Anyway, it was a pretty good segment, though I’m surprised MGL was so down on clutch. The Book did find statistically significant clutch skill, even though it’s too small to be of great practical use (also it’s much easier to detect in populations than individuals). Short segments don’t leave a lot of room for nuance, though.
@ ACT:
I’m down with that. I know we’re supposed to like people more who are all around athletes (according to a facebook friend’s argument against NL DH, anyway), but I just think it’s time to move on. My friend also argued that the pitcher showing bunt and pulling back for a hit was one of the most exciting plays in baseball, which I guess that’s a matter of taste, but I’ve seen it work so rarely, and never when it really counted, that I don’t find much to get excited about there.
I’m not sure if I enjoy the Miami Threet Drama or the Miami Marlins Drama more now. Cespedes, Zambrano, Hanley ‘I’m a Third Baseman Now’ Ramirez, Injury Prone and expensive signings of Jose Reyes and Mark Buhrle, and sky high expectations…. all under the careful watch of Ozzie Guillen.
It’ll be a spectacle similar to the Marlins home run celebration trophy.
I am really excited for baseball and following prospects.
I think the team I am most excited to watch is Peoria. They should have Vogelbach and Baez out there everyday which will be fun to watch. I wonder if Maples and Simpson will be there as well?
@ Pezcore:
They went out and bought a bunch of firey Latinos. They’re new stadium is in Little Cuba. Their colors hurt the eyes. If this doesn’t bring out the Latino crowd in Florida to finally fill their stadium the only thing left to do is to convince the governor to let them install slot machines and ship in busloads of old people.
How is that not child abuse? I think that every fucking time I drive by these motherfuckers. If teaching a child to hate doesn’t qualify as child abuse, what the fuck does?
@ josh:
It’s definitely time for the NL to join the American League in the 20th Century. The moment pitchers stopped caring about their ability to hit was the moment they lost their spot in the lineup.
@ Mish:
There’s not a damn thing that can be done for the parents, but all the kids I see holding those signs should be taken away from the parents. It’s fucked up.
@ Berselius:
I don’t know, but 50 spots lower than Rizzo is laughable. I’d probably have Rizzo 50 spots lower than Jackson. I’ve thought all the other lists have been way too generous to Rizzo and it’s based primarily on his monster season in the PCL (Hoffpauir lit that league up).
I’ll say it again, there is no way that Rizzo is a better prospect. None.
(dying laughing) Enough has been said about Vitters, but Reggie Golden can’t even make contact. Ever. He struckout significantly more than Brett Jackson at the same level. Golden has some potential, but as a corner outfielder the odds he ever reaches that potential or even reaches the big leagues isn’t too much greater than the odds I do.
@ bubblesdachimp:
He also isn’t very good at ranking prospects. There are so many things wrong with that list. Rizzo being higher than jackson is 1. Rizzo being THAT much higher than Jackson is funny. Vitters and Golden in the top 10. Cates, a future reliever according to Baseball America, is at number 5.
I think Law drew names out of a hat. I’m convinced he did.
I think Vitters is top 10 in our system no doubt but I dont think there are 88 better prospects than Jackson right now. What other CF’s does he have ahead of him?
In the last year, Rizzo has been traded from the organization that drafted him (Red Sox), torn apart a good Triple-A hitters’ park (Tucson), scuffled in the majors’ best pitchers park (Petco), and been traded a second time to the organization that hired the people who drafted him (Cubs). And he’s still just 22 years old.
Rizzo is a plus-fielding, plus-makeup, power-hitting first baseman — just as he was last winter when he looked like he’d become Adrian Gonzalez’s long-term successor in San Diego — with more of an average hit tool and a history of wide platoon splits. He has a year less experience than the typical prospect his age due to Hodgkin lymphoma that cost him most of the 2008 season. He’s got a good feel for the strike zone, evident even during his major league struggles, and the power to profile as an above-average or better first baseman on offense.
He just might need another half-year in Triple-A to work on recognizing changing speeds, especially from left-handed pitchers.
Jackson has solid tools across the board, but they’re mitigated by a longstanding problem with contact that really limits his offensive upside. Jackson has some bat speed with very little load, getting his weight settled late and not letting the ball travel that well. So despite his size and athleticism, he doesn’t project for more than average power. He’s an above-average runner who can handle center field and could be worth five runs a year or so there in a full season, or he could move to left and potentially be plus there.
But he punched out in more than 30 percent of his plate appearances in Triple-A, and only two big leaguers qualified for the batting title in 2011 with that kind of strikeout rate — Drew Stubbs and Mark Reynolds, who had a combined OBP of .322. If Jackson can’t figure out how to make better contact, he’s probably a solid-average regular; but he could be a grade better if his hit tool improves.
