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Thursday, February 14, 2008

ESPN: Stark: At long last, spring training is upon us

Jayson Stark’s massivo spring training jazz…

Least recognizable teams

Athletics
Astros
Marlins

What a free-for-all this category was. The Astros might have been the most stable team in baseball for the past decade. Now they’ve killed off all their Killer Bees except Lance Berkman. Then there are those post-Dontrelle, post-Cabrera Marlins. Now they’re a team only the Rick VandenHurk Fan Club could love. We could have made compelling cases for the Twins, Giants and Orioles, too. But how could anybody out-anonymous these 2008 A’s—especially if they deal away Blanton? If you’ve ever wanted to see Chris Denorfia, Santiago Casilla and Jeff Fiorentino on the same field, A’s camp is the place for you this spring.

Poll tidbit: What does it say about Tampa Bay that the Rays got almost as many votes for “least recognizable” as they did in that “most improved” balloting?

Repoz Posted: February 14, 2008 at 08:30 PM | 13 comment(s)
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1. phatj Posted: February 14, 2008 at 11:00 PM (#2691731)

For the record, since the last time Gonzalez drove in a run -- 1,366 days ago, on May 19, 2004 -- Albert Pujols has knocked in 322 of them.

Not only is this not an impressive number of RBIs for nearly four seasons, it's not correct. Per the Day by Day Database, Pujols has 456 RBI since 5/19/04.

2. DFA SILVA-clap-clap-clapclapclap, DFA SILVA-clap-c Posted: February 14, 2008 at 11:06 PM (#2691735)

i had no idea chad fox was pitching again

3. sunnyday2 Posted: February 14, 2008 at 11:42 PM (#2691760)

Holy ####. The Twins are not one of the most unrecognizable teams?

You've got holdovers at C, 1B, RF and closer and that is damn near all of them.

4. jwb Posted: February 15, 2008 at 01:00 AM (#2691773)

i had no idea chad fox was pitching again

Chad Fox has a contract to pitch. Whether Chad Fox is pitching again remains to be seen.

5. number 6 Posted: February 15, 2008 at 02:46 AM (#2691786)

are the pirates so mired in ignominy that no one knows they exist?

or are they recognizably bad?

6. DCW3 Posted: February 15, 2008 at 02:54 AM (#2691788)

are the pirates so mired in ignominy that no one knows they exist?

or are they recognizably bad?

The latter. The Pirates' entire starting lineup and most of their rotation from 2007 are still with the team. They're recognizable as the same lousy team they were last year.

7. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: February 15, 2008 at 08:44 AM (#2691828)

Now they’ve killed off all their Killer Bees except Lance Berkman.

He forgot Roy Boswalt and of course, manager Heinrich Bimmler.

8. Bad Doctor Posted: February 15, 2008 at 09:25 AM (#2691854)

The two assertions I find surprising are (i) there seems to be a general feeling among baseball men that the Andruw Jones contract was terrible, which I can't see, and (ii) someone is still holding out the belief that Kyle Lohse (or as Stark calls him, "soon-to-be-overpriced Scott Boras client Kyle Lohse") is going to get the worst contract of the offseason. I know Boras has pulled out some gems late in the offseason before, but I'll believe this one when I see it.

9. Cris E Posted: February 15, 2008 at 09:51 AM (#2691868)

Stark seems surprised that the Santana trade got great grades but the contract was hammered. If they were unrelated that might be a proper read, but the fact is Santana's contract requirements are what crushed MIN's trade leverage. It was NYM's willingness to give that contract that let them stay in the game for the trade, and it's not that interesting when the two are linked.

10. jmurph Posted: February 15, 2008 at 09:53 AM (#2691871)

Yankees toss $275 million over 10 years, plus a chance to make another $30 million, at Alex Rodriguez, even though (A) no other team appeared to be within $80 million of that, (B) he turns 33 in July and (C) he couldn't possibly have been more desperate to go back there. Worked out just fine for "60 Minutes," anyhow.

I'm glad that mainstream writers (like Stark) are finally pointing this out. I admit I could have missed something at the time, but it seems to me the widespread initial reaction to the A-Rod deal on FSN and ESPN was that the Yanks somehow got A-Rod/Boras to cave (although I do think Stark's Point B isn't that big of a deal, at least for the first 6 or 7 years of the deal).

11. Dayton Moore is a Big Fat Idiot (AG#1F) Posted: February 15, 2008 at 09:59 AM (#2691880)

I can't believe no one has signed Proven Closer Armando Benitez yet.

I can't believe Kyle Lohse isn't signed yet. Not that I think he's that good, but I thought for sure someone would overpay for him.

12. The Polish Sausage Racer Posted: February 15, 2008 at 12:42 PM (#2692011)

Wow, Chad Fox. I hope he can do it, just to stick a finger in the eye of Crusty Baker.

13. Charter Member of the Jesus Melendez Fanclub Posted: February 15, 2008 at 12:58 PM (#2692017)

it seems to me the widespread initial reaction to the A-Rod deal on FSN and ESPN was that the Yanks somehow got A-Rod/Boras to cave

Seemed it to me too. I think the NY Post had numerous articles about how Rodriguez came crawling back to the Yanks, tail between his legs, begging for a quarter-billion dollar handout.

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ESPN: Stark: At long last, spring training is upon us

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