in this country. The Pirates games are really inexpensive to attend and the stadium is quite nice, I suggest you start there.
Joe, the reason we shout "WE ARE" and the reason the answer will always be "PENN STATE"
Just avoid the Tigers
If my family heard you talking about moving Miggy to the outfield they’d put you in a hospital.
You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.
-Johnny Cash
Glad You Mentioned That
Miggy started out as a 3rd baseman. They could improve their run production by signing Prince. I think Tiger fans would love a three four five consisting of Miggy,Prince, and V-Mart.
There's a reason the Tigers moved him off third
he sucked there, a lot. This isn’t MLB The Show, you can’t just move players wherever you want to because it “improves run production.” If the Tigers want to have their best player suck at defense and then hurt himself, then yes, he should move to third. If they want to succeed and have another shot at the World Series, they need to sign or trade for a real third baseman, and sign one more starting pitcher.
You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.
-Johnny Cash
Wait A Minute
I would bet that Bill James would make that move.
Uh, no, he wouldn't.
You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.
-Johnny Cash
No
No he wouldn’t. You constantly bring up this notion of James moving someone to a position that they are unsuited for solely based on their hitting. He doesn’t do that. Cabrera was moved away for a reason.
by The Name is Dalton on Jan 4, 2012 5:04 PM EST up reply actions
Is this due to the poorly misunderstood idea from Moneyball?
You know, in the movie, how they moved Scott Hatteberg to a position he’d never played, so he’d have more value as a player?
I thought we’d never win it all. And then we went down 0-3 to the Yankees in 2004, and I thought it was the end of the world.
Wait ’til next year!
Ya
Now that you mention it. Dwight Evans wasn’t a speed burner,but he was one of the best that ever payed RF. I understood the concept of moneyball. Dont be afraid to try different ideas to produce a winner. Focus on guys that can hit for power and get on base. Prince Fieder) Nick Swisher is what moneyball was all about. Trouble is, the A’s traded the star of the book.
Dwight Evans
knew how to play the position. He had good reads and a rocket arm. He wasn’t a speedster, but he could cover the ground (see, Drew).
Gonzalez has none of those things and you don’t just “learn ’em”.
Leave Adrian Gonzalez EXACTLY where he is and focus on actual team requirements.
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
@#$%ing Twit: @blogtard
OTM | Silver Seven
Moneyball
It did look at Slugging+OBP vs. BA/Contact becasue they were better indicators but also that slugging/obp was easier and cheaper to find on the open market. The main idea wasn’t necessarily to try new things, it was to try a very specific new thing.
It also then brought up how when other teams used their evaluation parameters, Oakland had to use other ways to evaluate talent that weren’t widely used namely some new defensive metrics. So, defense was looked at with the moneyball concept. It isn’t just to try different ideas.
The prime concept was to find undervalued assets by looking at non-traditional measuring sticks. Defense was one of them.
by The Name is Dalton on Jan 6, 2012 9:58 AM EST up reply actions
Bill James has always been about maximizing run production. Example: I’m pretty sure James advised the Sox to re-sign Beltre and put him at short.
the Beltre shortstop thing was in 2004
they were looking at getting him in 2004 and playing him at shortstop
The reason so many are concerned with the Red Sox bottom line.
Is we understand that they are business. They can only spend a certain amount of money on the team before they go from making a profit to a loss. Unlike the US Federal reserve, they can’t just print money when ever the hell they want.
A Billion Dollars
Last I looked, one dollar less then a billion would be $999 million,999 thousand,99 hundred and 99 dollars. Math may be off, but the point is the same. And, John Henry has more then that. Once again, this is not Prudential Ins, it’s the Boston Red Sox.
C'mon man
Even the Yankees are showing restraint this offseason and they also have a clear need for starting pitching. They have some of the highest profit margins in all of baseball and they didn’t get either of the top FA pitchers that would have upgraded their rotation.
You’re the only one on here who thinks putting Gonzalez in RF is a good idea, and there are A LOT of divergent opinions on this site. That should tell you how preposterous your plan is.
by South Coast Ghost on Jan 5, 2012 9:36 AM EST up reply actions
To use an old Cape Breton saying
Talkin’ to you is like talkin’ to a Heinz pickle. And ya can’t tell a Heinz pickle nuthin.
I suggest you change your SBNation username to “Heinz Pickle”.
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
@#$%ing Twit: @blogtard
OTM | Silver Seven
He doesn't like suggestions.
Joe, the reason we shout "WE ARE" and the reason the answer will always be "PENN STATE"
He doesn't like intelligence.