Baez became a top-10 pick largely on the strength of an explosive bat that produces plus power and very loud, hard contact. But he’s a better athlete than he’s given credit for with very strong instincts on both sides of the ball. He does have a hard time keeping that swing under control, with a tendency to overswing even though he naturally produces power through torque from his hips. His hand acceleration produces tremendous bat speed and he’s an average or better runner.
He has the feel for defense and arm strength to play almost any position — he even caught a little in high school and looked good doing so — meaning the only questions about him at shortstop are whether he’ll outgrow the position and whether he’ll put in the work to become an above-average fielder there. If not, third base is an obvious next stop, while he could handle second or, at the absolute worst, right field. If he can cut the swing down when he’s not in a fastball count, he has All-Star potential at any infield position
@ ACT:
I think you could already argue that the parents are unfit and the child should be removed from the home. I don’t think you even need an additional law. I would definitely argue the parents of those kids and the many others I see holding signs here in Topeka are unfit. Is it a slippery slope? Probably, but if it removes those kids from their parents then I’m OK with it.
oh the Phelps clan. I dont miss living in Topeka when I see them. My mom likes to tell a story of when I was 3-4 and saw them on the side of the road and asked everybody in a really loud voice what a fag was.
I’ve learn several just right stuff here. Definitely worth bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how much effort you set to make such a fantastic informative website.
Ozzie Guillen approved
BerseliusQuote Reply
Cool. Think we’ll see anything like what he suggested in terms of using starters from Sveum this season?
joshQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
I don’t think Guillien was serious.
@ josh:
No. I think we’re several years away from seeing something like that.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
He forgot to put his tweet in sarcasm font
BerseliusQuote Reply
If teams start pinch-hitting their pitchers all the time, the NL might as well just become a DH-only league.
ACTQuote Reply
Anyway, it was a pretty good segment, though I’m surprised MGL was so down on clutch. The Book did find statistically significant clutch skill, even though it’s too small to be of great practical use (also it’s much easier to detect in populations than individuals). Short segments don’t leave a lot of room for nuance, though.
ACTQuote Reply
@ ACT:
I’m down with that. I know we’re supposed to like people more who are all around athletes (according to a facebook friend’s argument against NL DH, anyway), but I just think it’s time to move on. My friend also argued that the pitcher showing bunt and pulling back for a hit was one of the most exciting plays in baseball, which I guess that’s a matter of taste, but I’ve seen it work so rarely, and never when it really counted, that I don’t find much to get excited about there.
joshQuote Reply
Cespedes –> Marlins?
I’m not sure if I enjoy the Miami Threet Drama or the Miami Marlins Drama more now. Cespedes, Zambrano, Hanley ‘I’m a Third Baseman Now’ Ramirez, Injury Prone and expensive signings of Jose Reyes and Mark Buhrle, and sky high expectations…. all under the careful watch of Ozzie Guillen.
It’ll be a spectacle similar to the Marlins home run celebration trophy.
PezcoreQuote Reply
Suburban kidQuote Reply
I am really excited for baseball and following prospects.
I think the team I am most excited to watch is Peoria. They should have Vogelbach and Baez out there everyday which will be fun to watch. I wonder if Maples and Simpson will be there as well?
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
@ Pezcore:
They went out and bought a bunch of firey Latinos. They’re new stadium is in Little Cuba. Their colors hurt the eyes. If this doesn’t bring out the Latino crowd in Florida to finally fill their stadium the only thing left to do is to convince the governor to let them install slot machines and ship in busloads of old people.
joshQuote Reply
I like the predraft writeup for Baez “Loaded with tools but plays with a chip on his shoulder—similar in both regards to Brett Lawrie”
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
@ Suburban kid:
That’s probably my mother land. Fucking India.
MishQuote Reply
@ Mish:
Well this happened in my mother land
How is that not child abuse? I think that every fucking time I drive by these motherfuckers. If teaching a child to hate doesn’t qualify as child abuse, what the fuck does?
mb21Quote Reply
@ josh:
It’s definitely time for the NL to join the American League in the 20th Century. The moment pitchers stopped caring about their ability to hit was the moment they lost their spot in the lineup.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
That’s utterly disgusting.
MishQuote Reply
@ Mish:
There’s not a damn thing that can be done for the parents, but all the kids I see holding those signs should be taken away from the parents. It’s fucked up.
mb21Quote Reply
Anyone else eagerly awaiting Law’s rankings?
Eve if i dont agree with them (i.e. Brett Jackson will not make top 100 or I will be shocked if he does) i like the scouting reports.
