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Thursday, May 01, 2008

Sports Justice: I’ve almost always got advice for the Astros, but…

If you really want to get angry, if you’d like some insight into what happened to your baseball team, check out the top of the 2006 draft. Six pitchers--all taken with the first 41 picks--have already made the big leagues from the draft. That list includes Max Scherzer, taken by the Diamondbacks with the 11th pick. He throws about 97 mph and retired all 13 Astros he faced.

Others taken in that draft: Luke Hochevar (1), Andrew Miller (6), Clayton Kershaw (7), Tim Lincecum (10), Ian Kennedy (21) and Joba Chamberlain (41). Tampa 3B Evan Longoria was the third overall pick. (Kershaw isn’t in the big leagues yet, but once the Dodgers call him up, he’ll be here to stay.)

There’s one other pick you’re interested in. That would be C Max Sapp, who was taken with the 23rd pick by the Astros. He’s beginning his third season or professional baseball and is hitting .179 at Class A Lexington.

To cover their backsides, some of the baseball operations people are blaming Drayton McLane for that pick. They’re whispering that McLane wouldn’t give them the money to sign a real baseball player.

That’s a lie. The people that picked Max Sapp didn’t do their homework. They blew it.

Poor Max Sapp...forever the Maalox Pick.

Repoz Posted: May 01, 2008 at 01:24 AM | 18 comment(s)
Related News: General, Houston

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1. Larry Bowa Approves of The Justin Upton (1k5v3L) Posted: May 01, 2008 at 02:03 AM (#2764853)

The people that picked Max Sapp didn’t do their homework.

They were told to get Max. No one gave them last names. And Max they got.

Btw, some interesting pitchers were taken in the 2nd round in 2006
http://www.baseballamerica.com/draftdb/2006xrnd.php?rnd=2

2. Guts Posted: May 01, 2008 at 02:47 AM (#2764869)

Justice, responding to comments on this item:

[Did you write in without doing your homework? You expect me to do it for you, don't you? Are you this lazy in your job? Are you also this wrong in your job? Can you write back and tell me what you do for a living? You, my friend, are what's wrong with this country. You're so lazy because you're accustomed to the government doing everything for you. President McCain is going to change things, and one of those things is that he's going to get you off your tail and out into the workplace. Where was I? Oh right, you're false perception about the bullpen. The bullpen ERA has dropped from 4.62 to 4.24 since last season. The save conversion rate has jumped from 60 percent to 67 percent. That's not much improvement, but it is some improvement. I've thought a lot about what would happen if all those deals could have been undone. I think PR played a role. Fans were sick of Lidge and Qualls. They wanted change. So it's changed. The bullpen hasn't been as good as I'd thought it would be, but it's better. You liberals make me want to puke. You're probably one of those people that thinks George W. Bush needed to tell the truth about why we were going to war. Horse hockey! If George W. Bush says it, I believe it and that does it. Why? Because I love this country. America is my home. You can love it or leave it.--Richard]

Really? Hopefully a parody, but I worry.

EDIT - On a later comment -

[You want the truth? Can you handle the truth? No one in the United States cares about the Rockets and Jazz. No network picked up Game 5. It was on NBA TV. Wait, it gets worse. If the series goes to Game 7, it's going to get the worst time slot. The game will start around 9 p.m. on Sunday unless something changes. The networks would rather have a second-round opening game than a deciding game featuring the Rockets and Jazz. They don't love us, man. They don't love Shane or Rafer. They don't love Deron or Carlos. Good thing I've had a lot of experience with this kind of thing in my pitiful life.--Richard]

Definitely a parody, or Justice needs to stop posting drunk. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

3. AlouGoodbye Posted: May 01, 2008 at 03:31 AM (#2764876)

[I'm with you. I'm a Republican. I think George W. Bush has done a terrific job. So what if he messed up a war and the economy and the environment and stem-cell research. You've got to give the guy credit for delegating the important decisions to Cheney, etc.. That's good management. They'll be studying this guy for the next 50 years.--Richard]

It's parody.