You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.
-Johnny Cash
I doesn't either.
You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.
-Johnny Cash
And yet, both of you guys manage to make me laugh...
… in response to a ridiculous idea.
And suddenly, his post has a positive net result.
I thought we’d never win it all. And then we went down 0-3 to the Yankees in 2004, and I thought it was the end of the world.
Wait ’til next year!
Intentional grammatical mistakes are always hilarious.
You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.
-Johnny Cash
by TheLoneDavid on Jan 6, 2012 11:55 AM EST up reply actions
I'll say this one last time.
John Henry doesn’t spend any of his own money on this team, just like he doesn’t spend any of his own money on Liverpool. They use the revenue generated by the team during the season, and from past seasons, to pay the players, coaching staff, FO. The players take up most of that revenue, but they still have to pay the other people and spend on things like up keep of Fenway and other misc. things.
Why are you still here?
Go to WEEI or the redsox.com forums. Every time I read one of your posts several of my brain cells commit suicide out of sheer stupidity.
You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.
-Johnny Cash
by TheLoneDavid on Jan 4, 2012 12:19 PM EST up reply actions
And
you don’t have many to spare. Grow up, David!
The only people who say "grow up" to others
are the ones who need to grow up themselves.
You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.
-Johnny Cash
No need to get personal, lads.
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
@#$%ing Twit: @blogtard
OTM | Silver Seven
Luckily, it's a bad idea that won't ever happen.
The Sox can’t afford Kuroda at $12M/1, there is no way they can afford Fielder.
Thank goodness too.
Joe, the reason we shout "WE ARE" and the reason the answer will always be "PENN STATE"
Has that been said definitively anywhere?
I was really hopping the Sox could pick up Kuroda
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Not definitively
But there is a Bradford link in the fanshots, that says that Kuroda is currently priced outside their range. Hopefully that number will come down, Kuroda is really my top choice of what’s available.
Joe, the reason we shout "WE ARE" and the reason the answer will always be "PENN STATE"
I ask again, why are you still here?
This is clearly not the blog for you.
You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.
-Johnny Cash
BUT BUT BUT
I like this blog. You guys are fun and always receptive to different ideas.
Rev, that was sarcasm
bad sarcasm that I would expect from an 8th grader, but sarcasm nonetheless.
You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.
-Johnny Cash
Aw my bad.
But OTM actually does accept new ideas if you can make a case for them.
We do accept new ideas
if you can provide a real, logical reason why your idea should be implemented. Saying we should sign Prince Fielder and move Adrian to Right is not logical.
You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.
-Johnny Cash
We accept new ideas for analysis...
… and then accept or reject based on their merit (or, alternatively, if they involve Bard starting)
The Year of Extreme Opinions
I apologize if this post has offended you in any way. Please retroactively ignore it. Thank you for your consideration.
by nuthinboutnuthin on Jan 4, 2012 7:37 PM EST up reply actions
And
Having Lou Gerhig in the same lineup with Babe Ruth was preposterous, too. Right? Putting HOF catcher Yogi Berra in LF to accomadate Elston Howard was ridiculous?
x
You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.
-Johnny Cash
Can someone help me explain why Lou and Babe in the same line up was preposterous??
Babe was a pitcher and a… first baseman? And Lou was a first baseman that stole Babe’s position and forced the all time HR king to move to…
Wait, I’m lost.
I thought we’d never win it all. And then we went down 0-3 to the Yankees in 2004, and I thought it was the end of the world.
Wait ’til next year!
Gehrig and Ruth played different positions. Not comparable.
Berra was able to become a pretty good defensive outfielder in a tough position (for that park). There was little drop-off there. Again, not comparable.
by The Name is Dalton on Jan 6, 2012 10:13 AM EST up reply actions
We accept ideas that aren't backed purely by ignorance.
Joe, the reason we shout "WE ARE" and the reason the answer will always be "PENN STATE"
And that's fine.
You can continue with your fantasies in what the Red Sox CAN do.
And I will continue to operate in reality with what the Red Sox WILL do and be much happier doing it.
Joe, the reason we shout "WE ARE" and the reason the answer will always be "PENN STATE"
For a given level of "happy"
I still have yet to like a FA signing the Sox have made since, what? 2009?
You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.
-Johnny Cash
Beltre, Drew, Scutaro, various bullpen pieces
I’ll admit to liking the Lugo deal when it happened. But by and large, the players I like have been brought over through trades or brought up through the system.
You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.
-Johnny Cash
I’ll admit to liking the Lugo deal when it happened.