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
@ mb21:
I even wonder if they fully understand what those signs say, the kids look that young. That’s really messed up though.
MishQuote Reply
Cubs had three top 100 prospects with Law
Rizzo 36
Jackson 89
Baez 95
he has our top ten at
Chicago Cubs
1. Anthony Rizzo, 1B
2. Brett Jackson, OF
3. Javier Baez, SS
4. Trey McNutt, RHP
5. Zach Cates, RHP
6. Welington Castillo, C
7. Dillon Maples, RHP
8. Josh Vitters, 3B
9. Reggie Golden, OF
10. Matt Szczur, CF
I have scouting reports too if yall would like
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
Man, what’s his knock on B-Jax? Or is it that Klaw weights the ceiling component of his rankings more than most prospect guys?
BerseliusQuote Reply
Okay I’m embarrased; why is Zach Cates not ringing any bells?
MishQuote Reply
@ bubblesdachimp:
How would Brett Jackson not make the top 100? Every other source has Brett Jackson in the 30s.
mb21Quote Reply
@ Berselius:
I don’t know, but 50 spots lower than Rizzo is laughable. I’d probably have Rizzo 50 spots lower than Jackson. I’ve thought all the other lists have been way too generous to Rizzo and it’s based primarily on his monster season in the PCL (Hoffpauir lit that league up).
I’ll say it again, there is no way that Rizzo is a better prospect. None.
mb21Quote Reply
@ Mish:
The Cubs got him along with Rizzo.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
My thought process was that after reading Klaw and everything he writes for the past three years I was sure he would leave him out and he almost did!
He hates Brett Jackson
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
(dying laughing) Enough has been said about Vitters, but Reggie Golden can’t even make contact. Ever. He struckout significantly more than Brett Jackson at the same level. Golden has some potential, but as a corner outfielder the odds he ever reaches that potential or even reaches the big leagues isn’t too much greater than the odds I do.
mb21Quote Reply
Law just isnt a fan i guess. I dont know how MD feels about Insider stuff here but I would like to read the reports if you can Bubbles
dylanjQuote Reply
@ bubblesdachimp:
He also isn’t very good at ranking prospects. There are so many things wrong with that list. Rizzo being higher than jackson is 1. Rizzo being THAT much higher than Jackson is funny. Vitters and Golden in the top 10. Cates, a future reliever according to Baseball America, is at number 5.
I think Law drew names out of a hat. I’m convinced he did.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
That’s a slippery slope. Where do you draw the legal line on what is acceptable to teach children?
ACTQuote Reply
@ Mish:
I was going to say “nice pic of your mom” or something but thought it was too early in the morning for being a complete dick.
They were actually protesting politicians watching porn in government buildings, not procreation.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
Avatars ———————> too small?
Suburban kidQuote Reply
I think Vitters is top 10 in our system no doubt but I dont think there are 88 better prospects than Jackson right now. What other CF’s does he have ahead of him?
dylanjQuote Reply
I like Rizzo quite a bit. I think the kid is going to hit and hit quite a bit.
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
Suburban kid wrote:
Given my politics, politicians watching porn is preferable to them trying make and pass laws. (dying laughing) Especially in India.
MishQuote Reply
How do we insert pictures now? I’ve been away for a few days.
WenningtonsGorillaCockQuote Reply
@ ACT:
I think you could already argue that the parents are unfit and the child should be removed from the home. I don’t think you even need an additional law. I would definitely argue the parents of those kids and the many others I see holding signs here in Topeka are unfit. Is it a slippery slope? Probably, but if it removes those kids from their parents then I’m OK with it.
mb21Quote Reply
what do they say about Maples bubbles?
dylanjQuote Reply
@ WenningtonsGorillaCock:
http://www.htmlcodetutorial.com/images/_IMG_SRC.html
img src=”http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/al-is-retarded.jpg”
Put an opening carrot right before img and a closing one right after .jpg”
mb21Quote Reply
oh the Phelps clan. I dont miss living in Topeka when I see them. My mom likes to tell a story of when I was 3-4 and saw them on the side of the road and asked everybody in a really loud voice what a fag was.
dylanjQuote Reply
@ Suburban kid:
Maybe, but they align nicely next to the author name and then the comment date and time.
mb21Quote Reply
@ Mish:
Agreed.
mb21Quote Reply
Facepalm:
http://obstructedview.net/chicago-cubs/daily-facepalm-2-9-2012-cubs-the-musical.html
AndCountingQuote Reply
I’ve learn several just right stuff here. Definitely worth bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how much effort you set to make such a fantastic informative website.
garden lightingQuote Reply