Primate Studies: St. Louis Cardinals Midseason Report

[EDITOR’S NOTE - This should have been posted last weekend, but I’ve had a great deal of internet woes.  Until Time-Warner fixed a broken line, I was surfing on the crappy phone and on a bad connection in my car at McDonald’s -DS]

This is my All-Star Break report on the Cardinals. It has folded into it most of what I wrote as a preseason preview. Unfortunately, due to a long flu episode, that didn’t get done until early June, so it never got posted here. Sorry about that. I promise not to get ...

Transaction Oracle: (ESPN INSIDER REQ) Angels - Acquired Haren

It comes down to the player to be named -- Arizona would probably have to net minor league outfielder Mike Trout here to make this trade fair. Otherwise, this is the kind of trade that, if it happened in a fantasy league, the league commissioner would void.

Dialed In: Reconciliation - Getting Defensive Stats and Statheads Back Together

There is lots of skepticism around defensive statistics.  Wrongly so, in my opinion, but I am probably a little biased.  Yes, they aren’t perfect, but there is no reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater.  The idea behind the stats is solid.  There is some differing opinions around the treatment of the data, but otherwise, the defensive stats community does believe we are in the right general area.

Except for a few people and one of them is Colin Wyers.  Colin Wyers, in case you ...

Transaction Oracle: Mets - Signed Cordero

Sadly, medical science for treating labrum tears doesn't seem to have the same success rate as treating elbow tears. While Cordero never really had an impressive fastball as closers tend to, his slider still isn't what it was and without the slider, Cordero's not going to get major league hitters out. It's probably too soon to write him off completely (he was acceptable for Tacoma this season), but he needs to be in the minors ...

It's Mets...Just Mets: Can’t Anybody Here Catch the Ball?

The Mets have recently begun a couple of weeks of some of the most listless baseball I can stand watching.  Since returning from the American League, whose ass they whipped this year, they have played like dung.  They have gone 6-11, and have losing records to both the Marlins (5-8) and Washington (5-7) this season, partly on the strength of poor performances in the last three weeks.  It’s aggravating, that’s for certain.  What is going on, and how do we fix it?

For starters, we have to make ...

Gonfalon Cubs: Lou to retire at the end of the year

“I couldn’t be more appreciative of the Cubs organization for providing me the opportunity to manage this ballclub,” Piniella said in a statement. “I’ve had four wonderful years here that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.  I’ve grown to love the city and the fans but at my age (67 at the end of the season) it will be time to enter a new phase in my life.  It will enable me to spend more valuable time with my family - my wife, my kids and my grandchildren.  God has blessed me to have ...

Dialed In: Weekly DRS Update (Defensive Stats Thru July 19, 2010)

This week’s data

Another week has passed and the separation between the top fielder and the bottom fielder has remained nearly constant.  The top fielder after 85 games is about +10 and the worst fielder is about -10.  And that’s just top to bottom, not even considering the smaller gaps from each position. 

A good deal of the chatter the last couple of weeks has focused on pitcher responsibility for fielding success.  I wrote a bit about this about a year ago.  It was called Defensive ...

The Blogpark in Arlington: Fourth meal?  No.  Fourth A.

Chris Davis is garbage.  And has no business being in MLB.  There are a few reasons for this.  He’s a solid fielder, but a 1B is never, ever going to be a starter in the majors for his defense.  Secondly, got no plate discipline.  I can live with some of the flaws if you have plus-plus power.  I can’t live with them if your plus-plus power only exists against pitchers that can’t throw above 91 MPH and don’t have a good breaking ball.  You’re not facing batting practice, you’re facing real ...

Sox Therapy: Trades?  I Say “Maybe”

It’s weird to be two weeks from the deadline and not have insane seven-team, five all-star rumors swirling around the Sox.  This should be a quiet deadline.  I think, though, there are some small-bore trades that make sense for the Red Sox.

The Red Sox certainly shouldn’t be sellers at the deadline – they’re still in the range of 1-in-3 to make the playoffs, and that’s far too great of a chance at a World Series to give away. 

So, what should they buy?  As per the previous thread, ...

The Blogpark in Arlington: Trouble in paradise

The Rangers have a 4.5 game lead in the division, a good record, a healthy team, and a brand new toy (Cliff Lee).  Before the all-star break, people were talking like the division is over.  But isn’t.  Not by a long shot.  First off, we cannot underestimate the Angels - ever.  They consistently show the ability to pull horseshoes out of their ass and pump out seasons much better than you’d expect based on the players and run differential.  At some point, we have to just assume this is going to ...