My hindsight mocks you openly
The Year of Extreme Opinions
I apologize if this post has offended you in any way. Please retroactively ignore it. Thank you for your consideration.
by nuthinboutnuthin on Jan 4, 2012 2:09 PM EST up reply actions
Me liking that deal is a big reason why I hate basically every FA deal ever.
You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.
-Johnny Cash
x
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
@#$%ing Twit: @blogtard
OTM | Silver Seven
I hear nothing but that "For the Love of Money" song in my head when I read your posts
This is going to sound a bit offensive, so for that I apologize, but I don’t quite understand why you’re so insistent that the Red Sox can and SHOULD have a budget north of $200 million. Is there a point in which you’re thinking “Well, we need a RH power bat and A-Gon can play RF, so let’s sign Pujols. And we definitely need pitching so sign CJ Wilson” and you realize how ridiculous that sounds for a team that is already Top 3 in payroll in the entire MLB?
We should all be extremely thankful that the Owners of this team even let the team’s payroll get that high (debate all you want about where that money goes, but the fact that they’re willing to spend is a great thing). Sometimes I realize how very grateful I am that I’m not a fan of a team that never spends like the A’s or Padre’s.
We’ll likely be around $180 million when all is said and done. The last thing anyone should be complaining about with this team is that they didn’t spend enough.
by South Coast Ghost on Jan 4, 2012 4:15 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Signing Prince Fielder to play 1st, while leaving Ortiz at DH, and putting Gonzalez in RF is not such a bad idea
Yes, yes it is.
by The Name is Dalton on Jan 4, 2012 5:00 PM EST up reply actions
Amazing
I’m being ironic when I suggest Gonzo for RF. I can’t believe someone actually believes it should happen.
by Sean O on Jan 4, 2012 6:34 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
Yeah, that floored me too.
I just remember during interleague play last year, all of us wanted Gonzo to get days off instead of play RF, just so there was no chance he hurt himself playing out of position.
Now we should convert him, so we can sign the most expensive FA left on the market? Since, you know, more hitting will totally outweigh our lack of SP. I feel like anyone that watched the Sox in the late 80s or early 90s should know that failed miserably as a concept.
Good pitching wins World Series, and we need more of that. Not another big slugger.
I thought we’d never win it all. And then we went down 0-3 to the Yankees in 2004, and I thought it was the end of the world.
Wait ’til next year!
Three things I like about this piece
1) Matt is pooping in mailboxes again
2) the rare triple send up, lampooning to Alfonso Soriano, Nick Carfado and the Botswanian economy all at once
3) Pop closer psychology necessitating Daniel Bard punching people in their scrotums (I personally have my own pair of scrotum punching gloves embroded with WWRFD, or What would Rollie Fingers Do?)
You have to stand back in awe of the paradox sportswriters have managed to concoct to screw with athletes. If Bard says we won’t start, he is a selfish, out-for-the-money asshole who doesn’t care about his team, God. or the good ol’ USoA, but if he says he will start when asked, he lacks the “mental toughness” to close games and is therefore obviously a weak minded, delicate flower that has no business in any important role for the team. That’s some catch that catch 22- best we got.
- Matt Sullivan
"I would change policy, bring back natural grass and nickel beer. Baseball is the belly-button of our society. Straighten out baseball, and you straighten out the rest of the world." Bill "Spaceman" Lee
www.overthemonster.com
www.spacemanspancakes.wordpress.com
Thanks, Matt!
Yeah, it’s pretty impressive. And Carfardo wrote an actual column today which I haven’t read yet but I understand is about how last year’s Red Sox lacked toughness. That one is probably begging to be made fun of.
Writer at Over The Monster. Follow me on Twitter! It'll be super awesome fun! @mattymatty2000
"1) Matt is pooping in mailboxes again"
Sometimes I think he types these things simply out of spite.
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
@#$%ing Twit: @blogtard
OTM | Silver Seven
Tremendous Reply Error.
Grrrr.
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
@#$%ing Twit: @blogtard
OTM | Silver Seven
Thanks!
Writer at Over The Monster. Follow me on Twitter! It'll be super awesome fun! @mattymatty2000
Best FJM post since FJM closed.
But man, even though this is brilliant, it still can’t touch FJM. Ken Tremendous is my hero.
I am nothing but a poor substitute for FJM. Completely agreed.
Thanks for the kind words just the same.
Writer at Over The Monster. Follow me on Twitter! It'll be super awesome fun! @mattymatty2000
Dear Lord...