4. csc236 Posted: May 01, 2008 at 07:36 AM (#2764899)

Max Sapp hasn't looked like a very good pick so far, but Hochevar, Longoria, Miller, Kershaw, Lincecum, Sherzer, and Kennedy were all taken before the Astros pick. I'll admit that he technically aknowledges this by mentioning where they were taken in the draft and then mentioning where Sapp went, but doesn't this make his whole entire point ridiculously pointless and ridiculous? And yes, I know Justice doesn't always have the highest standards to begin with. Still, even by his standards this seems unbelievably pointless. I keep hoping I'm missing something here. Am I missing something here?

5. ECBucs Posted: May 01, 2008 at 08:40 AM (#2764924)

I wonder what has happened to Justice. When he was with the Post and covered the Orioles he was a very good writer.

6. kthejoker Posted: May 01, 2008 at 08:41 AM (#2764926)

I think it's not about who they could've had, but that you expect your first round draft pick from 2 years ago to be making real progress, at least AAA.

7. snapper Posted: May 01, 2008 at 08:53 AM (#2764937)

I think it's not about who they could've had, but that you expect your first round draft pick from 2 years ago to be making real progress, at least AAA.

I think AAA, only if you picked a very polished college player.

A high school kid would've liekly gone to Rookie Ball in 2006, and Low A in 2007. Depending on last year's performance, he might be in High-A, this season, or AA.

8. Toolsy McClutch Posted: May 01, 2008 at 10:10 AM (#2765006)

If that's all parody, and it could very well be, I'm now a Justice fan. But I don't think it' all parody. And I think he's loony.

9. The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Esoteric) Posted: May 01, 2008 at 10:24 AM (#2765030)

The GOP-bashing is juvenile and stupid, whether from Justice or from BTF. Speaking as a GOP man, there are many, many, many mature and intelligent ways to bash the GOP, none which require tenuously connecting one's politics to a sports blog.

Other than that I like Justice a lot more than many here.

10. baseball chick Posted: May 01, 2008 at 10:31 AM (#2765038)

this is completely parody

it is his BLOG, not his columns, which are different.

he gets comments all the time saying stuff - well that's because you a democrat and so you think _______ and well that's because you a republican and so you think _______

and he gets told - you a dirty george bush LUUUVVVVVR and you a dirty george bush HATRRRRRRR

and this is his sarcasm at all the posters stuff.

- i only really get pissed with richard when he slurps bud's butt - loudly, eagerly wetly

he also sometimes parrots some of the commenters to get opinions

- and he tries real hard not to say drayton was an idiot to hire baseball people to not make THEIR baseball decisions.

with justice in his blog, you usually have to read behind the lines because he often covers up what he really thinks with a load of longhorn this or george bush that

11. Dan The Mediocre Posted: May 01, 2008 at 10:36 AM (#2765051)

[If you moved to Oklahoma, it would raise the IQ of both states.--Richard]

You have to like this insult.

12. baseball chick Posted: May 01, 2008 at 11:12 AM (#2765132)

dan,

it is an OLD UT/OU insult...

13. John Peterson Posted: May 01, 2008 at 01:11 PM (#2765382)

Max Sapp was HUGE for me in Baseball Mogul.

14. Alex Gordon's #1 Fan Posted: May 01, 2008 at 01:16 PM (#2765393)

I wonder what has happened to Justice. When he was with the Post and covered the Orioles he was a very good writer.

He always seemed very sane and logical on PTI. Maybe Buzz was onto something about blogging.

15. AROM Posted: May 01, 2008 at 01:26 PM (#2765409)

In his first season I remember seeing Max Sapp throwing out 55 or 60 percent of basestealers, something ridiculous. Anyone know if he still looks like a future defensive standout?

We may never get the chance to see though, since he can't outhit Max Rebo.

16. Joe C isn't Posted: May 01, 2008 at 01:36 PM (#2765428)

Sports Justice: I’ve almost always got advice for the Astros, but…

...usually it's pretty lousy?

17. Suff Posted: May 01, 2008 at 01:40 PM (#2765437)

Justice deliberately provokes his readers in the blog. I think he wants to "win" a more regular rotation on Around the Horn by showing that he can get a lot of blog comments.

18. Gambling Rent, Posted: May 03, 2008 at 12:44 PM (#2767779)

not quite the scum that ESPN would like you to believe.

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