Now that Theo and Tito are gone, who not re-sign Manny Ramirez for cheap and let him sit out his 50 game suspension with the Red Sox? That way he will come back in clean, with a clean slate with Bobby Valentine, and if Carl Crawford doesn’t turn it around by the All-Star break, then trade him and re insert Manny back into left field.
I thought this was still you typing, Matt.
Now I’m just terrified.
Over the Monster -- SB Nation's Resident Red Sox Site
USG
I know, right?
I struggled with the formatting on several occasions (including that one). Sometimes it’s difficult to figure out which is the joke and which is the joked about.
Writer at Over The Monster. Follow me on Twitter! It'll be super awesome fun! @mattymatty2000
hahaha
PLEASE do this for more of his mailbags! Sometimes i think he just pulls the questions out of a hat, and apparently most of his readers get ALL their news from him. i enjoy his sunday notes, though, especially the unintentionally funny parts.
Thanks for the kind words
I find Carfardo’s reporting pretty interesting. It’s when he gets into analysis that things get… well, you know.
Writer at Over The Monster. Follow me on Twitter! It'll be super awesome fun! @mattymatty2000
Thanks!
Writer at Over The Monster. Follow me on Twitter! It'll be super awesome fun! @mattymatty2000
Like seriously Kory. I swear to god if you don't, I'll find your parents house, go down to their basement and murder you with your pudding spoon.
Haha, no I won’t. I’d just write angry comments for a few…minutes.
by Anthony Emerson on Jan 4, 2012 4:22 PM EST up reply actions
I guess being murdered because people like your writing is better than being murdered because they don’t. I’ll take it!
Writer at Over The Monster. Follow me on Twitter! It'll be super awesome fun! @mattymatty2000
Sadly there are actually people who get *all* of their baseball news from Cafardo and CHB
"We’re the Sox. Not Apple Sox. We ain’t no Barbeque Sox. We’re the Red Sox.’’ - David Ortiz
come to think of it...makes me wish CHB did a mailbag too
"We’re the Sox. Not Apple Sox. We ain’t no Barbeque Sox. We’re the Red Sox.’’ - David Ortiz
Wouldn't every response be...
… the Red Sox/Pats/Celtics/Bruins suck and will fail and you’re a fool to think otherwise – unless of course, he can say something to jinx one or more of those teams?
I may not agree with Carl Everett on much of anything, but his dislike of CHB was dead on.
The Year of Extreme Opinions
I apologize if this post has offended you in any way. Please retroactively ignore it. Thank you for your consideration.
by nuthinboutnuthin on Jan 4, 2012 4:05 PM EST up reply actions
Well, that and the thing about dinosaurs.
Writer at Over The Monster. Follow me on Twitter! It'll be super awesome fun! @mattymatty2000
by Matthew Kory on Jan 4, 2012 4:20 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
My blood pressure would be too high
Even reading CHB’s words in a mocking way.
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Part of me thinks that would just be too easy.
Writer at Over The Monster. Follow me on Twitter! It'll be super awesome fun! @mattymatty2000
Aww. My comment which featured an awesome gif didn't work and I just realized it now.
by Anthony Emerson on Jan 4, 2012 4:31 PM EST up reply actions
x
You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.
-Johnny Cash
ding ding ding!
Writer at Over The Monster. Follow me on Twitter! It'll be super awesome fun! @mattymatty2000
Coming in late on the Gonzo and Fielder dialogue but enjoyed the banter
1. Last year I remember several of us said the Sox did not need Gonzo – due to Youk at 1B and Beltre at 3B. We hoped for Beltre and Youk – we thought it was a better fit.
2. We had similar concern with Crawford due to too many left handed bats – but the Sox needed a left fielder and a proven bat so it made sense since he seemed to be the best available.
3. Now, we cheered when they signed those two because they are good players and – Youk, Gonzo and Crawford how could you really complain?
4. However, bringing in Fielder is not even comparable. There is nowhere to juggle the lineup and Gonzo would not work in RF.
5. The only remotely plausible option (and it would never happen since it would be a bad business deal) would have been an outrageously overpaid DH contract on Fielder and let Ortiz walk. this would be crazy when Ortiz could be had at a fraction of the price and a short contract.
Fielder – great bat – but nowhere to fit him or afford him on the BoSox. Please, let it go – all ideas are entertained here – but some are more entertaining than others and invite ridicule when you continue to hold the idea.
"Man that ball got outta here in a hurry, you know anything that travels that far oughta have a damn stewardess on it, don't you think?" - Crash Davis
Not all of us cheered the Crawford signing
I remember some heated arguments there.
You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.
-Johnny Cash
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